Spark Lakota East High School lakotaeastspark.com Sept. 30, 2015 $5 Newstand
THE COLORBLIND GENERATION Characterized by implicit biases and subconscious insensitivities, millennials struggle to separate equality from ignorance.
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BEST WISHES TO THE SPARK STAFF FOR A SUCCESSFUL 2015-2016
16 18 37 39 48 54 from 513 to nyc
long’s lasting legacy making zen
more than a scarf
contemporary
enjoying the battle
After signing with a modeling agency, West senior Erin Eliopulos has made it big in New York CIty.
Wyandot Early Childhood Center students hears from local author and illustrator Loren Long.
Although often physically characterized by her hijab, East senior Sarah Javed crafts her identity while remaining conneted to her Pakistani culture.
Spark explores the increasingly popular trend of contemporary fashion from local stores.
East senior Gillian Graham finds gratification in sharpening her skills in the strenuous game of tennis.
East junior Kiki Davis’ biracial identity is often misunderstood, but through Zantangle, she is able to make peace between the two races.
to and from the editor | opinion
Spark 2015-2016 STAFF
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Nina Brillhart
Brittany Meister
Christine Shi
Maddie Weikel
MANAGING EDITORS Design Christine Shi
News Nina Brillhart
Package Maddie Weikel
Co-Culture Katy Johnson
Broadcast Emma Stiefel Co-Culture Christine Shi
Feature Brittany Meister Sports Aly Thomas
Photography Sydney Rader Opinion Kelly Krajewski
Art Manjot Kalkat Infographics Manjot Kalkat
EDITORS News Vincent Galioto Package Erinn Aulfinger Sports Allie Church
News Emma Stiefel Package Michelle Chu Opinion Cara Satullo
Feature Alyssa Hetterich
Photography Cara Sieber
Package Cristina Francisco
Culture Loryn Flowers
Opinion Victoria Negron
Infographics Cassia Chryssovergis Co-Copy Maddie Weikel
Art Sarah Aftab
Photography Richard Giang Culture Lauren Wilson Art Julia Sanders
Infographics Sophia Chryssovergis Co-Copy Katy Johnson
BUSINESS TEAM Business Director Nina Brillhart
Co-Fundraising Manager Kaily Hauck Business Collaborator Emma Presar
Co-Fundraising Manager Madeline Alsip
Public Relations Dillon Horter
Business Collaborator Sarah Mullins
WEBMASTER Emma Presar
ADVISOR Dean Hume
CONTACT US c/o Lakota East High School 6840 Lakota Lane Liberty Township, OH 45044 (513) 759-8615 ext. 15118 www.lakotaeastspark.com lakotaeastspark16@gmail.com Spark is a publication that is produced at Lakota East High School. The magazine is completely non-profit and student-generated through the efforts of the Journalism I, Journalism II and Journalism III-Honors classes. The publication material may not always reflect the views of the Lakota Local School District or the publication as a whole. Content is controlled and edited by the staff editors. The staff will publish only legally protected speech adhering to the legal definitions of libel, obscenity and invasions of privacy. The publication is produced every five weeks on recycled paper. Production costs are recovered through advertising, subscription sales and fundraisers. The purpose of Spark is to inform the students, faculty, and community members of news, information and issues that may influence or affect them.
4 lakotaeastspark.com September 2016
FUNDING OUR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR FUTURE Spark ED BOARD COMMUNITY After 2013 many Lakota students were able to breathe a sigh of relief as the first levy in the Lakota Local School District passed since 2005. However, just as new changes had been implemented like a sevenperiod day for freshmen and technology upgrades around the district, Lakota may be facing another hit to its funding. Ohio Governor John Kasich’s line-item veto that eliminates Tangible Personal Property (TPP) reimbursement supplement payments to schools during fiscal year 2017 could cause a loss of $3.1 million to Lakota Local Schools. Students from the art wing to athletics are cringing as their imaginations run to worse case scenarios of their favorite program losing funding or being cut completely. As high schoolers, Lakota East students face this budget flux from an interesting perspective—many students, including all of the editorial board members, have been in the district since the beginning of elementary school and have seen the loss and revival of many programs around the district in real time. The common misconception is that larger districts like Lakota and Mason City School District can simply absorb the loss. The change, however, leaves students in that district starving for opportunities that were common just ten years ago, and that is disappointing and disconcerting for the staff, even as we say goodbye to the district in May. Every dollar a school district receives can make a difference in the quality of education and level of real-world preparedness students achieve. Students with older siblings in the district are experiencing a completely different Lakota than the one they heard about from their brothers and sisters. Sixth grade band at one time was an alternative to the standard choir but now children must elect to give up recess if they want to participate in band before being able to take band as a class in middle school. In middle school electives like Life Skills and Pathways are no longer available to students. All of this refiguration happened even after the 2013 levy. Every dollar a school district receives affects the success of the students. Taking away funding takes away opportunities for students. Assuming that a district can absorb a loss without knowing the details of that district’s financial history can seriously hurt the students chances to achieve.
ON THE COVER Spark analyzes two of the definitions of colorblindness— seeing all people equally and ignoring the inequalities that have arisen from race relations. With fewer people recognizing when they say or do something racially insensitive, the question of whether colorblindness is a productive goal is difficult to answer. art maddie weikel
Spark Lakota East High School lakotaeastspark.com Sept. 30, 2015 $5 Newstand
THE COLORBLIND GENERATION Characterized by implicit biases and subconscious insensitivities, millennials struggle to separate equality from ignorance.
Dear Spark, It seems so long ago that the nationally-acclaimed Spark newsmagazine was an integral part of my daily life. I emailed sources during breakfast, interviewed them at lunch and then wrote the stories after dinner. But today, three months later and 2,000 miles away at the University of Southern California (USC), the student publication isn’t a thing of my past. At USC, each of the tens of thousands of students had the GPA and test scores to be admitted. Everyone in my residence hall had talent enough to earn half- or full-tuition scholarships. I have met students studying biomedical engineering, human biology and business administration. Nine times out of ten, however, they’re double-majoring or triple-minoring in cinematic arts, graphic animation, painting, theatre, dance, violin performance and yes—journalism. These kids didn’t go home after their high school classes let out, and neither did I. While I feel like the smallest of fish in the biggest pond I’ve encountered, I am always proud to pull out the May 2015 double-issue of the Spark that was my last mark on the program at East. My involvement on the staff was a critical element of not only my admittance to the university, but also my continued drive to network with students and professors, work toward leadership in student organizations and get an incredible start on the infamous rest-of-my-life. To my wonderful alma mater that I constantly brag was a scenic tenminute drive past cows and sheep each morning: don’t let students go home when the bell rings at 2:40 p.m. Give them a reason to stay after, get invested and find a passion that will leave the parking lots full until, before they know it, it’s suddenly five or six o’clock. It’s not just about building a resume to get into college. It’s about finding a cause that will carry students beyond admission into possibly the best self-fulfilling academic years of their lives. My sincere wishes go out to the staff members that I know will be reaping the intangible rewards of their work for years to come. — Ivana Giang
Spark ONLINE Follow more stories at www.lakotaeastspark.com to keep up with the latest school, district and community news and learn more about indepth topics covered by the Spark staff. The Spark encourages letters to the editor, letters can be sent to the publication at lakotaeastspark16@gmail.com or delivered to room 118 at the Lakota East main campus. Letters must be signed, and the staff reserves the right to edit the letters for length, grammer, invasion of privacy, obscenity or potential libel. The opinion editors will contact writers for confirmation.
opinion | from the editor
NOT ALWAYS UNDER ATTACK NINA BRILLHART M
briefs | news
BRIEFS: NEWS
story sophia spivey and vince galioto | photography sydney rader | art sarah aftab Woodland Elementary undergoes construction to prepare for the new security measures.
photography sydney rader editor note: letter includes profane language
y parents have always told me to watch what I say because I never know who is listening. I hadn’t thought twice about the conversation my friends and I were having at breakfast until our waitress handed us a note from the family that was sitting in the booth across from us. From the demeaning look on our waitress’s face, I knew the family had expressed great concern. The note said that we need to watch what we say in public because when we call someone a “f***ing Jew” there may be a Jewish family sitting next to us in a restaurant. It’s easy to say we were shocked because never once had we mentioned religion or even said those two words in the same or separate sentences. The members of that family weren’t the only ones that day that felt victimized. America is supposed to be the land of the free where citizens hold the expectation they can live peacefully without being oppressed because of their ethnicity, gender, sex or religion. Unfortunately, minorities can’t escape the undeserving hatred. However, many people tend to claim there is discrimination in places it is not. Although minorities have been given reasons to put up their defenses, there are some situations that are twisted to make majorities seem insensitive when the truth is that harm is not intended. One man went to extreme measures because of what he perceived as racism. Vester Flanagan, a 41-year-old former WDBJ-TV reporter who went by the name Bryce Williams on air, shot and killed two journalists in Moneta, Va. on Aug. 26, 2015. Previously, he filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against WTWC-TV in Tallahassee, Fla. after the station fired him in December 1999. In the suit, Flanagan claimed he was the victim of racial discrimination; however the station denied the allegations, saying Flanagan was fired for poor performance and office misbehavior. While those being called bigots may not be killed, they can still be hurt when falsely accused. No one wants to feel victimized, even if that means being pointed out as a victimizer. What distinguishes the accidental discriminator from an intentional one is the willingness to simply own their accidents and apologize. In many cases the unintentional racism stems from ignorance and lack of cultural education; therefore, even if a comment seems prejudiced, it isn’t necessarily meant to be offensive. The solution is awareness not penalization. People need to be given a break, but discrimination is still invasive. People can’t act like prejudice doesn’t exist or deny the presence of racism when it’s inconvenient for them to acknowledge it. What society needs to alleviate discrimination is for everyone to digest their parents’ advice and be more aware of the words they say. False accusations need to be branded just as racism should be because they cheapen the value of racism. Eventually, if there are enough false circumstances, then people will stop paying attention
6 lakotaeastspark.com September 2016
LAKOTAS TIGHTENS SECURITY
EAST RENOVATIONS
To tighten security, Lakota Local Schools are remodeling the entrances of 11 buildings. Previously, visitors at these schools did not have to enter the building through the main offices. The expansion is expected to be completed in early December. The 11 schools include Adena, Cherokee, Creekside, Freedom, Independence, Woodland Shawnee and Heritage Elementary. Hopewell, Liberty and Ridge Junior are also included. According to Lakota Assistant Superintendent Robb Vogelmann, these schools were selected because they do not have enough layers of security in place compared the other 11 schools in the district. “No one walks right into the building at Lakota East,” Vogelmann said. “You have to be buzzed into the entrance, and you have to be buzzed in to even enter the office area. Research shows that the more layers of security you have, the slower it takes for an intruder to enter the building full of students.” According to East Principal Suzanna Davis, over the past years schools in the district security has been more of a priority. “As a district we are seeing
On Aug. 13 students at Lakota East High School returned to a new Main Street, with a new paint job, flat screen televisions and fight song. The building renovations are not complete, according to East Principal Suzanna Davis. The next phase will require the school and community to come up with new creative ways of displaying achievement. “One of the things we talked about last year was how inconsistent we were with the banners,” Davis said. “It really became that if your group won an award, and you wanted to pay for a banner, then you got it on main street. I don’t find that to be a fair or effective way.” T h e qualification for receiving any banner is winning a state ch a m p i o n s h i p. Davis says that the school is still deciding the
major renovations to many of our buildings to create safe and secure entry ways,” Davis said. “We have had that for the better part of seven to eight years.” The district has been looking at more ways to increase the safety of students. Vogelmann said that one thing that Lakota has is School Resource officers, police officers that are trained and certified, whereas other districts use school security personnel that have no police training required. “We have been working with Butler County sheriff deputies and West Chester police officers on reviewing all-things ‘safety and security’ for the district,” said Vogelmann. “We have attended conferences across the state and reviewed recommendations from other law enforcement agencies on training, prevention and best practices.” According to Cherokee Elementary Principal Paulette Grady such changes include adding more cameras and buzzing people directly into the office., “What we did is moved all of the security cameras to another exit,” Grady said. “We buzz people in like you would at [Lakota East High School] and so far it has worked well.”
criteria for artistic and academic achievement, and they are still trying to find ways to remember past accomplishments. Also, the administrative offices were rearranged and the concession stand was expanded. “The concession stand doubled in size, and a third office was added to the athletic office, so three people could work together,” East Assistant Athletic Director Craig Ulland said. “I was right next to the guidance office, which was nice because it helped me check up on student eligibility, but it is much better to be with the rest of the athletic department. The previous arrangement was inconvenient because the athletic boosters were storing the equipment for food in two separate closets, one underneath the theater and the other underneath the stairs on Main Street. East senior and captain of the women’s soccer team Claire Combs said she appreciates the new design because it shows school spirit. “The soccer team started chanting the fight song before our game, and I think it got some attention,” Combs said. “The fight song means a lot to us, and the fact that it is up in our school is awesome.”
EAST HOSTS LIBERTY CENTER JOB FAIR With the construction of the new Liberty Center Mall is a widespread need for employees, so businesses came to East searching for potential canidates.
story richard giang | photography sydney rader and richard giang
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mployers from the newly constructed Liberty Center came to Lakota East High School on Sept. 2 for a career fair for students. The Liberty Center is set to have its grand opening in Oct. 2015. “East is a very good location because it’s next to Liberty Center,” Ohio Means Jobs Program Delivery Supervisor Kate Lindsey said. “We had a great response last time at the Freshman High School, but [the career fair at East] is a little bit closer, bigger and better.” The people in charge of the fair were looking for a large, centralized location with many potential candidates to hire, and Lindsey said they went right to East. Lindsey, who managed the event, explained that the goal of the job fair was to re-employ people and to bring opportunity to those who do not have the time or resources to go job hunting. One student attracted to the job fair was
8 lakotaeastspark.com September 2016
East senior Allison Burns, who attended the fair because she had trouble looking for work earlier due to extracurricular activities. “I was able to put in multiple applications, have an interview and receive a job offer all in one visit,” Burns said. “I haven’t had a job before, and I know that having a job will help me learn how to manage my time. Having more responsibility from a job will make me a more well-rounded college candidate.” Students had a variety of employers to speak to, from smaller businesses such as Popcorn Pizzazz and Northstar Cafe to big corporations like Hollister Co. and Dick’s Sporting Goods. “It’s nice for high school and college kids because we’re pretty flexible with our scheduling,” Director of Operations for Popcorn Pizzazz Mike Boehringer said. “We work around kids’ classes and extracurricular activities, and we have a lot of evening work,
so when someone gets out of school, they can come and put their hours in.” Some candidates were unable to come completely prepared. Event staff were there to help candidates without a résumé, and there was a table to apply for work online. “It helped me see who’s out there looking for employees,” Burns said. “I also had one interview, so I got to practice interview skills. It also made me realize first impressions are important. In school, the only class that has really prepared me for the real world is economics. This fair is one thing East has done to help prepare kids.”
visit www.lakotaeastspark. com for coverage of East Junior Statesmen of America’s debates.
Community members meet with business representatives from the stores in the Liberty Center.
district | news
WOODLAND BORDERS TITLE I Woodland reaches out to the community after nearly qualifying as the first school wide Title I building in the district.
story vincent galioto | photography sydney rader and aly thomas | infographic cassie chryssovergis
I
t is 9 p.m., and Woodland Elementary Principal Valerie Montgomery is still at school. Some kids are staying late for extra help and others are on the playground. She lets students stay because Woodland is near their homes and is a part of the community. When it is time to leave school, Montgomery puts on her flourescent yellow crossing guard jacket and walks her students across the street to the neighboring apartment complex. “She would wait for them and put on her bright jacket and made sure they followed her,” Lakota Local School Board Member Ray Murray said. “It was like watching a mother with her ducklings cross the street. I asked her if we needed to hire a crossing guard, and she said, ‘I can take care of my kids, Ray.’” Stories like these are not rare at Woodland Elementary. For the past five years, Montgomery has made it her priority to look after her students, many of whom live in households below the poverty line, which is $24,250 for a family of four. The school has 37 percent of students on the free and reduced lunch program. If they reach the 40 percent threshold, they will be the first full
10 lakotaeastspark.com September 2016
Title I school in the history of the Lakota Local School District. The Lakota Child Nutrition Department says children from families that receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Ohio Works First program may qualify for free and reduced lunch. A family whose income falls within the Federal Income Eligibility guidelines from the United States Department of Agriculture would qualify. Woodland currently has 160 kids on free lunches with 19 getting the reduced price. A school qualifies for federal Title I funds when it has a greater percentage of children on free and reduced lunch than the district average, which is about 20 percent for Lakota, according to Murray. According to Lakota Director of Federal Programs Kim McGowan, Woodland qualifies for Targeted Assistance, meaning that Title I funds can only be used to help in academic need. Each grade level determines this using two predetermined data points that can come from Measures of Academic Progress testing or Reading Intervention Testing. The school then takes the students with the lowest scores
to determine who can get assistance. If the school qualifies for School Wide Title I funding, money can be used to assist any student regardless of whether or not they qualify academically, according to McGowan. For Montgomery, one of the hardest tasks is to reach out to the parents of the kids who qualify for help. She wants to make outreach a priority in order to ensure that families are aware of opportunities they can receive and find a way to get involved with their kids. “Some of our parents are working full time and trying to make ends meet,” Montgomery said. “It is tough for them because they are working on basic needs, like making sure they are providing food on the table and clothes for their kids. So they are not able to be involved. It is not that they don’t want to be involved.” The Title I program already requires that the schools have a parent night to guide families through the process. Montgomery and the Wolf Council, a group of Woodland parents and teachers named after the school’s mascot, got creative and decided to have two more unique parent-teacher nights. “We had a physical fitness night and a literacy
LENDING A HELPING LUNCH For the typical child at Woodland, to eat lunch during the school year costs $2.35 and breakfast costs $1.50. For children with parents who have a lower income, this price is lowered.
Federal Poverty Household Guideline Size 1..........................................$11,770 2.........................................$15,930 3.........................................$20,090 4.........................................$24,250 5.........................................$28,410 6.........................................$32,570 7.........................................$36,730 8.........................................$40,890 1 additional....................$4,160
40 ¢ or less lunch
Receives reduced meal prices 1.85 x poverty guideline for number of people Receives free meals 1.3 x poverty guideline for number of people
15 ¢ or less
30 ¢ or less
after scchool snack
breakfast
intervention to support subjects in the regular classroom. This is done during Tutorial and Enrichment time. Sometimes students need to have a head start with a lesson to ensure they are not left behind. Denelle Garman, who taught as a Title I teacher last year and is now a Gifted Intervention Specialist at Independence Elementary, worked in conjunction with regular instructors. “I would try to frontload and teach them skills before the rest of the class learned them,”
Freeman’s son Julius Jackson plays “War”, a card game to help with reading.
Garman said. “There were kids that would come in and not know basic math facts like subtraction. I would try and review and get their feet wet before the next lesson.” According to Murray and McGowan, the overwhelming majority of Title I funds goes to hiring these Title I teachers. Their jobs, however, are dependent on the amount of kids that qualify each year and the amount of funds the school receives. “Some Title I teachers are on contract from year to year,” Murray said. “Some are fortunate and might get a two-year contract. A lot of the Title I teachers don’t know if they are going to be rehired. They have to reapply each year. It takes a person that I believe has a special calling to do that.” Despite the uncertainty, Montgomery says that all her teachers are willing to go the extra mile for students, even when it isn’t necessarily in their job description. Over the summer, Woodland hosted a summer lunch program so that kids on the free and reduced lunch program could come in to eat lunch like they would during the school year. These lunches would have been run by volunteer organizations and churches, but the students needed to be supervised by someone with a background check. That is where the Woodland staff stepped up. ... continued on page 57
sources food and nutrition service, usda department of agruiculture
Woodland Elementary has 37 percent of students on the free and reduced lunch program.
luau,” Montgomery said. “We partnered with the community for the physical fitness night. The Young Men’s Christian Association came over with us, and we had yoga and Jazzercise going on. At the literacy luau, we had stations for the kids to go to and stations to teach parents. While the kids were having fun, the parents were learning about how to keep their kids reading over the summer.” Tyeisha Freeman, who has three kids in the Title I program, says that her family has come a long way with the help of teachers. Her kids are now more engaged in their learning. It was hard for her to help them at home because she had trouble herself understanding some of the school work they brought home. “I graduated back in 1999, and we only needed basic math like addition and subtraction,” Freeman said. “It was hard to help my kids in math, and it was hard reading to them. It was hard for us to pronounce some words and go through long vowels and short vowels.” Title I teachers were able to help Freeman and gave her a beginner reader computer program called Raz-Kids to help her children learn concepts at home. She would also have her children help count and manage money when shopping. Her goal is to have all her children graduate high school and go to college, which would be a harder process outside Lakota. “My kids once left Lakota and went to school in Lima, Ohio,” Freeman said. “They pretty much swept things under the rug back there. When we came back to Woodland, they were willing to help us and bring us up to date. It was like we never left. It is hard for me to leave this area because the school system is so excellent.” Outreach to parents is only part of the equation. Montgomery also attributes the success of her students to her teachers, who are always willing to volunteer for these events and go out of their way to help parents. Title I teachers at Woodland provide regular
state | news
PARCC TESTS FAIL Ohio Department of Education searches for a more effecive standardized test.
story emma stiefel | photography illustration sydney rader
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Advanced Placement U.S. History teacher Jennifer Reid moderates her zero period class’ debate over the causes of the Revolutionary War.
LAKOTA INTRODUCES TRIAL ZERO PERIOD A seven-period day for a select number of sophomores and juniors is introduced to help provide more class time, specifically in English and history classes. story sophia spivey | photography christine shi
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akota East and West High Schools are giving students a chance to take more courses by running a trial for zero period, a class bell that is offered from 7:15 a.m. to 8 a.m. before first bell at 8:05 a.m. In order for a class to be run, at least 27 students must be enrolled. According to East Principal Suzanna Davis, this class period was supposed to contain Advanced Placement (A.P.) U.S. History, College Placement (C.P.) U.S. History, Honors English 11 and C.P. English 11.The classes are taught by Jennifer Reid, Clinton Adkins, Sean Carnes and Amy Naylor. Due to low enrollment in C.P. English 11, however, the class was cut. According to East counselor Matt Rabold, 150 students applied to be involved in zero period, but 105 students were drawn in the lottery drawing. Davis explained that the number of students taking a zero period course was limited because the district had no idea how many applicants they would have. They wanted to make the program manageable in order to see if it was a viable option moving forward. Students were selected through a lottery system. This way, students and parents could express interest in the opportunity with ease. “We have a lot of different families,” Davis said. “The lottery system gave everyone that
12 lakotaeastspark.com September 2016
was interested an equal opportunity, meaning it didn’t only favor those who could be up at midnight to be the first person to register.” Because seniors can opt to have senior flex, and freshman already have a seven-bell day, zero period is only offered to sophomores and juniors. However, 61 out of 180 East seniors said that they would have taken zero period if given the option. “Very few seniors are looking for a seventh bell option,” Davis said. “Plus, as we begin to look at senior courses, it becomes much more varied in terms of the course options, so it’d be very difficult to offer one particular course.” According to East junior Brooke Lilly, adding this course option to her schedule has reduced the anxiety of having to take online classes to fit in courses required to graduate such as American Government and Economics. Brooke’s mother, Lynn Lilly, said the opportunity for Brooke to have an extra course in her schedule has helped reduce the
“The lottery system gave everyone that was interested an equal oppurtunity.”
— Suzanna Davis, East Principal
financial burden of online classes. “I was extremely happy she was picked for the zero period English class,” Lilly said. “We should not have to pay for her to take classes she needs for graduation. It’s not just the class fee but also the book fee and shipping on the book. The money I saved for this class will be used for Brooke to go on a mission trip. The trip will help other people and add to her college resume.” Honors English 11 teacher Amy Naylor said that teachers enjoy having zero period because they do not have to arrive earlier than before, and they can still have time to prepare for the day. “I like to have my planning period [during first bell],” Naylor said. “If I have to adjust things because kids didn’t get as far as I thought they would on a certain lesson or I feel like things didn’t go well and I need to reteach it, then I can plan for that later in the day.” Naylor believes that having a seventh bell option gives students a chance to explore more courses outside of regular core classes in order to figure out what their passion truly is. “Zero period can be great for opening your eyes to see different fields and different areas that you might really be interested in,” Naylor said. “If you don’t get the chance to take those electives, then that is something you might not ever get to experience.”
uring the spring of 2015, most of the students at the Lakota East Freshman Campus were taking the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) tests, as they were administered for the first time in Ohio to students who will graduate in 2018 and later. A few, however, sat in the cafeteria, instead working on homework or reading. “It was like there was a big opt-out-type of movement,” current East sophomore Jewel Hicks, who had opted out of the PARCC tests along with her younger brother, said. “It was because the people who had the authority to stop it accepted the PARCC test before it was even written. It wasn’t like I’m not going to take this test because I hate taking tests. They shouldn’t have accepted it this early.” Hicks’ parents, who supported her optingout, agreed because they were worried about the effect of the tests on their children. “I know opting out didn’t keep them from missing the instructional time,” Jewel’s mother Beverly Hicks said, “but more importantly it reduced the stress level for our students.” Jewel and the other East freshmen who opted out weren’t alone in their criticism of the PARCC tests. East Honors Geometry teacher Kevin Carlin, whose students took the PARCC
test last year, also saw problems with the test and mainly with how much time they took. “It was way too much testing. It was over the top,” Carlin said. “I would say that in my 20 years of teaching, I have never had so much testing like that. Doing all that takes away from the actual time that we have to cover our material and the things that need to be covered.” The Ohio Senate Advisory Committee on Testing received feedback from over 17,000 teachers who also had an issue with the PARCC tests, according to Ohio Senate Education Committee Chair Peggy Lehner. Ohio switched to the PARCC tests because it had adopted the Common Core State Standards for math and English language arts in 2010. “Ohio is moving to new learning standards and needs a new assessment that would better evaluate those new standards,” Ohio Department of Education (ODE) Associate Director for Media Relations Kimberly Norris told Spark in an email. “Ohio was a participating member of both testing consortia—PARCC and Smarter Balance. After a year of being a participant in both, Ohio chose to become a member of PARCC.” The rocky rollout of the PARCC tests,
however, led to Ohio dropping them with the passage of the biennial budget on June 30, 2015. “We were open to keeping PARCC,” Lehner said, “but at the end of the day, when we made our recommendations [which were all included in the budget] as to what the test should look like, PARCC wasn’t really willing to make enough changes for us to recommend keeping them.” The budget requires that the assessments that replace PARCC be given only annually and in the second half of the school year and that they are shorter than the PARCC tests used in 2014-15, in order to, according to the budget text, “provide more time for classroom instruction and less disruption in student learning.” Too much time spent on testing was one of the reasons Jewel, who said the combination of ordinary school work and standardized testing had been overwhelming, opted out. “It started out with Measure of Academic Progress testing, and then the PARCC testing came in, and it went on week after week,” Hicks’ friend East sophomore Susie Cole, who had also opted out, said. “It took up so much time, and it kind of got to the point where it was ridiculous, and there was no point in taking tests anymore.” Carlin had noticed that his students were frustrated with the testing and that the tests “lost their importance to them.” He had had to adapt his curriculum to fit into a smaller time frame, and his lessons had lost some of the depth he had incorporated into them before. ...continued on page 57
Ohio Governor John Kasich speaks at a Republican debate in Cleveland.
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BUDGETS BUDGED
Lakota Local School District prepares for cuts after Governor Kasich vetoed funding in the state budget. story emma stiefel | photography mct campus | infographic colin melick
14 lakotaeastspark.com September 2016
uring her six years in Lakota’s band programs, East senior Halie Kestermann has seen a lot of change. She started band in sixth grade—now, students don’t start until seventh grade and Kestermann has “already started to see a huge difference in the skill level of the musicians that are coming into high school.” The past few years, paying for band has been a struggle, but now the price is down. Kestermann, who is a drum major in the marching band, plays oboe in concert band and sings in the jazz band, attributes these fluctuations to how much money is flowing into Lakota. When levies weren’t passing, sixth grade band went away. When a levy finally passed, the cost of band decreased. So when she learned from an email Lakota sent out that the district was going to be losing some of its state funding in the upcoming years, she thought of the band. “We do fundraising of our own, but some of the money does come from the school and from the state,” Kestermann said. “The forward momentum that we had been gaining with our band program has slowed down a little bit because of the money problem. We’re starting to attend Bands of America competitions, and to do that you have to be a quality band. It’s a little bit more flashy. We have to have props. It’s hard to plan to do those things when in the future we’re seeing huge budget cuts.” Ohio Governor John Kasich used his line-item veto to eliminate Tangible Personal Property (TPP) reimbursement supplement payments to schools during fiscal year 2017, resulting in a loss of $3.1 million for the Lakota Local School District. The TPP reimbursement payments have been in place since 2005 when House Bill 66 eliminated the tax, which had been collected on the tangible personal property, or inventory and equipment, of businesses. The cut was meant to “to stimulate economic growth, particularly in manufacturing,” the Ohio Office of Budget and Management (OBM) told Spark in an email. But the repeal also cut $1.65 billion in tax revenue from school districts and local governments, so districts were originally supposed to be held harmless until 2012 with TPP reimbursement funds and then have the payments decrease until they were completely gone in 2019. The supplement payments, according to Ohio Education Policy Institute consultant Dr. Howard Fleeter, were designed to ensure that districts with TPP reimbursements that decreased more than their formula funding increased did not suffer any net loss. The veto
“The education community is supposed to stand together... That didn’t happen in Butler County in this budgetary process, and that’s frustrating. But to say we can just absorb that loss is inaccurate.” — Jenni Logan, Lakota treasurer
of the supplement payments in fiscal year 2017 cut $84.2 million in funds to 109 districts, which constitutes about one percent of the $7.9 billion school funding budget, according to the OBM. “The proposed TPP supplement payments, like the TPP reimbursement payments, are predominantly paid to districts with higher local capacity to raise revenue to support their schools,” Kasich wrote in his justification of the veto. “Therefore, this guarantee provision diverts resources that could be targeted to lower capacity school districts and circumvents original intent of the law to limit the reimbursement payments so that they were both declining and temporary.” According to an article Fleeter wrote, 81 percent of the school districts negatively affected by the veto are classified as having low or very low student poverty and account for $57.2 million of the cut. Twenty-six districts have high or very high student poverty and make up $26.8 million of the cut. Lakota Treasurer Jenni Logan disagreed with Kasich’s statement that districts that would have received the TPP supplement are able to make up for the loss locally. Though, according to the Ohio Department of Education, Lakota is classified as a suburban district with very low student poverty, she maintains that “a loss is a loss,” despite what those outside the district may think. “What I saw happen throughout the budgetary process was even districts in this county going up and testifying that ‘Lakota has enough money; they can absorb these losses,’” Logan told Spark. “The education community is supposed to stand together and say this is what’s best for the community as a whole.
That didn’t happen in Butler County in this budgetary process, and that’s frustrating. But to say we can just absorb that loss is inaccurate.” The district will analyze the situation and make plans to handle the loss during fiscal year 2016. According to Logan, it is too early for the district to know what specific programs could be affected by the cut. She emphasized, however, that the district would not try to pass another levy to make up for the loss. “I think that’s always a fear that when we receive a cut, people immediately start thinking that the district is going to be coming back and asking for more money from them,” Logan said. “Our goal is to do everything within our power so that we don’t have to do that. Our community just passed a levy in 2013. We’re going to do everything that we can to make sure that lasts as long as it can last.” The 2013 levy, which added $13.8 million to Lakota’s annual budget, was the first one passed since 2005. The funds were used for technology upgrades, safety and security improvements and additional class offerings such as a seven period day for freshman, among other items. While the district doesn’t yet know how exactly they will deal with the loss, some Lakota students and their families are worried about the effects of the cut, such as Kestermann. East Parent Teacher Student Organization President Kelly Casper is disappointed that, after finally passing a levy, the district will now be losing funds. “I would’ve liked to see us not lose any money,” Casper said. “I have been on every levy committee since my daughter [who graduated in 2013] was in kindergarten. We’ve worked so hard to pass one. Lakota’s done such a good job of making cuts and balancing the budget and being able to bring things back after the levy that I honestly didn’t want to see us lose any money.” The cut also worries Liberty Township Trustee Christine Matacic, who asserts that Lakota schools are an important factor businesses, such as Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the Christ Hospital, consider when deciding whether or not to come to Liberty Township. “[New businesses] are a sign that we have a good, strong school [system] and that there’s a great care from the community businesswise and residential-wise for Lakota Schools,” Matacic told Spark. “Am I biased? Sure. But I’m out there and I’m meeting with businesses and residents, I’m out there talking to people and they’re sending their kids to Lakota Schools.” There is a possibility that the loss for which Lakota is preparing will never come. A 60 percent majority in both the house and the senate would override the governor’s line-item veto. ...continued on page 57
ACHIEVEMENT EVERYWHERE
Governor John Kasich’s new education budget will impact schools in Ohio in upcoming years. *y-axis in millions of dollars
= decrease in funds
= increase in funds
10 8
2.7%
15
16 3.2%
6
LAKOTA
17
4 2 0 10 8 6
3.1%
15
16
3.1%
17
4 2 0 10 8 6 4
10%
15
16
10%
17
2 0 10 8 6 4 2
15
10%
10%
16
17
0 10 8
4.3%
10%
6 4
15
16
17
2 0 10 8 6 4 2
2.8%
15
16
3.7%
17
0 source obm.ohio.gov
LOCAL SCHOOLS
West senior Erin Eliopulos poses while getting her make-up done for a photoshoot. Page 17: The picture of Eliopulos featured in Vogue Italia.
student | feature
““
“
, s u o m a f ’t n s i t a th s l e d o m e s o h t f o e n I don’t want to be o
. ing th no or all be I want to —Erin Eliopulos, Request Agency model
Lakota West senior Erin Eliopulos made it big when she signed with a modeling agency in New York City, but she has not forgotten her cultural roots in the process. story brittany meister | photography used with written permission from marcelo cantu and patrick xiong
S
3 1 5 M FRO 16 lakotaeastspark.com September 2016
TO NYC
itting on the steps of 14th Street in New York City, her eyes were fixed upon a book that rested in her hands. The book was titled “Request Models.” For the first time, Erin Eliopulos felt very alone. A homeless magician approached her and noticed the sad look on her face. He glanced down at the book she was holding and asked, “So how do you like modeling?” Eliopulos admitted that she sometimes would rather be a normal teenager, and the magician proceeded to give Eliopulos the advice she needed to hear. “He told me that I was a young girl living in a big city, and that I should be having fun,” says Eliopulos. “Not many people get this type of rare oppurtunity.” Eliopulos realized this truth many times, but nobody had ever presented it to her so bluntly. It gave the 17-year-old senior from Lakota West a stern wake up call. On July 2, 2014, Eliopulos and her sister Leah were the only two models from Cincinnati chosen to sign with modeling agency Request Models. “When I first met with the [talent] scouts for a test shoot in April 2014, I was supposed to wear jeans, heels, a tight, white tank top just so they could see what your body looks like and no makeup, but I was coming from school so I had makeup on and school clothes,” says Erin. “Everything that I did seemed wrong at the time.” Thinking she had lost the audition with the agency, Erin later discovered that the agency wanted her all along. Kaitlynn Byrd, one of the scouts who traveled to Cincinnati from Request Models, now works very closely with Erin on a daily basis and has played a major role in her development. “I help Erin with everything from posing, walking, and clothes to meet a client,” says Byrd, who has been a scout with request models for two years. “I always knew she had that extra something special right from the beginning.” Erin first expressed interest in modeling at the age of 12, but her parents were tentative in their approval. “Her mom and I didn’t support the idea as we would for sports or music, for example, until the right opportunity presented itself,” says Erin’s father Nick Eliopulos, who also works as
her manager. “Her modeling began when she was approached to model a local boutique in Cincinnati’s online catalogue at 14-and-a-half. The proceeds from the boutique supported Dress for Success, which is an organization that helps women in difficult circumstances reenter the workforce.” In the same spirit, Erin plans on making a difference in the lives of others. Making a positive impact in the lives of others is important to Erin because when she was younger, she was bullied by her peers for the way she looked. Because Erin has a gap between her two front teeth, this made her the target of others who wanted to ridicule her perceived imperfection. Erin, however, found a way of making the gap work in her favor. Erin aspires to model in honor of all girls bullied for their perceived imperfections and flaws. “People aren’t very accepting of differences in our culture. If you’re different, even in small ways, it’s easy to get bullied. I was constantly bullied for my gap teeth,” says Erin. “Whenever I would see a cute guy, I would close my mouth when I walked by. A lot of people say, ‘Oh she’s pretty, but what about her teeth.’” Spreading the message of diversity, however, will not be an easy task until Erin has enough support behind her to spread the message that differences can be something praiseworthy. “I don’t want to be one of those models that isn’t famous. I want to be all or nothing,” says Erin. “I feel like a lot of people who are famous don’t really do anything with their fame. They’re just kind of famous and don’t ever do anything with it. I want to do something with
mine if I ever get there. Erin’s passion for spreading an awareness of diversity emerges from her diverse background. Her mother was born and raised in Barbados, and her great-grandparents immigrated to the United States from Greece. Nick says she represents “the salad with all it’s unique ingredients that we call America.” “Her mom and I discuss with Erin the idea of embracing diversity,” says Nick. “This creates an enrichment of our own lives. It helps us to appreciate first-hand that everybody has a unique background, gifts and ideas, which helps to develop compassion and kindness for all people. The irony is not lost on us that Erin has been given opportunities because of her diversity, while others are discriminated against for theirs. The competitive nature of the modeling industry has presented Erin with numerous struggles, including the intermittent loss of a normal teenage lifestyle. Traveling to New York City at least ten times a year, Erin is quick to validate that being a model in the big city is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Through modeling, Erin has learned to make a positive and lasting impression on everyone she meets. Although some jobs might be a hit-ormiss and her “above average salary” is never guaranteed, Erin did find success internationally when she was featured in Vogue Italia, one of the more iconic editions of Vogue Magazine. “I didn’t know I was going to be featured in Vogue Italia because that’s really huge,” says Erin. “That’s kinda how it happens, though. This business is so up and down that you really never know what you are going to get yourself into or what’s going to happen or what’s going to fall in your lap.” Through the years, Erin has progressed in her modeling career. She is now known in positive ways for the gap between her teeth. Erin goes into castings and walks throughout the city smiling because she knows people accept her for who she is. Erin now refers to the New York City as the love of her life. She has grown into her role as an empathetic model because of the guidance of her parents, the diversity of the city and, most importantly, the acceptance of herself.
feature | community
LONG’S
LASTING LEGACY Local author Loren Long sends an important message to Wyandot Early Childhood Center students. He not only shares his illustrations and writing, but also teaches the importance of strength and hope.
story and photography sydney rader
T
he blue engine in “The Little Engine that Could” has taught children and adults alike to persevere since its publication in 1930. Little did author and illustrator Loren Long know, when his mom told him to “remember the little blue engine” as he practiced his baseball swing in the hole of the little league dugout, this classic by Watty Piper would change his life. “I think I can, I think I can.” Long chants the familiar phrase of the little engine to eager children sitting on the cafeteria floor of Wyandot Early Childhood Center on March 25. With hands waving in the air and little bodies unable to sit still from excitement, these kindergarten and first grade students look up to Long as a hero. Not only does he inspire them with his books but also with the loving words and personal attention that he strives to provide for each child. Long assures the children at his feet that they can achieve whatever they set their minds to doing. At the end of his junior year at the University of Kentucky and after four different majors, Long decided to become a professional artist. Taking every art class possible, he wasn’t sure if he could make a living off of his work. While his mom had always called him “the artist of the family,” his dad was also supportive, but on the quieter side.The words his dad did speak, however, gave him the confidence to pursue his dreams.
18 lakotaeastspark.com September 2016
Loren Long shouts “Jason Weiner for LLS Man of the Year!” alongside Wyandot students and teachers in efforts to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Left: Long draws Otis the Tractor for the Wyandot students. Right: Long reads to Wyandot students.
“I said, ‘Dad, I think I want to be an artist for my living—an illustrator like Norman Rockwell,’ because I knew my dad knew Norman Rockwell,” Long tells Spark. “He was real quiet and said, ‘Well, son, I’ve been in sales with the U.S. Gypsum Building Supply Company for 25 years, and it’s been a decent way to put food on the table for you and your brothers, but I’ve never woken up once in those 25 years passionate about drywall. If you could find something that you love and you’re kinda good at it, it’d be a good way to go.’” After graduating from college, Long spent time at the American Academy of Art in Chicago before his first job making greeting cards. Eventually becoming a freelance illustrator, Long worked for major publications such as Sports Illustrated, TIME, Reader’s Digest and Forbes. Years passed before he illustrated his first picture book, called “I Dream of Trains” by Angela Johnson. Running a marathon to complete his work
Tree,” which he read to the Wyandot children and is to come out to the public on October 27. A deep story about a young tree that is afraid to lose its leaves, the simple plot about growing up teaches readers of all ages an important lesson about living. “Little Tree began to grow because he trusted in himself,” says Wyandot first grade student Zachary C. Other students gathered around Long after the presentation shouting the individual ways the story made them feel. They exclaimed, “Animals helped out and said, ‘It is time to drop your leaves.’ Friends and family help me when I am scared,” and “Little Tree became brave like I have become a bigger and stronger reader.” Long is excited to see the continuous impact that this picture book will have on the culture of literature. “Little Tree is a book that I wrote in my own little pea brain head,” says Long. “I dreamed
personal, but this one was special to his heart— all of the money raised by the school for his visit went to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). LLS raises funds for blood cancer research. Annually, the charity holds a competition for the man and woman of the year who come from 10 candidates raising money in a 10-week period. Among the honorees this year was Jason Weiner, who is Loren’s neighbor. “Jason is one of those people that are in their forties that takes care of himself,” says Long. “He’s fit, trim and kind of a muscular, athletic guy, and I learned that he nearly died because he was at a pretty advanced stage of this blood disease.” Nine years ago, Weiner was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. After connecting to the LLS local chapter, he decided to take part in the campaign in which the 10 competitors raised over $770,000 for cancer research. Weiner is now cancer-free and looks at life in
“The best that I could hope for is that one of my books becomes
a friend to a little person out there in the world.” —Loren Long, illustrator and author
with time and precision, as he did with picture books such as Madonna’s “Mr. Peabody’s Apples” and President Barack Obama’s “Of Thee I Sing,” was more suiting for him than the sprint that was involved in finishing immediate work. “It’s important for young people to know that I didn’t find my life’s work until I was 39 years old,” says Long. “I was illustrating all those years, but I didn’t do my first picture book until I was 39. Doing a picture book changed the course of my life. All of a sudden, my art had meaning. The best that I could hope for is that one of my books becomes a friend to a little person out there in the world.” But he didn’t stop here. Long has been chugging on, writing New York Times bestselling books such as the “Otis” series. Loren has written and illustrated a total of 25 books, and is finishing his new book, “The Little 20 lakotaeastspark.com September 2016
the idea that it can be a book for the ages.” While Long was working to forge a path for his career, he was also working to fight for his family. Twelve years ago while he was illustrating a new rendition of “The Little Engine that Could,” his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 65 years old. The Long family was struggling with a new kind of battle—one that was different than any fast ball racing toward home plate. “I remember telling mom that by the time [The Little Engine that Could] is published, she’d have climbed her mountain,” says Long. “It made me realize how fragile life was, and that was why I dedicated it to my mom— someone who knows something about climbing mountains.” While visiting Wyandot, this local author and illustrator was a man on a mission. Every presentation he attends is different and
a new light. “Loren is an amazing guy with an amazing career, and he’s extraordinarily generous,” says Weiner. “He jumped on board with this campaign and was a huge part of it. He designed the shirt and did the school visit and was incredibly involved. He’s kind of like the glue that brought everything together.” As he stands in front of the Wyandot students, Long chants with a room full of supporters, “Jason Weiner for LLS Man of the Year!” This inspiring man came to teach children about his books, but left teaching them a different lesson about life. “We love that Loren reached out in this way to help a friend in need,” Wyandot Principal Mary Brophy tells Spark. “It was an amazing way for our Wyandot community to give back to the larger community and gain so much ourselves.”
dart | feature
M R. N PIA O
MAN
Englert sits at his piano at home playing “River Flows in You.”
East junior Tyler Englert found his passion for music at a young age and is on a mission to share his talents with anyone willing to listen. story emma presar | photography cara satullo
H
e sits down in front of the love of his life. As his hands slowly glide over the black and white keys, he drifts off into a world of his own—time is frozen. Tunes emerge out of the vibrating strings in the heart of the instrument that he has worked so tirelessly to master. Anyone could be watching East junior Tyler Englert when he is gracefully playing the piano, but who is watching doesn’t matter to him. Englert’s interests lie in his love and passion for the music that bring so many others joy. Englert has played the piano since he was six years old. When he was little, his mother, Cari Englert, thought that he had really long fingers which would make it easier for him to play piano. “That’s the first thing I thought of when I saw [Tyler’s] little hands,” says Cari. “I thought ‘oh his fingers are kinda long, he might be good at piano.’” Cari’s mother, Ronnette Englert, who passed away seven years ago, loved to play the piano during the holidays and has inspired Englert to play ever since. Even when Tyler was little, he played with a violin at a wedding after watching the musicians play, showing interest from a young age. “My mom played the piano for years, and she would play at Christmas time,” says Cari. “There was the influence of my family, and I just thought he would be good.” Tyler’s talents don’t stop with the piano. He
also taught himself through YouTube videos how to play the guitar, ukulele and drums. Tyler does not play in the school band or perform in any band concerts—he purely plays for the enjoyment of the music. On any day he comes home from school or golf feeling down or stressed, he plays the piano.
“IF I’MSAD OR HAPPYORMAD
PLAYTHE PIANO
I JUST GO
“
feature | community
ANDIT ALWAYS HELPS.
—Tyler Englert, East junior
“[The piano] is important to me,” says Tyler. “If I’m sad or happy or mad, I just go and play the piano and it always helps.” Tyler is always comfortable when he is playing the piano and has never been nervous. Even his sisters, Kelsey Englert and Lauren Englert, have Tyler learn songs on the piano so that they can sing when he plays it. His father, Joe Englert, loves listening to Tyler play the piano and constantly
DART
Each issue, Spark throws a dart at a numbered dart board and picks a random East student to feature.
tries to display his talents to others when the opportunity presents itself, even if that means playing in front of strangers. “We went to the J. Kyle Braid leadership program for athletes, and we stayed in a small town close to Chicago,” says Joe. “There was a piano next to a barber shop, and I said, ‘Tyler you should play.’ There was a lot of people around, and he started playing. Everyone around us was clapping, and it was a really special moment.” Both of Tyler’s parents and his friends are very proud of his achievements in music. His best friend since second grade, Bryce Alexander, who lives right down the street from Tyler, can testify to knowing Tyler’s love for music. “I have a piano at my house, and I don’t even play it,” says Alexander, who is a junior at East. “He uses it more than anyone in my house. Whenever he comes over, he’s playing a new song. I could literally hum every song he plays perfectly because he plays them so much.” Feeling and loving music means something completely different to Tyler. He doesn’t get nervous, and he’s not in a band. He plays because it takes him away from the world, and he will always play for the enjoyment in the future. “It makes me feel good that I can [play in front of people] because not a lot of people can do that kind of stuff, especially when it comes to playing instruments,” says Tyler. “I zone myself out from everyone else, I’m in my own world.”
CHALLENGE: ESCAPETHE
ROOM Trying to escape a room where players are trapped for 60trapped minutes in wouldn’t be fun, is but at Being a roomtypically for 60 minutes generally not considered Escape The Room Challenge, you pay for just that. to be fun, but at Escape the Room Challenge, you pay for just that. story colin melick | art sarah aftab and julia sanders
story colin melick | art sarah aftab
A
group is locked in a room with no windows and just one door. The final minutes are approaching before impending doom. All the players can feel themselves start to shake as the final seconds approach and they can’t get out. Team members scramble to find one last key or hidden code to unlock the door that brings them to safety from the mob or saves them from the poisonous gas in Esmeralda’s chambers. The clock is counting down. Three... Two...One. Time’s up.
22 lakotaeastspark.com September 2016
This is Escape the Room, a new form of entertainment that challenges its players to think outside the box and unravel a series of puzzles. Becoming one of the hottest entertainment fads in the country, according to general manager Bill Balfour, Escape The Room is a puzzle-based form of entertainment that originated in Japan. It became popular internationally from a video game and app called “The Room.” Escape the Room is an
hour-long experience where participants are locked in a room, and the only way to get out before the time is up is to solve a series of puzzles from finding keys to working together to solve riddles. It became such a huge hit in Asia that the new game migrated into Europe and landed in the United States three years ago. Escape the Room challenges were such a big hit that Don Oeters, owner of Escape the Room Challenge and Entertrainment Junction, had to bring one to the Cincinnati region himself.
cool place | feature
Escape the Room Challenge was the first of its kind in the Cincinnati area, opening on April 10 2015, and since the grand opening, five others like it have opened their doors. Located across the parking lot from Entertrainment Junction, the small, deceptive building doesn’t look like much from the outside, but waiting inside lies numerous adventures. Oeters was introduced to the idea of Escape the Room by his daughter Michelle, who was traveling in Spain and looking for something to do. She came across several websites for Escape the Room venues and knew her father would love the concept. “I went to [an Escape the Room] in Columbus and one in New York City,” says Don. “One I really liked and the one I liked a lot more. You have to use your own skill sets to try and get out, and I think that’s interesting.”
interests for each of the themes in order for them to create different puzzles and riddles that correspond with that character’s personality. In Escape The Mob, Tiny Gigantie, who is one of the gang members, was given a gambling addiction, which allowed Craven to use different elements that relate to gambling. “By giving [Tiny Gigantie] gambling, it gave me the freedom to use playing cards, dice, poker chips and all these props that I could work into the story and use to help as clues,” says Craven. “There may be something in the room where you have to count different colors of poker chips and once you have your tally, that may give you your information to move to the next step in the game.” Craven sees a cross range of people come and attempt to beat the game in 60 minutes. He enjoys meeting the 300-400 people who
“YOU ARE ENGAGED
the next room is planned to be high-tech, moving into the next generation of Escape the Room Challenges. Balfour thought of the concept for their third room, Double Agent Dilemma, which opens in November. The team recently toured the Ohio Bureau of Crime Investigation to find out what it is really like to be an agent. “We got to see how fingerprints are matched, we got to go into the labs and see how they actually analyze evidence, and it was absolutely fascinating,” says Craven. “I am so fired up about the project, and my creative juices are flowing on that right now.” Many players are looking forward to experiencing Double Agent Dilemma because they have already successfully completed Esmeraldas Curse and Escape the Mob. East senior Caity Stegmaier was surprised by how
IN A GAME THAT IS LIVE,
“
feature | cool place
AND YOU HAVE TO USE YOUR BRAIN.
—Don Oeters, Escape the Room Challenge owner
Don created a team of himself, Balfour and Danny Craven, operations manager and designer, to create the new attraction in West Chester. Craven oversees the day-to-day tasks and designs the rooms and games. Craven first came across Escape the Room concepts on a family camping trip, when his friend suggested he might enjoy playing the app. “From that moment on, I didn’t want to do anything that entire camping trip except play ‘The Room,’ so I really got my addiction to escape rooms through that app,” says Craven. “Months later when Don came to me and said that he had a really fantastic idea for a new kind of family entertainment and proposed the idea of Escape The Room Challenge, my eyes lit up, and I told him I wanted to design it. It’s just sort of funny how it all fell into place for me.” Craven designed both Esmeralda’s Curse and Escape the Mob, which are the two current themes that are featured at Escape the Room Challenge. All the objects and challenges that are in the rooms were chosen and strategically placed by Craven. “My intent for the rooms is to be a little bit more fantasy based. It needs to be something that you don’t do on a daily basis,” says Craven. “I want it to be a cool place for people to go.” The team creates characters with unique
come in each week, many of whom travel from Louisville, Lexington, Indianapolis, Cleveland and Columbus for family outings and corporate team building events. “We had a business group of eight people come in, and they weren’t happy to be [at Escape the Room],” says Craven. “They kept saying ‘I don’t know what we are doing here. This is stupid,’ so I made them feel as comfortable as I could and sent them in the room. When they came back out an hour later, they could not stop talking about how much fun they had.” Staff members enjoy witnessing players interact with each other and work together as a team. Craven finds it interesting to see families interacting when so many times they will go to a movie and sit side-by-side and not communicate. He says it’s a really great way to help bring families together. To win the Escape The Room Challenge, communication is key. “I think what people like about this is that it’s a situation where you are interacting live with people, which is important as people are getting more hooked into electronics,” says Balfour. “This is something you walk into and it’s really there, so I think that’s one of the reasons it’s popular.” As Escape the Room develops and grows,
much she enjoyed her experience at Escape the Room and is looking forward to escaping more rooms in the future. “I would definitely go again if I got the chance, my only complaint is that it’s a bit expensive at $28,” says Stegmaier. “But it was a lot of fun because I was with my family and friends, and we all worked together to solve all of the puzzles. If you don’t work together, you won’t be able to make it out in time.” Craven’s intent is to design Double Agent Dilemma so that the game has built-in changes and so there is not just one outcome. “That allows us to have guests that can return time after time and try each of our episodes,” says Craven. “We are trying to cover all the bases and make it as versatile as possible.” The 14-16 player game will be using video cameras, computers and high-tech technology to manipulate and unlock items. Escape the Room’s thought-provoking nature, says Don, is what makes it different than any other activity. “You are engaged in a game that is live, and you have to use your brain,” says Don. “You’re going to say it’s fun, you’re going to say it’s entertaining. You actually have to talk and communicate with people, and I think that’s what’s cool about it.”
package | race relations
race relations | package
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story maddie weikel photography aly thomas
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The millennial generation is defined by a surge in implicit biases, and while overt displays of racial insensitivity still plague the nation, the dominant issue is whether the issue is recognized at all. By striving for colorblindness, society has the potential to truly treat all people as equals, but experts say that resolving systemic inequalities will take more than a simple change of heart—or vision. The challenge of seeing the world as colorblind individuals is remaining engaged in the issue at hand and not substituting a complex societal dysfunction with an optimistic and positive mindset.
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24 lakotaeastspark.com September 2016
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I
t’s Sunday, 1954, and the cafe owner watched as a mother and her children seated themselves at their regular spot. Hours passed, and they sat in silence. The family watched as waiters floated with poise from table to table, and the most prim-and-proper residents of Cincinnati nibbled at breakfast, then lunch, then dinner. Bound to her stool, the mother sat stoically as waiters spat on her children, and the kids trembled as customers terrorized their mother. Any retaliation would put the victims at fault. And when it was time for the cafe to close, Cincinnati resident Ernie Waits hopped down from his chair, followed his mom, brother and sister out the door, and returned to home to meet his father, who participated in sit-ins that resulted in more than just nasty words. It’s Wednesday, 2014, and the class discussion steered from Richard Nixon to black churches. A student began to share her experience sitting in on a melodramatic service with an energy and spirit unfamiliar to her. “Am I right when I say that?” A girl asks without addressing anyone by name. Regardless, all eyes turned to current East senior John Thomas. As the only AfricanAmerican student in most of his classes since middle school, Thomas is no stranger to the spotlight on his race. He responded with an unenthusiastic mumble, but he thought to himself why she so indubitably assumed that he would know. A 2010 Pew Research Center report labeled the millennial generation, which includes people who were born between 1981 and 2000, “more racially tolerant than their elders.” The Chicago Tribune’s Ted Gregory expanded on this claim by saying millennials are “the most tolerant generation in history.” With modern racism identified as “subtle” by a 2014 study done by Music Television (MTV) and David Binder Research (DBR), millennials, generally growing up in a more understated culture than older Americans, may not always recognize the discreet forms of inequality like Thomas experienced on that Wednesday. Whether deliberate discrimination or subconscious insensitivity, racial inequality touches millennials of all races and ethnicities in a variety of forms, and the question of whether this generation is “more racially tolerant” remains.
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hile the younger generation typically is more accepting of minute details of societal diversity like interracial marriage (91 percent of millennials versus 79 percent of Baby Boomers are supportive, according to the National Opinion Research Center), when actually faced with situations that test tolerance, the numbers do not line up. According to MTV/DBR, 70 percent of Americans ages 14-24 say they don’t see racial
minority groups differently than they see whites. The study also found, however, that microaggressions are a personal problem for 58 percent of nonwhite Americans. Miami University Sociology Professor Byron Miller explains the discrepancy in data to be because people have not had enough diverse interactions to understand what is hurtful toward another person. “People don’t recognize their actions,” Miller tells Spark. “They don’t realize that their behaviors are discriminatory because if they don’t spend time around another race, then they won’t realize that what they’re doing could be offensive.” Although, according to the United States Census Bureau, the millennials are the most diverse living generation, the Public Religion Research Institute reported in 2014 that 75 percent of whites have entirely white social networks. Because of this phenomenon, Miller says it is difficult for him to “lend credence” to the general opinions found in national studies about how millennials perceive race relations. If people rarely interact with other cultures and ethnicities, he says, then their opinions are prejudiced by definition.
“It’s important to see people for who they are, and if you’re going to pretend like race is not an issue, then you’re not solving anything.” —Aaron Wade, East junior
Sometimes these “opinions,” however, are more socializations than conscious conclusions. Indiana University Professor of Sociology Dina Okamoto gives the example of a Caucasian family not wanting to live in a predominantly African-American neighborhood. The family may say that they think all races are equal, but when they are asked how they feel about living in a black neighborhood, there is a shift to the mindset that living among diversity would decrease that family’s property value, so they would prefer an alternative.
“Research shows that people are much less likely to support [equal access legislation] because they view it as [the action] takes something away from them,” Okamoto tells Spark. “Then the question is why [property values decrease]. It’s the way these institutions work. I don’t necessarily think that people who say they don’t want to live in a neighborhood with African Americans are racist, but the system that devalues black homes or black neighborhoods is definitely racist.” While recognizing recent expressions of blatant racial discrimination and hate like the murder of nine African Americans in South Carolina this past June, Okamoto agrees that today’s racism is “not as overt.” According to the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, the subconscious biases that people don’t realize like the neighborhood example are called “implicit biases.”
Q
uantitatively measuring a generation’s racial tolerance, Okamoto says, loses credibility when implicit biases are considered. This phenomenon creates a discomfort for Thomas at school, especially because, according to the Lakota Department of Human Resources, the district has a 26.3 percent racial diversity rate. This is more than 10 percent lower than the national rate, and Thomas says he encounters fewer African Americans during his daily schedule because he is “an honors student in a school that is not as diverse.” Although East junior Briana Antiri typically has diverse classes, there was a slight discomfort when she noticed the prevalence of implicit bias among her peers for one of the first times. “Last year I was the only black person in my math class,” Antiri says. “I didn’t realize it at first, but when we did a name game, it seemed like everybody was socializing with each other but not me. And sometimes it goes both ways in that black people talk with blacks first and whites with whites, and that’s weird because we’re supposed to be more diverse, but we’re not interacting with each other.” MTV/DBR have determined that 73 percent of millennials aspire toward being “colorblind,” which complements the growing implicit biases. Thomas supports this idea in a “perfect world,” but humans, he says, are wired to seek out differences among each other. Additionally, Sean McElwee wrote on Politico. com that disregarding races is also disregarding the issue at hand. East junior Aaron Wade would rather define colorblindness as a hybrid of the positive aspect of equality and the counterproductive aspect of ignorance. As an active member of East’s diversity club People of All Cultures Alliance (POACA) and an African-American student in a school that is predominantly white, Wade has discussed and experienced what racial equality should look like from all perspectives. (POACA was formerly known as Removing Obstacles of Today’s Society, or ROOTS.)
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race relations | package
Diversity Among Millennials Americans born between 1980 and 2000 are the most diverse generation in the country, but Caucasians still hold the vast majority across communities. Unit ed
s
St at But e ler Co Lak ot a
ty un
Lo
ca l School *
Black, Non Hispanic
Multiracial
ct
Asian American
Dis tri
62.6 percent 83.21 percent 75.6 percent
KEY
12.56 percent 7.94 percent 10.13 percent
American Indian
Pacific Islander Hispanic White, Non Hispanic * data from 2013-14
sources u.s. census bureau 2013, lakota chief budgetary administrator lori green
“It’s important to see people for who they are,” Wade says, “but if you’re going to disregard and pretend like [race] is not an issue, you’re not solving anything. You’re just putting it on the back burner. We can acknowledge people for who they are while also embracing their differences.” While people who choose to ignore issues regarding race relations are not helping the situation, Wade also believes that the people at the other end of the insult cannot stand idly by and allow inequality to fester. Black people, Wade says, can’t afford to give people a reason to think that blacks are “behind the eight ball” and must actively combat this mindset.
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o tackle similar frustrations that could surface from colorblindness, Director of Youth Services at the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission (CHRC) Megan Whalen facilitates programs for local at-risk youth to teach conflict resolution and give youth a safe platform from which to speak. The AfricanAmerican teens with whom she worked last summer regularly experience implicit biases and often feel misunderstood. “If the millennial generation is going to not see people by the color of their skin,” Whalen tells Spark, “then we need to have more programs and learning experiences to educate kids about the racial issues that are happening.
26 lakotaeastspark.com September 2016
[Colorblindness] is a good thing, but we still need to teach our kids that these issues occur, this is how we fix them, and we shouldn’t see each other differently in the process.” Popular belief associates the increased diversity of the millennial generation with increased tolerance, but Okamoto doesn’t
“I’m successful, speaking properly, smart, and they call me a different race. All I can think of saying is ‘is this a joke?’” —John Thomas, East senior
necessarily link multiracial networks with better multiracial relations. If people have AfricanAmerican friends, she says, doesn’t mean that how they feel about their friends will translate to how they feel about African Americans as a group.
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hrough a different lens, Okamoto predicts that having diverse networks could lead people to dismiss racial inequality and falsely believe that they do not have to concern themselves with bias. Thomas is to many of his classmates their “African-American connection” that could inspire what Okamoto has discussed, and he has noticed a lack of interest from his peers to address these subtleties. “People don’t really conceive or understand what a microaggression is,” Thomas says. “You don’t know how many times I’ve been called ‘the whitest black kid.’ I don’t like that. I’m successful, speaking properly, smart and they call me a different race. All I can think of saying is ‘is this a joke?’” Thomas says he will “never get used to” being singled out because of his race, and when he senses a switch in a discussion from healthy debate to insensitive banter, he suggests an open conversation at a later date. But rarely have these conversations with peers actually occurred. MTV/BDR found that 63 percent of respondents didn’t grow up discussing race with their families. Additionally, 80 percent of respondents are uncomfortable having a conversation about bias. Thomas admits that it is an uncomfortable topic because people are afraid of “sounding racist,” but either way, it needs to be addressed. Okamoto believes it is imperative for the discomfort not to squash dialogue, Miller says that speaking up about racial inequality is the only way “the winds of change start to blow by,” and the CHRC advocates for youth engagement with bimonthly Night-at-the Mic events for high school students to speak with community leaders about neighborhood issues. The next Night-at-the-Mic event is tentatively scheduled for January. “Our youth are in a tough spot with a lot of pressure on them,” Whalen says. “People are judging especially at-risk youth as being troublemakers who don’t want to better themselves when in reality, they just need a little more education and a place to be able to speak publicly about the issues that are happening.” During the summer, Whalen facilitated a ten-week program for at-risk teens in Cincinnati where she and nine African-American high school students worked in the Walnut Hills community garden during the week and toured businesses downtown on Fridays. After a hard day’s work, the teens and Whalen often found themselves discussing multicultural relations and racial inequality. She attributes their willingness to discuss a topic that is so touchy for many millennials to the teens outnumbering
the adults. “The other kids chimed in as soon as they heard their peers asking questions and getting involved in the conversation,” Whalen says. “[CHRC] is trying to have more programs and projects that are led by youth because teens are more receptive to hearing people their own age discussing issues.” As the summer progressed, Whalen noticed that a common theme that ran through many of the teens’ experiences was that there is an immense pressure for African-American youth in particular to prove to the world that they are “good kids” despite the color of their skin. From wary looks from convenience store clerks to police officers following closely behind as soon as they entered a church festival, teens who are the target of racial bias are displeased and disappointed. This mutual distrust for authority among nonwhites, Whalen says, is a significant reason why many African-American teens feel society is far from equal. Because Wade’s mother Kim is the principal at Plains Junior High School, many other the authority figures within the district are familiar with Aaron. When he is around other adults, however, Aaron has noticed a shift in how he is viewed. “It definitely seems like that just being a black person in sweats, you’re perceived as an unsophisticated person who doesn’t contribute to society—you can tell by the looks on people’s faces,” Aaron says. “I just wonder what I’ve done to make them think this way. I don’t know what to do to combat it because I don’t know how they came to have this perception of me in the first place. It’s frustrating.” And, as made evident by the number of unarmed African Americans who were murdered in the past year, racial inequality in not exclusive to millennials. Waits, who is a former Board Chairman of the CHRC, was recently pulled over and taken to jail without reason by a Caucasian police officer.
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fter processing this recent experience, Waits is planning to organize a community outreach program in collaboration with the Milford Police Department in order to educate primarily the younger officers who have less formal training than more experienced officers in multicultural relations. “My thought process of how I could help in Milford is not to walk away from it and say it’s okay,” Waits says, “but also to not throw it in their face so that they won’t listen to the fact that they need conversations in interpersonal relations with their ever-changing multicultural community. I think as the people of the United States today need to look at ourselves and think if we worthy of who we pretend to be. Everybody is a little bit racist, but we don’t have to be. We can stop it, or we can begin to heal it. One thing’s for sure: we have to do it together, or it won’t work.” According to Miller, the root of
misunderstandings among African-Americans and local authority figures is a lack of interaction. Waits recognized Miller’s theory and shared teens’ concern for biases among authority figures years ago, so he organized in 1997 Cops and Teens Scuba (CATS) so that Cincinnati police officers and African-American teens could humanize their relationships. “[The police officers] found out that all of these kids were not perpetrators,” Waits says, “and the teenagers ages 12 to 18 learned that police officers were also fathers, sons, mothers and brothers. It provided both cultures with an opportunity to see each other in a nonthreatening manner.”
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aits was honored by the American Institute for Public Service in 1998 when he was presented with the Jefferson Award. CATS ended in 2003, but Scuba Unlimited in collaboration with Cincinnati Discovers still runs a diving program for inner-city teens to this day. Not all teens and officers across the country, however, have the opportunity or desire to participate in similar programs, and at this point in history, both Waits and Thomas know they have to approach situations involving law enforcement officers carefully. “If I were 19, I would probably be dead right now,” Waits says. “I would not have taken
East senior John Thomas completes homework from his Honors and AP classes, which, in his schedule, have a disproportional number of nonwhite students.
that behavior from a police officer. I would have stood up for my rights and fought for it and probably would’ve gotten shot. We have to teach millennials how to not die. You need to submit, follow orders, and then you have your day in court. You can’t have your day in court if you’re dead. Yes, it is degrading. It makes you want to puke and fight and flail, but then your story never gets told. If it does, you’re not around to hear it.” MTV/DBR cites that 69 percent of people of color have been the target of bias, and 78 percent believe that everyone has a responsibility to combat it. Actually acting on these “responsibilities,” from recognizing implicit biases to proactively having conversations and seeking out meaningful interactions with different cultures, is not as promising for Thomas as the numbers suggest. But the first order of business, Thomas says, is acknowledging that change needs to happen. “I really don’t have a community [of African Americans] that I guess I should have outside of my family just because of the area that we’re in,” Thomas says. “It’s very lacking in minorities, so I just have to watch what I say and where I say it. Just out of comfort. [Racial inequality] is something people just slide over like it’s not really there, but it is there. It’s definitely there.”
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race relations | package
AVERAGE LIQUID RETIREMENT**
THE RACIAL WEALTH GAP
The racial wealth gap in the United States is a result of underlying social barriers that keep minority races from achieving economic success. Despite increased diversity over the past decades, this gap continues to grow because of the convenience of ignoring the inequality and challenge to mend it.
WORKING
TOWARD
*2014 data **2013 data
White
thousands of dollars
infographic sophia chryssovergis
130.4
BARRIERS TO ASSET OWNERSHIP**
Unbanked Population
$
12.3
4.0 2.7 percentage
Hispanic
Asian
Poverty Rate
White
percentage
68.6
Black
percentage
57.0
Median Income
33.3 39.0 9.7
11.7
25.3
27.2
61.1
12.4
U.S. total participation rate Black unemployment rate White umemployment rate
U.S. LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION RATE*
21.4 20.1
41.6 48.7
77.1 77.0
$
19.0
Black Hispanic
There are four main barriers that prevent families from investing in wealth-building assets, such as a home, a business, or the stock market. Banked Population
5.8
percentage
thousands of dollars
2005
2005
2009
2009
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD WEALTH
White Black The median wealth for White households is twenty times that of Black households.
Black White From 2005 to 2009, Black household wealth decreased 53 percent while White household wealth decreased by percent.
sources globalpolicysolutions.org, urban institute survey of consumer finances, federal reserve board survey of consumer finances
28 lakotaeastspark.com September 2016
East junior Shaniah Willis works at McDonald’s, whichis one of many businesses that is committed to diversity among employees and leadership.
EQUITY Although businesses like McDonald’s have a growing focus on diversity, subconscious biases and predicitions of how white comsumers will react to nonwhite “faces” of companies place barriers before racial minorities. story michelle chu photography cara sieber
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fter joining choir at East, junior Shaniah Willis applied for a job. When she began working at McDonald’s shortly after, she helped pay for herself to join her peers in choir on a trip to Disney World this past spring. Willis initially sent in her application online and called in for an interview several days later. During the interview, she remembers taking notes on what they were saying. “I was asking questions about my job and the hours,” Willis says. “And they thought it was really good that I brought a notebook to write down their answers.” Though scattered, more businesses are emphasizing diversity in their workers, Texas A&M Sociology Professor Joe Feagin says, and Willis has noticed this trend since starting at McDonald’s late last year. “We recently hired some more workers,” Willis says. “It’s people with different backgrounds and a lot of ethnicities overall.” According to McDonald’s Corporate, the company employs 70 percent women and minorities in the United States. Like McDonald’s, hiring minorities is a valued principle at Proctor & Gamble (P&G). Through recruiting events, P&G can develop a workforce that is “as diverse as the customers” they serve, P&G Human Resources Generalist Valerie Marple tells Spark. This diverse mentality began with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination in workplaces on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. More than 50 years later, however, professional
résumé writer and creator of Los Angeles Résumé Service Vijay Chokal-Ingam believes there is still a bias against minorities, starting with a box. “Is checking a box for your race more important than your accomplishments in life?” Chokal-Ingam asks. “Sadly, the answer may be yes.” For Chokal-Ingam, the issue is personal. After hearing a friend, who is also IndianAmerican, lamenting about not being accepted into medical school, he resolved to apply as an African-American student named JoJo, which is his middle name. He was soon accepted into the St. Louis University School of Medicine. East alumna Maria Mateo worked as a hiring manager at Las Copas Mexican restaurant. When it came time to hire workers, she didn’t focus on race. Instead, she used the experience level to gauge worker ability. “Coming from a different [and nonwhite] cultural background, I have learned not to [discriminate],” Mateo says. “It should be based on your experience, and people do work hard for what they want.”
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ateo further notes that the application forms never asked for race. Still for the ones that do, Chokal-Ingam has his Caucasian and Asian clients not reveal their race. However, he recommends that his African-American and Hispanic clients do. He says that universities and companies looking for diversity typically give more chances to African Americans and Hispanics, but that is
not always the case. In 2013, four professors from Auburn University submitted 9,400 résumés online for positions based in Atlanta, Baltimore, Portland, Los Angeles, Boston and Minneapolis. Randomly changing names to be associated with either whites or blacks, the professors discovered that applicants with “white” names were 16 percent more likely to be contacted for an interview. The African-American applicants were called in for initial interviews 15.2 percent of the time, while Caucasian applicants were called in 18 percent of the time. Furthermore, the results revealed there was a 4.4 percent gap for customer, sales, advisor, representative, agent and loan officer job descriptions between the white-sounding and black-sounding names. Johns Hopkins University Sociology Professor Katrina Bell McDonald describes the correlation between ethnic portrayal and hiring. “What these measures reveal is that there is a downgrading of the ethnic person,” McDonald tells Spark. “Companies do think about image, and they would not want a minority’s face representing their image because it’s not just their face but also what they believe the face can be. In other cases, they’re concerned [about] the interaction between the minority and a white client.” But for Mateo, when she was approached with Spanish-speaking customers while on the job, being Hispanic helped with this interaction. She found that it made them feel comfortable because “there wasn’t a language barrier.” They would be confident in asking questions for new
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percent of 464 East students surveyed feel that their race or ethnicity affects the way they are treated by their coworkers 30 lakotaeastspark.com September 2016
—Vijay Chokal-Ingam, creator of Los Angeles Résumé Service would be working up here [in the front line].” Willis now works at the same restaurant as Mateo did. She believes that due to more diversity at McDonald’s restaurants, incidents such as the ones that Mateo gave rarely happen and she has never seen it during her shifts.
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ot all racial issues are as quickly resolved, though. Affirmative action was and still is a difficult issue with which to deal, McDonald explains. Originally, it was to help minority students be recognized equally to the majority students in applying for colleges, but some interpret the policy as reverse discrimination. In court cases such as Regents of the University of California v. Bakke in 1978, white students saw themselves as victims of discrimination when minority students were accepted partly because universities weren’t meeting race quotas. Nearly thirty years later, Johns Hopkins began the Baltimore Scholars Program for students who attend Baltimore City Public Schools for at least three of their four years in high school. Those students are automatically eligible for a full-tuition scholarship at Johns Hopkins. While never explicitly stated for African-American students, it was widely known that the program was created to encourage more black students to attend the university, but, according to McDonald, most of the kids in the program are now white. “When you try to implement affirmative action, it’s not easy,” McDonald says. “People have been harsh toward institutions trying to figure out how to make things possible for people who’ve never had the possibility before. It’s very similar in the work environment.” As the civil rights movement died down, so did the pressure of fighting discrimination in the workplace. While signs and rules declaring “whites only” no longer hang on bathroom doors, many prejudicial beliefs remain in today’s workplace environment, McDonald says.
70
percent of 523 East students surveyed would utilize a job application process that does not reveal their race or ethnicity.
INACCURATE REFLECTION The representation of races in the media is disproportional to the country’s diversity.
story cristina francisco | photography cara satullo | infographic cassie chryssovergis
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or some girls, a childhood consisted of looking up to a favorite Disney princess and rewatching the movie over and over again. For East junior Bemni Amsalu, this was never a reality. Growing up without the role model that some girls had was confusing for her. Being African American didn’t allow her to relate to any of the princesses at the time. “When I was little, I never understood why there wasn’t a black princess,” Amsalu says. “I could never find black girls in the media, and they were either light-skin, had different hair or just didn’t look like me. Princess Jasmine was the only one I could identify with because I decided that if she was the most dark skin, she had to be like me.” Amsalu, who is constantly advocating for race, thinks that there should be racial diversity in the media because all children need positive
role models. Although Disney added an African American princess named Tiana in 2009, Professor and Vice Dean of Lawrence Herbert School of Communication Dwight Brooks says that there’s still room for improvement. He believes that media will play an important role in either contributing to or solving the problem of racial inequality. Media doesn’t always create racists views, but Brooks notes that when viewers consume media with their own racist attitudes, these ideas become reinforced. “If all we see about a particular group of people [is them] being portrayed as criminals,” Brooks says, “that may unconsciously affirm the belief that all those people must be like that or must be criminals.” David Ewoldsen, a professor of psychology
RAC E I N
at The Ohio State University, examines relationships between media and race. He says it’s complex across genres like sports and news. According to Ewoldsen’s research, people who frequently watch sports networks tend to have higher ratings of racism because sportscasters give off different evaluations of white and black athletes. This reinforces the notion that African Americans tend to be “lazy” and “naturally gifted” compared to a white athlete who is “intelligent” and “hard-working.” For Native Americans, neither of these depictions typically describe them. According to East athletic trainer Cory Jacobs, who is seventy-five percent Native American, there aren’t many Native Americans as athletes due to the fact that they tend to “keep to themselves” and are “intrinsic in their family values.” African Americans and Caucasians are not
sources imbd.com, 2013 census quickfacts, Spark survey
THE MEDIA
Race Percentage in the US 63
17
13
5
2 TELEVISON
White
Black
64.6
21.5
10.1
2.5
81.1
1.3
D’S WORL BEST BOSS
White
Black Hispanic Asian
Other
21.5
4.1
8.3
Asian
0.8
13.2
D’S WORL BEST BOSS
1.9
3.8
D’S WORL BEST BOSS
D’S WORL BEST BOSS
Other BREAKING BAD
0
77.5
10
12.5
0
0
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Other
D’S WORL BEST BOSS
White Black Hispanic Asian Other
GREY’S ANATOMY
65.3
Hispanic
THE OFFICE
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
NETFLIX
13
“Is checking a box more important than your accomplishments in life? Sadly, the answer may be ‘yes.’”
“I do think big corporate business jobs would rather have someone who’s white and who they think are more educated,” Willis says, noting that these thoughts are in the back of her mind as she thinks about her career. “[The businesses] might give them a promotion over someone who’s black but has the same [skills].” Among blue-collar jobs, employees are more likely to experience microaggressions from their coworkers than from authority, but discrimination stems from the lack of promotions within white-collar jobs. “It’s fairly possible for well-educated Asian Americans to become professionals in top corporations,” Feagin says, “but they never get promoted to top management. The same is true for most people of color. You can move up, but there are just places you typically can’t [reach].” For example, the U.S. Census Bureau released in 2013 that minorities were 22.3 percent of the U.S. population, but Fortune reported in 2014 that just more than four percent of its Fortune 500 CEOs were minorities. Mateo doesn’t let the statistics stop her from working hard. Now a bank teller at PNC Financial Services, her days of the comments at McDonald’s are of the past. “I always try harder to keep advancing and prove people wrong,” Mateo says. “Nowadays I think it’s easier for me because if you speak multiple languages, you have an advantage.” Slowly, she is sure that each generation will become more accepting and diverse. The four percent is an increase from the zero percent minority status in 1955 when the Fortune 500 lists began. “We want the workplace to look like the world,” McDonald says, addressing companies and institutions that are adding diversity, “We want it to be varied. We want all kinds of people represented in the spaces because our world looks like that.”
THE WALKING DEAD
BOB’S BURGERS
90.3
6.5
0
3.2
0
73.5
20.4
4.1
2.0
White
Black Hispanic Asian
0
TELEVISION
menu items rather than ordering the same thing every time “because it’s the only thing they know how to say [in English].” Nevertheless, because most employers still believe hiring minorities loses customers, it appears that racial discrimination is fueling the economy. Originally, a German scholar during Nazi Germany named Magnus Hirschfeld coined the modern term “racism” in his book of the same name. His definition included both structural and ideological racism. Just like the Nazi party dictated German society, this systemic discrimination is controlling the American economy. Thus discrimination against racial minorities on a large scale has been going on for a long time. American scholars who brought the term to the United States used it in the ideological sense, but, according to Feagin, both kinds of racism remain. “Those racial inequalities that are passed along generations are not just about prejudice,” Feagin says. “They’re systemic. They’re about money and land and books and education being passed from one generation to the next.” Because of the intergenerational transmission of racism, as Feagin calls it, every generation continues to struggle with righting the wrongs of their ancestors. When Mateo worked at McDonald’s, she had a manager who was Asian and a coworker commented that the “two hardest working cultures were working together.” While she never reported this incident, she confronted her coworkers about discriminating against her race. They eventually stopped, but this was not always the case. For her Hispanic coworkers who spoke little English, they weren’t able to defend themselves against these racists comments. Coworkers would compare them to Mateo and even once asked, “How come you don’t speak English like her?” or “If you spoke English, you probably
race relations | package
White Black Hispanic Asian Other
White Black Hispanic Asian
Other
Other
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only represented differently in sports but also in news. Associate Professor at The Ohio State University Lanier Holt, who studies media effects and race, considers their relationship in the news as a race issue. “Almost every serial killer is white,” Holt says. “If you’re black and commit a crime, [the police] are on you, but if you are white, you have to start killing a bunch of folks before you’re caught. You can’t be a black serial killer.” Although hearing about an AfricanAmerican serial killer in the news is rare, 40.3 percent of serial killers from the years 1900 to 2010 were African Americans according to the Radford University and Florida Gulf Coast University Serial Killer Database. Despite the issues between white cops and the black community, Omotayo Banjo, a professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Cincinnati, argues that “the stories are simply being told.” She also told Spark that it feels like there is “severe bias against white cops” in social media.
L
akota East Alumna Dianiesha Jackson, who now attends the University of Cincinnati (UC), agrees that there is a severe bias against cops, especially in recent situations such as the UC shooting involving Officer Ray Tensing and motorist Samuel DuBose. Samuel DuBose was pulled over for not having a front license plate, and Tensing’s original statement said he was being dragged by Dubose’s car, which is what prompted him to shoot. During the investigation, it was revealed that DuBose was not driving when Tensing shot, and later Tensing said he did it for fear of being dragged. While Jackson was not on campus when this incident occurred, she says that once she arrived, her professors began to talk about it. She has also seen black student organizations create movements. “When I first heard about it, I was very shocked because the UC police and the community of Clifton have built a good
73
percent of 514 East students surveyed think millennials are more tolerant than previous generations. 32 lakotaeastspark.com September 2016
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“Princess Jasmine was the only one I could identify with because I decided that if she was the most dark skin, she had to be like me.” —Bemni Amsalu, East junior relationship over the years.” Jackson says. “I feel like right now there is an unspoken tension between African Americans and Caucasians because of this incident, and sometimes it can get awkward talking about the topic.” Much like African Americans in the media, the majority of local Hawaiians are portrayed as criminals on shows like Hawaii Five-0, according to Founder and President of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA) Guy Aoki. MANAA works to help combat the underrepresentation and inaccurate portrayals of Asian Americans in the media. Sometimes locals or Hawaiians aren’t used in Hawaii Five-0 because they aren’t experienced actors, but still Aoki offers the idea of flying out Asian Americans from Los Angeles. Giving all these groups television time helps with the portrayal of Hawaii and its culture. The data of races in shows run by NBC and ABC cannot be released due to signed disclosure agreements. “If people see Asians or Pacific Islanders as suspects and crooks every week [in Hawaii Five-0] and not enough as positive and relatable people,” Aoki says, “viewers might be afraid of them in real life or not trust them.” Beside Asian Americans being underrepresented, Banjo says so are Native Americans because, even though they make up 1.2 percent of the population, according to the 2013 U.S. Census, they are hardly present in entertainment, news or advertising. For Jacobs, not seeing Native Americans in the media doesn’t affect him, but when he does see them, they are portrayed as having long hair, a grimaced face and being of serious nature and loving. He also says that, like anybody else, he would like to see more of his culture in media. Associate Professor at the Department of Communication at The Ohio State University Felecia Ross, who studies media and race, relates this lack of racial diversity to the racial
inequality in the media. She calls the people who produce traditional media “overwhelmingly white.” This can be seen across the top four networks, ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC, which all have Caucasian CEOs. Aoki adds that Asian Americans have to try ten times as hard as the average Caucasian person. Even when there is a successful movie with an Asian American as the star, it won’t get Hollywood to make another one. This same lack of racial diversity is seen in the film “Aloha,” which was released in May 2015. There was an immediate response to director Cameron Crowes’ choice of casting Emma Stone to play a character who is halfSwedish, a quarter Chinese and a quarter Hawaiian. MANAA was also critical of Crowe for essentially “whitewashing” the cast and not utilizing people of Hawaiian descent or showing the culture. Aoki argues that Crowe could have cast an Asian or Hawaiian to play the Stone’s role Crowe was unavailable to comment. Amsalu, although she isn’t Chinese, sees the problem behind this casting choice. She says there are few roles for female women of color, and this concerns her because she considers herself as a intersectional feminist. Intersectionality interconnects oppressive issues like gender, racism, sexism and homophobia and states that these categories can’t be looked at separately.
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espite Stone being cast in “Aloha” for talent, Amsalu says that this doesn’t justify the action of whitewashing or erasing a race. “There are plenty of people of color who have talent, and Hollywood isn’t willing to look,” Amsalu says. “It’s not like there aren’t thousands of roles for white women in the industry. I understand that [Hollywood] has to make money, but they are taking out the few roles that people of color have.” Holt has also seen whitewashing in the popular television show “Friends.” The show takes place in New York City, but when Holt was invited by his wife to watch the show, he saw no African Americans. “After a couple episodes I asked, ‘where does this show take place? Alaska?’” Holt says. “She said it was New York City and asked if I could see the landmarks. There are black people in New York, and they don’t even have black people in the background on this show. We aren’t talking about the 1950s—we’re talking about the 1990s early 2000s.” Holt says that it’s important to have racial diversity especially in television shows because when people don’t know anything about a group, depending on what they have come to understand and know, the media can have an influence on their perceptions. According to an East survey, “The Walking Dead,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Bob’s Burgers” are in the top television shows that students
watch. Among these shows, the highest percentage of characters are Caucasian. The survey also reveals “Breaking Bad,” “Orange is the New Black” and “The Office” as the top Netflix shows that students watch. The highest percentage of characters were also Caucasian. Despite whites having a majority of roles in the media, Holt says it works the other way too. He grew up in an all-black neighborhood and had never met an Caucasian people before. The only ones that he knew were the ones on “The Brady Bunch.” Holt assumed that white people lived in “big houses with plush beds” and that they never got into trouble. When he encountered Caucasians, he realized that “they were no different than anybody else.” Brooks adds that when obtaining information from the media, it’s important to have “a sense of variety” as well as be media literate because both can play a role in how people view a race. Media literacy involves the ability to analyze the media, like being able to recognize the agenda of different news outlets and the effects they have on viewers. “We have studies that show that people who only watch Fox News are less informed,” Brooks says. “They have a lower IQ than people who don’t watch Fox. It is very important to have a diverse source. We shouldn’t believe everything we see just because it’s on the news, TV or in a film.” Although there isn’t a definite solution to the complex relationship among races and the media, Holt says it needs to be fixed at the root. “People think if you insert a black person into something, then you suddenly have [diversity],” Holt says.“This is like saying if you put apples in an orange grove, then it it will become an apple grove. It doesn’t makes sense. What you have to do is approach the root. You [have] to plant things differently.”
“There are black people in New York, and [“Friends”] doesn’t even have black people in the background of the show. We aren’t talking about the 1950s—we’re talking about the early 2000s.” —Lanier Holt, Ohio State University associate professor
East junior Bemni Amsalu is passionate about all people having the opportunity to look up to someone like them.
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CLEAR AS MUD East junior Ekene Azuka struggles to identify what is and is not racial discrimination because of a rise in implicit biases. story erinn aulfinger | photography illustration richard giang
East junior Ekene Azuka remembers instances of racial profiling that occur while she shops in grocery stores.
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t looked like a regular grocery store, but in reality, it was a warzone. Glances reflected onto linoleum floors, and the harsh overhead light put every other shopper on guard. The young middle school girl walked through the aisles and hovered protectively over her cart, the beeps of the scanner gun shooting wariness through her body. East junior Ekene Azuka has had an irrational fear of items being stolen out of her cart since childhood. So when she had to use the restroom during a shopping trip last year, Azuka brought her cart into the bathroom along with her. When she came back out, the shopkeepers eyed her. As she exited the store, one of the suspicious women raced out after her, shouting for her to never come back. Azuka had to wonder whether it was her over-protectiveness of the cart that caused this distrust, or whether it was due to the stereotypes of theft that often came with her skin color. Azuka can provide examples of when she or someone she knew experienced racial bias or was called a slur—she remembers being called “mud” once in a classroom setting—but she wasn’t as offended as her older relatives would have been. “I don’t feel the impact of words like the n-word,” Azuka says. “It doesn’t directly [refer
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to] my ancestors, who are from Africa [and were never slaves in America].” She shares the sad truth that she, like the members of many minority groups, expects racism as a given. Hearing insensitivities to her race overtly stated is not a big shock to her. Even if this bias happens far less often for her generation than for the generations that came before her, it is still unsettling. Associate Professor of Arts and Sciences at Albany University Michael Hill says although some of the blatant racism has wavered, there are still lingering effects. “The build-up over all these years of highly racialized policies [including] access to money and property, those [issues] just don’t go away when people start being more tolerant,” Hill tells Spark. “I think that some things have changed, but some of the overall effects of inequality are still [here].” With that idea in mind, today’s more prevalent form of racism is less about what people say and more about what people don’t say. Azuka recalls attending a leadership conference where questions and conversations buzzed among all of the other attendees except her. It was hard for her to determine if she was deliberately or inadvertently being left out of the conversation. It was one more variation of the classic example that many executive women give around feeling excluded from the “boys’
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club sports talk.” While it’s unclear whether the conversation is meant to be exclusionary, it hurts just the same. She says that this constant worry is part of the root of racism. Nkechi Green-Azuka, Ekene’s stepmother, agrees that fear is the root of race relations amongst young people these days, but the fear to which she is referring is her own. Misunderstandings among young people, she says, muddle the issue as a whole, so arriving at a solution becomes complicated and offputting. “For some, there is the misconception that a racist act against one person or a group might motivate the oppressed group to excel,” Green-Azuka says. “Saying that racism is only a black issue is also a misconception that is scary to one of the next generation like Ekene.” Azuka recalls similar subtle and less subtle experiences like fellow students seeming “unduly surprised” by her knowing the answers to some complex Advanced Placement Psychology questions; a male customer asking her probing questions about her hair at the grocery store; or an Asian store saleswoman quietly following her around, presumably to ensure she didn’t steal anything, while her mixed-race friends who appeared white were left alone. She cites these examples as indicative of the types of subtle microaggressions that ethnic groups face today. Azuka contends that she’d almost prefer the more overt racial slurs, which are at least clearer to interpret, rather than these nebulous behaviors that leave her wondering whether it is racism or if she did something wrong that caused people to treat her this way. Still, she thinks the solution to racism is to break the silence that surrounds the issue. Azuka says older generations of blacks hesitate to play into racial stereotypes, use racially questionable terms or talk about their culture
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“Racism isn’t black and white anymore— it’s all gray.” —Ekene Azuka, East junior
East junior Kennedee Card (second from left) stands among her friends, East juniors Hannah Williams Kayla Baker and Robyn Monroe, doesn’t let her race define her.
BEYOND BLACK AND WHITE East junior Kennedee Card strives to communicate her identity as a girl who is biracial. story jennave traore | photography cara satullo
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n the first day of school, a girl imagines what it would be like to have straight, blond hair. Her dark, curly hair made her feel outof-place. She keeps her head low, and when she looks up, she sees that she is the only biracial person in the room. For East junior Kennedee Card, growing up wasn’t just about race—it was about self-acceptance. Living in a predominantly white community, Card often found she was the only biracial person in situations. She sometimes doesn’t connect to her black peers because of this childhood environment. According to the Census Bureau, more than seven percent of the 3.5 million children born in 2010 were two or more races, which is doubled from 2000, making multiracial children one of the fastest-growing segments of the U.S. population. Card is one of the approximately two million American children who have parents of different races. This trend is due to, according to the Gallup's Minority Rights and Relations poll, 87 percent of American people approving of black-white marriage, versus four percent in 1958. For Kennedee, it was sometimes difficult to be confident because a peer would negativelt mention her race. When Card would leap a step forward in confidence, someone would knock her back two steps. She is most frustrated whn someone tells her she “talks so white.” “I articulate my words,” Card says. “If you’re biracial, why do you only have to be black or white? You shouldn’t have to only be labeled as one.” As a volleyball player, Card believes that athletes can have more than one characteristic as well. Card has played for four years, and she is also dedicated to her studies, refuiting the
stereotype of an unintelligent athlete.Card’s teammate, East junior Lauren Weaver, says Card is a hard worker at everything she does. “We hit it off from the start, and our personalities fit well together,” Weaver says. “I think she’s a very good athlete. She’s really hard on herself, and we’re hard on each other.” Card works hard toward all aspects of her life, and she recently auditioned for New View Modeling Agency. Her race stood out to New View, and the agents said she worked very hard for it. The modeling agents told her that she would add more demographics to their company by adding someone of a mixed race. Now if Kennedee decides to sign with the company, she’ll be able to model athletic, formal and back-to-school wear. It’s an opportunity she never thought she would be able to do before. Kennedee’s mother, Holly Card, is Caucasian, and her father, West principal Gary Elgin Card, is African American. Elgin Card wants Kennedee and her three sisters to respect both sides of their culture without dwelling on it because he doesn’t want their race to have a say in who they are. “I tell my daughters to be confident in who [they] are, treat people right and do the right thing,” Elgin Card says. “Then more positive than negative will come their way.” Elgin Card also knew that he would face discrimination when he married, but he has learned to deal with this discrimination “I told my wife when we were married to be prepared for a small portion of people to be closed-minded and have an issue with [interracial couples],” Elgin Card says.. Despite the negative feedback, they are not
the only ones who have experienced negativity. Kennedee’s friend, East junior Nick Hamilton, can relate to what it’s like to be biracial. “The fact that we are both biracial adds a level to [our] friendship,” Hamilton says. “Certain people will see us as just one race. People don’t really recognize being biracial— they just recognize black or white.” When Kennedee was a child, her grandmother used to call her Pocahontas. Her grandmother would tell her that she was just as beautiful with her long, curly hair as someone with straight, blond hair. Now when Kennedee walks into a room, she walks with her shoulders back and her head held high. The idea of having straight, blond hair flew behind her. She found out that she can wear her hair straight or she can wear it curly because either way, it represents a side of her. “I see both sides of the spectrum,” Kennedee says. “It shouldn’t matter what color your skin is or what color your parents’ skin is. It matters who you are and not just what you look like."
“It matters who you are and not just what you look like.”
—Kennedee Card, East junior
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East junior Christina Koenig holds a photo of her at the age when she moved to America
BLESSING FROM
ABROAD Adopted from Russia when she was two years old, East junior Christina Koenig lives her life embracing what makes her unique. story kaily hauck photography cara satullo
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orn in Russia, East junior Christina Koenig was placed in an orphanage. Surrounded by the shuffling feet of caretakers and the cries of other children, Koenig spent the first two years of her life without a family. Then she was told that she was going to a new place to see her family. She met through videos and photos the couple that would soon become her new parents. She was handed a new life by the Koenig family. Tom and Cathy Koenig decided to adopt because they wanted more children and felt adoption was a way to give a child a fresh life and expand their family. “When we were on our way to see her for the first time, we were so excited to meet our beautiful daughter,” Cathy says. “It was love at
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first sight.” As she transitioned into her home, Koenig faced few challenges. She learned the culture, words and met new people. She attached to her mother immediately but had reserves about her father and older brothers. “The first two months, I wouldn’t look at my dad because I wasn’t used to men,” Christina says. “The orphanage was run by only women, and [seeing a man] was weird.” She was raised with two older brothers named Scott and Joe, a younger brother Tim and younger sister Alina. During her early childhood, Christina was wary of her new siblings. Eventually, she became more comfortable and began joining her three brothers as they hung out in their neighborhood, playing tag and feeding neighborhood horses. According to Christina, when she was first introduced to America, she had to develop a new way of seeing the world as a Koenig. “Ironically, it was food she had the strongest reaction to,” Cathy says. “She would get rashes because she wasn’t used to some of the ingredients in our foods.” According to Christina, she only used to eat bread and butter because she was overwhelmed by all of the flavors. In addition to food, Koenig also struggled in her early years of school. She felt like people didn’t know how to approach her because, as she put it, she was different. “When I was younger, there were some cases where people would make fun of me because I couldn’t pronounce my L’s or T’s,”
Koenig says. “The kids would also joke about how small my eyes were. It bothered me, but I just let it roll off.” As she grew up, she noticed that people didn’t treat her differently—they treated her like any other kid. The teasing and name calling transformed into playful banter, and she decided to accept the comments as just that. She had never known how the kids were going to treat her, so she assumed she would see her as something foreign. Christina’s long-time friend and neighbor helped to make her feel welcome. East junior Jillian Krekel has been by her side through her childhood and into her high school career. “I’ve known her since we were five,” Krekel says. “She was any different when I met her. She was just loud and crazy, like me.” The transition to the new environment had its ups and downs, but having her parents and friends by her side helped to make things smoother. Koenig says she felt the most accepted when she was with her family because they saw her as no different from anyone else. “My family made me feel accepted every time we would have block parties in the culde-sac,” Koenig says. “Everyone: friends, neighbors and family all came together. There were so many people, but I never felt out of place.” Although she has never been back to Russia, Koenig still feels attached to her Russian roots by staying in contact with her birth mother through email. She plans on strengthening the bond to her country by learning to speak more Russian and visiting her birthplace in college. Throughout high school, Koenig makes an effort to accept people for who they are because of her childhood experiences. Koenig feels like the atmosphere at East is understanding and loving toward each person’s originality. “I think people are way more accepting now than they were in the past,” Koenig says. “The attitude of be who you are and do what you want carries over from country to country. I think that’s true here at East.”
“Everyone would come together. There were so many people, but I never felt out of place.”
—Christina Koenig, East junior
MAKING ZEN With fair skin and zany blond hair, East junior Kiki Davis’ biracial identity is often misunderstood by the people around her, but through a unique art form called Zentangle, she is able to make peace between black and white. story alyssa hetterich | photography sydney rader
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he can do nothing more than smile and shake her head at the looks. Time has taught her patience and tolerance for the people who can’t see past the color of her skin. It doesn’t bother her—not anymore. As a child, East junior Kiki Davis couldn’t see who she was supposed to be. An American Girl Doll never matched her. No matter how often she searched the catalog for the tennisplaying, curly, blond fashionista, she never could find the perfect doll to play herself. Family reunions always showcase a wide range of colors and personalities. From the darkest to the lightest, the levels of variance have created a palette that Kiki now uses to reveal parts of herself that can only be reflected on a canvas. She creates an expressive geometric-type of design called Zentangle with only a Sharpie. The art form has undergone a resurgence online, where people are finding the complex design forms as a way to relax. “It sets me apart. I feel unique,” Davis says. “Not many people have the patience to do [these drawings], and it’s special that I do.” After doodling on sides of paper, Kiki recognized designs similar to hers on Tumblr that gave her a glimpse of the Zentangle community. It then spiraled into a passion. Repeating the same motion for hours may seem monotonous, but Rob Davis, Kiki’s father, sees it as an “outlet for her be balanced.” “[Kiki’s art] gives her confidence to be biracial, a [teenager,] a tennis player and a student,” Rob says. All of these stressors accumulate, though Kiki chooses to ignore the one about which society seems to have the most to say. For Kiki, being biracial is a defining quality, though with her blond hair and blue eyes, it seems to be at the forefront of people’s minds. During the tennis season’s concussion testing, there hadn’t been a choice for her race, and when she spoke up, the team shared a look of surprise. Not only was there an issue of the program not recognizing more races but also with her own teammates not quite understanding what happened. For Kiki, experiences this has created indifferent reactions. “People are confused because they don’t understand why I look the way I do, and it’s the same with my friends,” Kiki says.
Kiki’s mother, Beatrice, has seen the reactions toward her children when they tell someone they are a mixed family. Beatrice can recall Kiki being asked to show a picture of the family as proof of their ethnicity. “A lot of people’s perceptions of being biracial is dark hair and dark eyes, but it’s not always like that,” Beatrice says. Beatrice is highly attuned to the comments that negate the dynamic of her family because of some insensitivity among her own extended family members, but she doesn’t let that diminish the fact that her children are all differeent. Knowing her child would be an individual, Beatrice gave Kiki a name, Kiera Najalice Davis, that would unify her with her heritage. Giving her a combination of Kiki’s
East junior Kiki Davis sits among some of her Zentangle drawings that she feels set her apart from her peers and help her accept what makes her different.
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grandmothers’ names, Nancy Jane and Alice, was one way to help bridge the gap between the contrasting cultures. “I feel very proud [of my family],” Beatrice says. “My side of the family was very prejudiced. People’s closed-mindedness can hurt them in the long run, and I always say you never know what you’re missing out on.” Whether it be at the grocery store or at school, the family can remember times when the colors of their skins have been the cause of misguided looks and confusion. When Kiki was younger, and her father would take her out, the people passing by would always look for a second longer at the black man and his white little girl. “Here I am, a man of color with this little blond-haired, blue-eyed baby who’s calling me Daddy,” Rob says. “It was awkward at times, but we moved on.” The topic of race, while causing debates over the course of the years, has enabled the family to look back and appreciate from where it is they came and also create their own paths of individuality. With her art, Kiki has been able to look beyond the concept of black and white and “see in gray.” “Kiki is her own person, regardless of her being black or white. We always try to stress to our kids to be an individual,” Rob says. “I know society puts a lot of input on race, but at the end of the day, it’s about love in our family.”
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East junior Xitalli Moreno immigrated to the United States when she was 12, and she is making strides in overcoming the differences in official languages.
BREAKING THE BARRIER
story and photography cara satullo
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ast junior Xitlalli Moreno was only 12 years old when she nervously climbed the stairs of an airplane that would fly her across the Mexican border and into the United States. A police officer on board asked her name, but she just stared back at him in confusion. She didn’t speak any English. The officer realized this and began to communicate in Spanish so that she could understand, but once the plane landed in Columbus, Ohio Moreno found herself in a country where her native language would be much less common. She grew up toward the bottom of Mexico in Michoacan where English was never taught, so something as simple as asking a teacher to go to the bathroom became an ordeal instead of an afterthought. “For the first year I hated it,” Moreno says. “I didn’t want to go to school because I didn’t understand it, but the second year was a little better, and it kept getting better [as I learned the language].” Moreno came to live in the United States with her mom, Veronica, after being raised by her grandparents in her home town. Her parents originally immigrated to the United States in search of better job opportunities when Moreno was three and helped support Moreno from inside of the United States. “Like everyone, they wanted to get a better life,” Moreno says. “When I was over there my mom used to send me money for my clothes or the food that I need, [but eventually] she wanted to be with me because it had been twelve years.” In 2005 she began the process of getting her green card, and after about two years of tedious paperwork and countless appointments,
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Moreno was finally able to cross the border to live with her mom. Once the plane landed, Moreno had to begin adjusting to her new home in West Chester, Ohio. It has been five years since this initial trip, and Moreno is continuing to study in school so that she can graduate and trade her green card in for citizenship once she turns 18. Throughout this time, Moreno has become fluent in both English and Spanish. In the English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom, Moreno uses this ability to help her peers who struggle with picking up on the language. ESL teacher Jill Schneider will often have Moreno translate lessons and ideas to other students. “Going from [Mexico] to here you can see the difference in her English and maturity,” Schneider says. “It’s nice to see the progression.” One day Moreno hopes to become a professional translator so that she can can continue supporting the Spanish community. She is specifically considering a position in a hospital, where not all patients speak English. Moreno knows the strain this barrier creates first-hand, after witnessing her mom go through the birthing process without any doctor’s who spoke Spanish. Eventually a translator was able to communicate over a phone call, but Moreno wants to help prevent any other people from having the same experience. However while most people find her translating skills to be helpful, at times she faces opposition to speaking in her native language.
MORE THAN A SCARF Physically characterized by the hijab, East senior Sarah Javed remains connected to her Pakistani culture while crafting an identity that makes her “just another girl.”
East junior Xitalli Moreno helps a classmate East junior Xitalli with English Moreno helps another in her English student with English in as English a Second her as a Second Languageclass. class. Language
story melanie cain photography richard giang
“I work at a Mexican restaurant, and one time this guy was complaining because his waitress couldn’t understand that much English,” Moreno explains. “I was translating for her, and he yelled, ‘Don’t speak Spanish. I want to know what you guys are saying.’’’ The language barrier she overcame in the beginning is persistent. By speaking in Spanish, she calls attention to the fact that she is Hispanic and faces harsh stereotypes. Comments on immigration constantly stir up controversy, and this has become a hot-button issue during the current Presidential Primaries. While most of the time Moreno is able to look the other way, presidential candidate Donald Trump supports ideas that Moreno finds shocking. “I don’t really pay attention to racism, [but] my sisters were born here and [Trump] is trying to take that from them just because they have Hispanic blood,” Moreno says. “I think that’s so crazy. How can he do that?” However, even with the controversies, stereotypes and racism, Moreno maintains a positive outlook. She is able to focus on her personal goals rather than on the opinions of others and stays engaged in her school work so that after graduation she can continue to pave a successful path. “We come [to America] to work and help our families and build a better future,” Moreno says. “There are Hispanic people who won’t do anything and just get in trouble, but the ones that I know are good workers.”
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s she mounts her horse, she feels at ease in one of the only settings she ever has. She tucks the ends of her hijab into her shirt before she begins to ride, starting at a slow trot. Once she’s picked up the pace, she approaches the first fence and jumps it with ease. Ever since East senior Sarah Javed was little, she’s loved horses. Her mom thought it was just a phase, but starting a year ago, she’s been riding competitively as a hunter-jumper, which means she is judged on the horse’s movement both on the flat and when jumping over fences. One of the differences between her and most other competitors is that she is Pakistani and wears the hijab, which she calls a scarf. Though she is a practicing Muslim and wears the hijab, she doesn’t consider herself one of the most religious people. “I guess when someone sees you wearing the scarf, they just imagine that they’d be a lot more practicing than someone who wouldn’t wear it,” Javed says, “but it just depends, because some people who don’t wear it are more practicing than me.” Javed started outwardly showing her faith through the hijab in sixth grade, but only when she felt like it. Afterward, it slowly grew into something she does every day. From eating Pakistani food to speaking Urdu at home, Javed and her mother, Tehmina Naz, value their connection to the Pakistani heritage. “Culture is imortant because it identifies you as a distinct person,” Naz says. “It helps a child understand their parents and creates a roadmap for values, beliefs and morals.”
While her race and religion is an important influence in Javed’s life, it’s not her defining quality. Just as someone is a practicing Christian or Jew, or someone is black or white, it’s not the only thing in their life, but it’s just there as an influence and reminder of the values she grew up with. “[Islam] doesn’t consume me,” Javed says. “It’s just there. It shows me what to do, but it’s not like ‘do this, then this, but not this.’ It’s just around.” Aside from people frequently mistaking her for being Indian, the strangest encounter Javed has had was at King’s Island. Because she was wearing a black shirt, black pants and a black hijab, a teenage boy came up to her and asked if she was a ninja because “[she is] wearing all black and [her] head is covered.” Typically Javed notices that people are more curious than malicious. “People my age are more racially tolerant because they aren’t afraid to ask questions, which is the best way to learn,” Javed says. “There is so much diversity now that no matter where you are, you see all sorts of people.” The people in her classes look different from each other, and there is a multitude of cultures represented in her daily schedule. She is comforted by seeing so many “hijabies” and Muslim guys in the hallways, and the variety of languages that flow through the halls is intriguing. Just as Sarah was able to shake off such a strange encounter, her personality shows in her riding. One of her closest friends, East junior Tatum Pencek, rides horses competitively at the same stable as Javed. They met because Javed heard Pencek talking about the band The Script, which they share in common as a favorite. “Sarah is the most resilient person I know,” Pencek says. “She’s had numerous falls and
injuries from horses that would shake most people’s confidence, but she’s still going.” When she’s out of school, Javed wants to be a psychiatrist, hoping to get a medical degree at NEOMED, a branch of Kent State University. Scholarships are available to her because she is Pakistani, which makes her an Asian-American, such as the Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, which donates especially to Asian-American women. Racially connected scholarships are important because race is a big part of someone’s history and culture, according to Sarah. There is still an income division between races, as well, varying from state-to-state in percentages. The gap ranges from low 30 percent rates to mid 50 percent rates, according to a 2014 study by the Pew Research Center. Just because she’s a Pakistani Muslim doesn’t mean she’s different from any other student at East. She still has classes she hates, hangs out with friends, listens to music, and plays with her two cats, Wheezy and Fabio. At the end of the day, her race is just a color, not a definition. “I’m just a regular teenage girl,” Javed says. “I have a different set of beliefs and values just like every single person is unique in their own ways.”
“People my age are more racially tolerant because they aren’t afraid to ask questions.” —Sarah Javed, East senior
package | race relations
JUST A COOL GUY B orn and raised in the United States, East junior Eric Luong has never made it to his cultural home in Guangxi, China more than 7,000 miles away. Many people are surprised to hear that he has not yet traveled to China when asking him what it is like there. Luong, however, isn’t affected by the surprise of his fellow classmates and takes pride in being both Chinese and American. “I act more American than Asian, but I always remember my cultural background,” Luong says. “It’s true. I’m ‘the white guy’ when I’m with friends.” Growing up, Luong spoke Chinese at home, but as he grew-up surrounded by American culture and English-speaking friends, he adapted and gradually stopped speaking Chinese. When Luong speaks to his parents in Cantonese, which is a type of Chinese language, they either respond in Cantonese or English because he is better at understanding their Chinese than he is communicating it to them. “I actually do [regret] not speaking Chinese,” Luong says. “I wish I learned more because I want to be fluent, so I am trying to learn Mandarin.” Luong personally feels as though there is no difference between assimilated Asian Americans and Americans because he is very good at speaking English after growing up speaking the language with his teachers and friends. Luong is still frustrated nonetheless when people assume he does not speak English. “They talk to me slow at first to make sure I understand,” Luong says. “But then I have to tell them that I do understand English.” At the beginning of seventh grade at Liberty Junior School, Luong was quiet and shy, but he changed when he decided he wanted to be more enthusiastic and outgoing in order to make new friends. Luong expresses himself by having a loud and outspoken personality by cracking jokes and acting goofy around his peers. Now, Luong considers himself to be a friend to everyone. “I suppose a lot of people [at school] look to me as ‘that one Asian who’s friends with everybody,’” Luong says. “I somehow fit in with every group at school, and I’m somehow
“People see me as the Asian who is friends with everybody.” —Eric Luong, East junior
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friends with everybody.” Luong’s relationship with other Asian Americans is important to him because they all share at least one thing in common—their culture. If Luong had once lived in China and moved to the United States, he says he would instantly interact with people who share the same heritage as him because it is easier to help one another. Luong says that generally his culture does not define someone as a person, but in his case, it does in a small way. “I like how [my friends] look to me as the ‘coolest Asian ever’ in their opinion,” Luong says. “I believe they say that about me because they see me for who I am.” Luong takes pride in his cultural background although he still considers himself to identify with American culture. Luong’s best friend of 14 years agrees that he acts more American than Chinese, even giving him the nickname, “the false Asian” as a joke. While many think this is an effect of not embracing their culture, Monroe High School sophomore Osric SunNan Wong believes that Luong is in no way embarrassed by his cultural background. “American Asians learn to just adapt to being different and putting up with typical jokes and stereotypes involving how we all look the same or our eyes,” Wong says. “I usually turn their jokes into my own jokes, and if anything, I embrace it.” After traveling to Chinatown in Chicago in 2007, Luong got a taste for what his cultural home would be like. Despite the crowded and, in Luong’s opinion, unsanitary streets, he was fascinated by all the stores and trinkets and toys sold within them. “I still would like to go to China and see what it is like over there,” Luong says. “When I go, I plan on taking notes and comparing the
East junior Eric Luong remains in touch with his Chinese heritage, but identifies as “regular guy.” story brittany meister photography colin melick
East junior Eric Luong feels more American than Chinese, but he holds on to his Asian culture.
two together.” Luong’s parents, Abay Luong, who arrived in the United States in 1979, and Mei Luong, who arrived in 1996, plan on taking Eric to China within the next two years. Eric will meet his cousins, aunt and uncle for the first time while he is there and visit his grandmother, who he has not seen since he was three. “I’m really excited to be meeting them,” Eric says. “They always send postcards and pictures in the mail, and we always webchat on the holidays, but I’m really excited for the tour they’re going to be giving me of the country and seeing things like the Great Wall of China.” Although Eric has not met a large portion of his family, it hasn’t bothered him growing up. By growing up in America, Eric sees himself being like everyone else with whom he interacts. Eric’s pride in being an American is that he is able to be American while having a different cultural background, and he is proud to share in that culture with the rest of his Chinese family. “I see Eric being more American, sometimes Chinese, but mostly American because he grew up here,” Mei says. “Yet, he is connected to his culture because I would often tell Eric stories of my childhood, show him a lot of family pictures, and introduce him to new foods, which he then shares with his friends.” Luong notes that many Americans, like his friends, are interested in his Chinese culture. “My friends beg me to speak Chinese all the time,” Luong says. “I’m excited because they are interested in the language, but disappointed in myself because I don’t know that much. Even though my parents are still teaching me new things about my culture, i still feel American. I’m still learning new things about my own culture.”
culture | music
REVIEWS: MUSIC SUBSTANCE WITHOUT SUBSTANCE
The Weeknd’s “Beauty Behind the Madness” is a refreshing take on contemporary rhythm and blues and pop music yet whose message is dangerously corruptive. review christine shi | photography fair use
editor note: review includes profane language
T
he Weeknd’s Billboard summer No. 1 hit “Can’t Feel My Face” sums up the rest of the album: catchy and about drugs. Although Canadian singer, songwriter and record producer Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) pulls inspiration beautifully from pop kings like Micheal Jackson and Prince, any work put into developing good songs is clouded by the excessive amount of illicit drug and sexual references with a misogynistic tone in his lyrics. The music in its raw form is highly reminiscent of Tesfaye’s cited inspirations: Robert Kelly (R. Kelly), Prince and Michael Jackson, making the album a modern medley of classic sounds. In songs like “Can’t Feel My Face” and “Earned It,” Tesfaye’s falsetto and back track are works clearly pulled from Jackson’s classic hits. He takes all the best aspects of Jackson but leaves the pop tones of the ‘60s behind. Tesfaye’s diversity of sound branches into contemporary rhythm and blues, soul and hip hop with “Tell Your Friends” and “Often.” In addition, he manages to bleed into indie with “Shameless.” But even with such a solid foundation of sound, Tesfaye overcompensates by distracting from his vocals and music with lyrics that cater to millennials: drugs and sex. Songs like “The Hills” glorify drug use as a way to find oneself because “when I’m f***ed up, that’s the real me/ when I’m f***ed up, that’s the real me… always tryna send me off to rehab/ drugs start to feeling like it’s decaf.” Tesfaye then expresses his lack of respect toward women with “I just f***ed two b****es ‘fore I saw you/ you gon’ have to do it at my tempo.” When drawing inspiration from R. Kelly, Tesfaye may have also pulled some of Kelly’s misogynistic lyrics as evident in “Shameless.” His lyrics are reminiscent of abusers’ statements as he sings, “I don’t want to hurt you, but you live for the pain” and “you’re begging me to come over… saying who’s gonna f*** you like me.” Tesfaye’s lyrics aren’t all corruptive as he sings with Ed Sheeran in
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BEAUTY BEHIND THE MADNESS ARTIST: THE WEEKND RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 28, 2015 ALBUM PRICE: $12.99 (ITUNES)
“Dark Times,” saying “this ain’t the right time for you to fall in love with me/ baby I’m just being honest.” He even compliments a woman in “Angel,” with “cause all I see are wings, I can see your wings” and in “In the Night,” by saying “I know that she’s capable of anything, it’s riveting” after previously objectifying them. However, a couple nice words aren’t enough to cover up Tesfaye’s prevailing message. It appears as if society hasn’t learned anything from Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” or the multitude of pop songs that praise the use of recreational drugs. Millennials and their children continue to spit out lyrics that celebrate illicit drug use and misogynistic sex. Like many other pop artists, Tesfaye ignores the massive amount of influence he has over the millennial generation. Even with incredibly catchy and quality musical content, Tesfaye’s “Beauty Behind the Madness” simply lacks substance. Although the musical beauty behind his album is prominent in both his diversity of sound and allusions to the “king of pop,” the madness behind it is too much of a repulsive subliminal message to extol.
music | culture
BADLANDS HASLEY
Halsey’s debut album, “Badlands,” takes listeners on a somber and mysterious ride through the dark recesses of her thoughts. She describes her state of mental health as the “Badlands,” objectifying her desolate mind. This alternative masterpiece switches between revealing her dreadful love life and speaking on social issues. The first half conveys her voice against the oppression of women and conformity. Through lyrics like “there’s an old man... saying I should probably keep my pretty mouth shut” in her song “Castle,” she expresses her anger against men keeping women from speaking out. Also, lyrics like “and all the people say/you can’t wake up, this is not a dream/you’re part of a machine, you are not a human being” from her song “Gasoline,” relay her opinion against teenage conformity. In her album’s second half, Halsey opens up about her love life. From one-sided to abusive relationships, Halsey’s story progressively darkens. Starting with the upbeat “Roman Holiday” and ending with the dismal “Ghost,” her album illustrates her love life to the smallest detail. Ashley Frangipane pours every aspect of her bipolar personality into “Badlands,” touching on every profound experience she’s had throughout her life. To say the least, Halsey has mastered alternative at the age of 20 with her complex lyrics and unique vocals, and deserves her spot at the tops of the charts. — Richard Giang
WHAT WENT DOWN FOALS
With its robust vocals and infectious guitar rhythms, FOALS’ “What Went Down” is a dazzling album. It’s an alternative rock record that breaks away from popular music and blazes a trail of its own hard, textured, individual sound. The album is a much darker follow-up to another of the band’s records, “Holy Fire,” from 2013. The bands newer sounds in “What Went Down” show how FOALS has matured as a musical group. “Mountain At My Gates” stands out as one of several tracks that can and will be a hit; while light and buoyant like some other songs on the record, it’s also inspiring. “What Went Down” also emerges as a favorite track that is ready to cause excitement and pump up a large crowd. This is a soon-to-be anthem with riveting build-ups that turn into a rigorous chorus. Individually, the songs are enticing, and bring attention to the entire album. “What Went Down” is a remarkable album, but it isn’t perfect. Many chunks seem chaotic with too much going on; for example in the song “Snake Oil,” all instruments play at once, and loudly. However, this “chaos” isn’t always negative as it creates a variety of styles; some are upbeat while others are slow and engaging. Although slightly flawed, FOALS manages to create an album that is both unique and diverse. — Maddox Linneman
DEPRESSION CHERRY BEACH HOUSE
Beach House’s unique dream-pop sound continues into “Depression Cherry,” gravitating toward the simpler sounds of their first two albums, Beach House and Devotion. Though the name “Depression Cherry” may not make much sense, it represents the ambiguity and mystery found in the songs on the album through lyrics and instrumentals. The complex lyrics in each song tell a seperate story, and the listener can relate to something in nearly every song. In the popular single “Space Song,” Beach House takes a turn into existentialism with the lyrics, “what makes this fragile world go ‘round?/ were you ever lost?/ was she ever found?” while “Beyond Love,” in contrast, tells the story of a bitter break up. Victoria Legrand’s hazy voice blends hauntingly with the ethereal instrumentals, making the music an easy listen regardless of setting. The lack of live drums and boosting of the synthesizer creates a unique sound that draws the listener back to the origins of the band’s music, retaining a theatrical style, but falling away from the very fame-influenced pop sound that remains popular in their more recent albums. If someone has never heard of dream pop, they certainly aren’t alone, but Beach House remains the shining example for the goal of anyone in the genre. If anyone were to choose an album to start with, it should be “Depression Cherry.” — Melanie Cain
ZUNI GRANDCHILDREN
On Aug. 28, Grandchildren released the final album in their trilogy, “Zuni,” and will soon walk with the same competence as their popular sister bands like Modern Baseball and The Districts. After nearly five years since Grandchildren’s debut album, “Everlasting,” the five young men still prove themselves to be worthy of the indie pop label. “Zuni” creates a unique sound with slight compression and a serious raw bite. From the hard sound of electric guitar to the clean expression of the bass guitar, Grandchildren wrote each instrumental with a nuance of subtle friendliness. Grandchildren’s incredible lyricism in “Zuni” gives the album a mysterious tone. They describe their sound as “dark pop” and are happy with dark lyrics. Typically, track seven is the personal and gloomy ballad, which is what the seventh track “Turn Away” sounds like. The first lyrics read, “It’s a long way to fall, if you never go in,” and introduce the theme of letting go of hope and companionship, which is a topic that really tugs on the heartstrings. Each track is just as strong as the other, and each track speaks for itself. Creativity and expression has earned Grandchildren’s third composition a place on the indie pop turf. From instrumental work to cinematic lyrical blending, this album wins the approval of the everdwindling underground scene. — Andrew Ebding
movies | culture
culture | movies
REVIEWS: MOVIES A FRESH START FOR POST-APOCALYPSE
“Z for Zachariah” is a reimagining of the popular genre of post-apocalypse showing a human side that is often ignored. review katy johnson | photography fair use
D
uring an inundation of dystopian and post-apocalyptic films, “Z For Zachariah” sets itself apart through a more adult treatment of the genre. Where other post-apocalyptic movies rely on an overwrought plot, “Zachariah” is refreshing in its simplicity. Ann (Margot Robbie) lives alone on her family’s farm in a valley that was otherwise abandoned after a worldwide nuclear disaster. As she’s hunting, she sees Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor) swimming in radioactive water and takes him home to heal. The two work together to improve the farm and eventually begin a tentative relationship. This is when Caleb (Chris Pine), a miner from the area, arrives on the farm and begins a stay with Loomis and Ann, altering dynamics between all three. If the synopsis sounds a little bare-bones, that’s because it is. The film isn’t action-packed or dialogue-heavy but instead leans toward slice-oflife. Events move slowly after Ann’s initial discovery of Loomis—days and weeks passing before anything of significance happens. This style is reminiscent of later seasons of hit TV show “The Walking Dead.” These episodes focus more on the human interactions after the zombie apocalypse hit, rather than on life-or-death conflict, earning dismissal from both critics and fans. What is typically looked over in both cases is that in order to prevent this genre from crashing and burning, it’s essential that films ask the question of what comes next. “Zachariah” answers this question perfectly. By focusing on the aftermath, other bigger themes are focused on as well. Ann’s generator is broken, so Loomis suggests creating a waterwheel to generate electricity. The only lumber available for the project, however, is the boards that make up the small chapel where Ann’s father used to preach. Through conversations about how the issue should be approached, Ann, Loomis and Caleb, upon his arrival, discuss faith and how the nuclear disaster has affected their thoughts on the subject. During these scenes, just as much emphasis is placed on what the characters aren’t saying as on their actual dialogue. This lends a feeling of raw humanity that is often lost in recent genre works, where characters have scenes filled with unrealistic, over-the-top and emotional talks. The overall mood created is somber that is due not only to the film tackling these heavy issues but also to the scenery and music. The valley is filled with muted colors and fog, depicting how lifeless this new world really is to the three survivors. Long, scenic shots are interspersed with haunting organ music that Ann plays in the chapel. The fragments of hymns, as Ann refers to the songs, fill the film out especially well after
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WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS DIRECTOR: MAX JOSEPH Strip away the hard-hitting drugs, unhealthy amounts of booze, drunk sex, and all this movie is left with is a half-decent story of an aspiring disc jockey (DJ) who came from nothing and, with luck, becomes something. Directed by rookie Max Joseph, “We are Your Friends,” is another over-hyped film for teenagers with A-list actors who provided B-list acting. This abrupt movie drops the audience in San Fernando, Calif., and tells the story of young DJ Cole Carter (Zac Efron), along with his three best friends Mason (Jonny Weston), Ollie (Shiloh Fernandez) and Squirrel (Alex Shaffer) who throughout the movie struggle to shape their identities. While finding himself, Carter comes across famous DJturned-mentor James Reed (Wes Bentley) while also falling for James’ girlfriend (Emily Ratajkowski). The viewers are left with the story that Carter left his family at age of 15 to live with his friend Mason with little education. He now has four best friends and a love for music. A central theme of overcoming the past alone drove this choppy movie along. “We Are Your Friends” is another cliché party movie filled with drinking, drugs and sex, but the underlying message of where someone comes from doesn’t dictate where they end up made this movie. Its driving theme and excellent soundtrack are the only two reasons to spend $10.50 to go see this movie. — Richard Giang
THE TRANSPORTER REFUELED DIRECTOR: CAMILLE DELAMARRE Z FOR ZACHARIAH DIRECTOR: CRAIG ZOBEL RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 28, 2015 (USA) RUN TIME: 98 MINUTES
its ambiguous ending. “Z For Zachariah” is the next step in the post-apocalyptic genre. Being one of the first to take this step, the pacing tends to suffer at times, but it always recovers with further revelations about the characters. Wellwritten and human at its core, this film proves to be both gorgeous and thought-provoking.
“The Transporter Refueled” is a cookie-cutter antihero action film. Its excellent cinematography and fight scenes cannot hide its abundance of flaws, making it an unpolished film. “Transporter Refueled” follows a younger version of the antihero Frank Martin (Ed Skrine) as he is forced to help four women, led by Anna (Loan Chabanol), stop a Russian pimp named Arkady Karasov (Radivoje Bukvic). Should he refuse to help his father, he will be killed in 12 hours by a slow-acting poison. With no choice, he agrees to the deal and helps the women steal $3.2 million, tearing down Karasov’s empire in the process. Acting is not up-to-par with previous three “Transporter” films. The actors exaggerate their emotions and the climax of this film, a scene meant to be very intense, is laughable. There are also movie clichés galore from the protagonist being saved from certain death to the fact that after every fight the protagonist enters, he only gets two wounds, a cut on his lip and a gash on his cheek. This movie’s only redeeming factors are its cinematography and well choreographed fight scenes. The filmmakers place the audience in the film by using personal pleas to viewers. — Bailey Spaulding
HITMAN: AGENT 47 DIRECTOR: ALEKSANDER BACH The great action scenes in “Hitman: Agent 47” attempt, but fail, to compensate for the movie’s jumpy plot. Director Aleksander Bach’s film follows Agent 47 (Rupert Friend) and antagonist John Smith (Zachary Quinto), who is working for Syndicate. The corporation is trying to find Kate Van Dees (Hannah Ware) in hopes that she will lead them to her father. Kate’s father, Dr. Liventko (Ciarán Hinds), created genetically modified soldiers that lack a basic conscience. Syndicate is searching for Dr. Liventko in order to replicate his work, and 47 is hoping to stop them. This movie had huge potential but falls far short from what the audience could expect from the trailer, which explored the dark hero—a subject that lends itself to a sequel. Instead, “Hitman: Agent 47” was a science-fiction-action flick that lacked the necessary character development to make the audience care for the protagonist. Bach had so many action scenes that left the room filled with conversations, but they were interrupted by more action scenes. The movie at base level is entertaining, but without an underlying theme or at least a solid plot, it was a disappointment to say the least. Because of it’s patchwork plot and excessive action scenes, “Agent 47” is a great movie to watch whenever Netflix releases it for free, but it’s not worth it to spend any money.— Mike Abrams
DRAGON BLADE DIRECTOR: DANIEL LEE “Dragon Blade” is a patchwork of a basic hero versus villain story. Despite having an interesting premise, it falls flat because of the execution. Huo Ann (Jackie Chan) is the leader of the Silk Road Protection Squad. Corruption is quickly discovered among the group and problems arise for both the prison and Silk Road. The format of the movie is similar to that of an essay. It’s as if the writers were following a series of bullet points for “how to make a good movie” rather than simply telling the story to an audience. All of the ingredients of storytelling are there, yet it feels as if the puzzle pieces were forced into the wrong places for the sake of completion. Expository flashbacks are held just seconds before a scene where that information is crucial. A single kind character is introduced in the beginning of the movie but is not seen until their “heart wrenching” death near the end. However, some credit should be given for the movie’s final battle, which manages to remain unpredictable as Huo is left nearly alone and on the verge of defeat. While not the best storytelling of its time, its premise makes for an interesting watch. Still on every point that makes up a good story, the film falls flat. — Jenna Hall
culture | video games
REVIEWS: GAMES TACTICAL ESPIONAGE PERFECTION review tyler bennett | photography fair use
Konami’s newest game takes the beloved Metal Gear Solid series open-world, reimagining the stealth video game genre yet again.
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ince its reveal at the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards, “Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain” has been one of the most highly anticipated video games in recent memory. The critically-acclaimed “Metal Gear” series, produced by industry veteran Hideo Kojima, is known for revolutionizing action-adventure and stealth video games, while simultaneously delivering a cinematic story. “The Phantom Pain” is no exception, and in many ways exceeds its already high expectations. Set in 1984, “The Phantom Pain” is the final chapter in Big Boss’ transition from a soldier fighting for peace to the antagonist of the “Metal Gear” series. Players control Big Boss (Venom Snake) on solo stealth missions in Soviet-occupied Afghanistan and war-torn Angola. Driven by vengeance for the destruction of his mercenary group, Snake leads his new private forces, Diamond Dogs, to exact revenge on the mysterious Skull Face and his army, XOF. Previous games in the “Metal Gear” series feature linear gameplay, but “The Phantom Pain” introduces an open-world environment where players have more freedom about how they carry out covert operations. Using Snake’s iDroid, a helpful new item to the “Metal Gear” series, players can accept or find a variety of missions quickly without any breaks in the action. Returning from “Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker” is Mother Base, where Diamond Dogs resides. Mother Base adds unique strategy to the game, allowing players to use the iDroid during missions to request support or to develop various weapon and item upgrades using resources they earn for completing missions. Perhaps the most prevalent change in gameplay introduced in “The Phantom Pain” is the way the player encounters enemies. Combat and stealth in “The Phantom Pain” are more realistic and challenging than in previous games, but it’s for the better. Snake’s radar is no more, and enemy soldiers are everywhere and smarter than ever. “The Phantom Pain” shows little mercy, forcing players to pay extremely close attention to their surroundings and tread carefully in order to avoid being seen, and has a high expectation of players to make smart decisions in enemy territory. This all may be frustratingly difficult at first, but as players progress, developing new weapons and meeting new buddies to aid them on their journey, combat becomes a much more enjoyable and rewarding experience. Despite its lengthy opening scene, “The Phantom Pain” features fewer cinematics than its predecessors, only interrupting the action for a few minutes at a time. Unfortunately, the main story of “The Phantom Pain” is lacking in comparison to other “Metal Gear” games and many missions are barely related to the story at all. However, story-based missions are well-scripted and full of thrilling action, and the game’s
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METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN DEVELOPER: KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS PLATFORMS: WINDOWS, PLAYSTATION 3, PLAYSTATION 4, XBOX 360, XBOX 1 occasional cutscenes feature brilliant cinematography. The game’s musical score is more atmospheric than previous games, wonderfully adding to the dramatic scenes and tense action. On current-generation video game systems, the visuals of “The Phantom Pain” are beautifully detailed and the game runs consistently smooth at 60 frames per second. In some ways “The Phantom Pain” falls just short of other “Metal Gear” games, but on its own it is an ambitious title that perfects the gameplay previous games already did incredibly well. It never stops entertaining with its massive amount of content and gets better with every moment. The open-world mission structure and story are a slight disappointment, but “The Phantom Pain” still does an effective job of telling its story with its dark tone and well-produced scenes. With Konami’s recent decision to fire Kojima and focus on mobile gaming, this could be the last “Metal Gear” game ever made. “The Phantom Pain” is without a doubt a worthy conclusion.
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culture | photoshoot
photoshoot | culture
CONTEMPORARY. As phones, furniture, and modern art minimize and fall into the contemporary pattern, fashion follows closely behind. story and photo illustration christine shi models noah beiting, kailyn kelley
David Gandy, the world’s only international male supermodel, endorses the plain white tee as a staple in a contemporary man’s wardrobe.
Statement lip colors bring attention to the face: “There’s no such thing as an unwearable color,” Vogue staff writer Sophie SchulteHillen writes on celebrity make-up.
Letterman jackets and other vintage classics continue to inspire contemporary clothes today; available for $19.99 at TJ Maxx
The long sleeve medi dress gives shape and length to the body; available for $16.99 at TJ Maxx
Plain or neutralcolored shoes keep attention away from the less important part of the outfit; Men’s Champion Original Keds for $45.00 are available at www.keds.com
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The black leather skirt is a classic take on the skater skirt; available for $14.99 at TJ Maxx
Black leather ankle boots tie together the outfit with the leather skirt; available at Nine West
culture | through the ages
TODAY’S DARLING DAMES
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through the ages | culture
a series on the impact of fashion trends
Current designers are weaving elements of 1920s fashion into modern day designs creating spiffy, innovative pieces. story and art lauren wilson photography maya wells models kaelyn mcdonald, julia haug, lauren harvey
THROUGH THE AGES
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op. Fizz. Clink! It’s just the bee’s knees that the roaring twenties are back again. From structured Chanel-inspired suits to layers of fringe, modern-day trends are reviving the elaborate 1920s era. With the ratification of the 18th Amendment, rebellion spread like small pox. The stock market was booming, and Americans were immersed in the high life. Prohibition was like curfew—bound to be broken. In this stage of resistance to traditional values, young women weren’t into looking like a Mrs. Grundy (tight-laced woman). Many girls chopped their locks to about a chin-length bob. “A loose, undone wave and the classic 1920s bob is making a reappearance,” says owner of Lunatic Fringe salon Lisa Gear. “Since long hair is coming back into style, people are starting to grow their [pixie cuts] out, the result is their
hair is about bob-length right now.” Experimenting with their newly established freedom, women pushed the envelope again— this time with hemlines that hit right above the knee. Up to that point in history, women wore dresses down to their ankles. Because dress patterns were simple shifts with drop waists, designers needed something to call attention to unconventional women. For this reason, the trend of intricate beading took off and became a staple of the 1920s style. “Many designers who use embellishments and embellished treatments tend to use the 1920s for inspiration,” Delta College Fashion Program professor Leslie Asfour tells Spark. However, while dancing the Charleston at the town speakeasy, women of the ‘20s needed a little extra flare in their attire. This is where the traditional flapper dress with tiers of fringe developed. The look was completed with a ritzy headband made of feathers, jewels and pearls. For the more traditional 1920s woman, Coco
Chanel captured elegance and sophistication through her designs. Coco Chanel, born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, was an iconic 1920s designer whose brand is still prominent today. “Coco Chanel revolutionized women’s fashion,” Chanel representative Destiny T., who opted not to share her last name, tells Spark. “She invented trousers for women, the little black dress, the tweed suit, the two-tone shoe and the shoulder bag.” Karl Lagerfeld took over as head designer of the House of Chanel in 1983 after Chanel herself passed. His philosophy is to preserve Chanel’s spirit in every collection. According to Destiny, Lagerfeld is so successful that “many people believe Coco Chanel still designs for the house today.” Through 1920s Art Deco pieces, it is possible to see new trends that were modeled from the art. Current designers can look to the Art Deco era in order to develop 1920s-inspired collections.
“When I think of fashion in the ‘20s, I think of Art Deco,” East Art teacher Linda Augutis says. ”I see certain [1920s] styles recycled in new ways with the curved lines, embellishments and draping of clothing.” It is generally hotsy-totsy (pleasing) to see the ‘20s trends reappear on the big screen. Movies such as the recently released “Age of Adaline” or “The Great Gatsby” (2013) have contributed to the revival of modern 1920s inspired trends. “There are always undercurrents of the 1920s trends in fashion,” says Asfour. “When “The Great Gatsby” [remake] was released, the influence was significant.” As modern society enters a new rebellious era with fights for social equalities across the board, it seems only fitting that trends mirroring those of the unruly 1920s era resurface. Like history, trends always have a way of repeating themselves. Thankfully, the lavishness of the ‘20s style is the real cat’s meow.
sports | scouting report
TACKLING GOALS
story alexis saliba photography sydney rader
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ast junior running back Tyler Glenn has made an impact on the field since his sophomore season. Scoring two touchdowns and rushing 183 yards in the first game of the 2015 season against the Loveland Tigers, who have a record of 1-3, Glenn has attention from multiple colleges. “I’ve talked to a couple schools,” Glenn says. “University of Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Purdue, and about seven other schools so far.” Although nothing is set in stone, Glenn explains that if given the option, he wishes to attend the University of Kentucky to continue his academic and football career. “I’m really proud of him,” East junior and teammate Santino LaRubbio says. “We started playing football together in first grade in Tomahawks. He works hard. He deserves it.” Glenn, who grew up watching his older brother play, says his familiarity of the sport has developed into a passion. “He never gives up on a play,” Lakota East offensive coach Justin Frost says. “He’s like a mix of a Ferrari and a dump truck.” Not only does Glenn give his best game for himself and his teammates but also for his younger brother. He hopes his younger brothers will follow in his footsteps as well. “I want them to be better than me,” Glenn says. “Not just look up to me and want to be like me, but look up to me and want to work harder.” Glenn notes that he worked hard over the summer to get physically stronger, which was obvious to the opposing team’s head coach in East’s first game against the Loveland Tigers. “Tyler is a very strong and physical runner.” Loveland head coach Fred Cranford says. “He runs his legs very well, making him very hard to tackle.” Lakota East defeated the Tigers 35-34 in the season opener on August 28. Glenn has been nominated for for WCPO Player of the Week after rushing 194 yards in the 42-14 win over the Northmont Thunderbolts. Glenn has established himself on the field by working well with his teammates and expects the team to have a good season. “Everyone on the team is close, and we all get along,” Glenn says. “Sophomores, juniors and seniors all work well together. We’ll be great—better than last year.”
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“Tyler is a very strong and physical runner. He runs his legs very well, making him very hard to tackle.” — Fred Cranford, Loveland head coach
scouting report | sports
sports | scouting report
STAT FOCUS LAKOTA EAST ATHLETICS
FINDING MOTIVATION T he first bedroom on the right at the top of her staircase has a door just like any other room in her two-story house. But this door is different. For East junior and soccer player Emily Niehaus, it serves as her main source of motivation. “I have all these quotes and pictures on the back of my door,” the first-year varsity goalkeeper says. “My all-time favorite quote is ‘pain is temporary, but a shutout lasts forever.’ It completely describes my mindset. If I have a great save but get a big bruise, it’s 100 percent worth it because a bruise lasts for a little while. A winning scoreboard lasts forever.” Through the words on her door and her teammates surrounding her, Niehaus aims to improve every day on the field. So far in the 2015 season, Niehaus has a .330 save percentage with one save and two goals allowed, and according to senior teammate Claire Combs, Niehaus has
10 - 4
The overall record this year for the girls’ tennis team as of Sept. 19.
85
“Gillian plays pretty well, she has a strong backhand and she was definitely the dominant force in her doubles pair.” — Rob Caress, Lakota West head coach
The number of kills as of Sept. 19, 2015 by girls’ volleyball player Spenser Parks.
11.61
The boys’ golf team’s average relative to par as of Sept. 19, which is the lowest recorded by the GMC.
15:21.40
The Queen City 5K Invitational time of East sophomore cross country runner Dustin Horter.
3-4-1
The boys’ soccer team overall standing record as of Sept. 19.
774
Junior football player Tyler Glenn’s number of yards rushed after four games this season.
SPARK ONLINE
visit www. lakotaeastspark.com for more coverage of East athletics.
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ENJOYING THE BATTLE story aly thomas | photography sydney rader
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akota East senior Gillian Graham is taking her final tennis season one match at a time. Graham says she spent the offseason working harder than ever in order to have a memorable senior year. “My goal for this season is to not really focus too hard on how many wins or points I can get,” Graham says. “The goal is to have a hard-fought match every time and to stick with it, and if I do that then that is what really matters to me.” According to nine-year head tennis coach Karen Barnes, Graham keeps a calm and competitive attitude on the court. Graham’s doubles partner Kate Rodriguez says that Graham’s composure is the key factor that makes her so successful. “You will never see her getting mad at herself or slamming her racket down like a lot of people do,” Rodriguez says. “I think it shows in her records and her game scores how mentally tough she is and how she perseveres and takes it one point at a time to end up pulling out the win.” Graham and Rodriguez have been playing doubles together since their junior year. Graham and Rodriguez have started the
season out ranked 3rd in the GMC after the first twelve matches with a 9-3 record. Barnes says she hopes that Graham and Rodriguez will continue to work in tandem with each other this season. Barnes likes Graham as a doubles player because she is not afraid of the net and can cover the court well. “Gillian is willing to work hard through every point, every game and every match,” Barnes says. “She is always willing to work on new strategies and techniques to help make her successful on the court.” One of Graham’s strengths is her forehand shot, which is swinging the racket with the palm facing up. She uses it to close matches and she never gives up on herself, according to Barnes. The doubles duo had to play a third set against top-ranked teams like Loveland and Walnut Hills, and they pulled out the win both times. The tight matches are sometimes the border between a win or loss for the team overall, which is 8-4 on the season so far. “It is so easy to communicate with her on the court, which will help us pull out close wins like Loveland and Walnut Hills,” Rodriguez says. “There is nobody I would rather play doubles with than [Graham].”
story allie church photography richard giang
strengthened her skills as an athlete with each game she plays. “Every year I’ve been with her, she’s always gotten better, and she’s one of the hardestworking people I’ve ever played with,” Combs says. “I look up to her as a role model in that sense.” Her above-average work ethic is not the limit to Niehaus’ abilities as an athlete. Combs says that Niehaus completes her athletic qualities with being a good teammate. “She also offers mental support,” Combs says. “Emily looks out for everyone else [on the team] to make sure they feel like they belong and know they have a friend.” According to head soccer coach Tom McEwan, Niehaus employs these qualities on and off of the field as a member of multiple clubs, including Mu Alpha Theta and INTERalliance. She has also welcomed the
“She played a great game against us. She had a great corner save. She commanded the goal really well and her future is bright.” — Andy Schur, Mason head coach
pressure involved with being a new varsity player and is not afraid to confront any difficulties thrown her way, McEwan says. “She accepts the challenges of becoming a better keeper and of trying to make those around her better every day,” McEwan says. “Emily is a quality individual, and she is a great ambassador for Lakota East and our soccer program.” Niehaus plans to enact her constant desire to improve and willingness to help others in order to advance the current 2-1-1 record of the season. With hard work and a strong sense of unity among her teammates, she believes success for the entirety of East’s soccer team is in reach. “[Soccer] gives me a sense of family,” Niehaus says. “For some people, all we have in common is soccer, but that doesn’t change the fact that I would do anything for them and they would do the same for me. We have the potential to be great and have everything we need to be successful. Now we just have to put it all together.”
Q&A
BOYS’ GOLF ZACK TENEROWICZ
interview aly thomas
Aly Thomas: What were your individual goals coming into this season? Zack Tenerowicz: I want to be Greater Miami Conference (GMC) player of the year again, I want to win 3 tournaments, I want to make it to state, and I want to win state. AT: How do you think the team has improved? ZT: I think the team has improved a little, but we have a long way to go if we want to make it to state. AT: Do you feel any expectations this year considering you were GMC Athlete of the Year last season? ZT: Yes. I feel like everyone expects me to be GMC Player of the Year again. I have the best average in the GMC, but that means nothing. All of the expectations come down to the twoday GMC Championships. AT: What were your team goals coming into the season? ZT: Our team goals were to make it to state, contend in every tournament we play in, and win the GMC again. AT: How much do you think your game has improved since last year? ZT: My game has improved since last season, but I have so much more room to improve.
sports | the alternative
THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME After 30 years the rise in ultimate frisbee has increased and proves to be different than any other sport. story loryn flowers photography cara sieber
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hile playing in a game for the Lakota ultimate frisbee team, current coach and college and professional player Kyle Romard pulled a muscle in his back. Out of all the people that could have helped him up, he was surprised to see that two players from the opposing team went out of their ways to help him off the field and to the trainer’s bench. It’s this kind of sportsmanship and integrity that the players call “the Spirit of the Game” that makes ultimate frisbee different than other sports. The Spirit of the Game is a concept that puts the responsibility of fair play upon each of the players because the game emphasizes the use of observers and not referees, and players are responsible for officiating their own actions. Ultimate frisbee takes athleticism, speed, endurance, precision, critical thinking and, most importantly for Romard, effort and sportsmanship. “Sportsmanship and integrity are at the fundamental foundation of ultimate,” Romard says. “Everything that it stands for and is built around is based on sportsmanship.” After playing for Lakota from 2010-2013 and captaining for two of those years, Romard decided to be a part of continuing the program. By coaching the Lakota team, he gives others the opportunity that he was given. As a secondyear student at the University of Cincinnati, Romard balances playing on three club ultimate
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Kyle Romard tosses a frisbee at a Lakota Ultimate Frisbee practice at the University of Cincinnati.
THE ALTERNATIVE teams while coaching the Lakota team. “[In ultimate frisbee, sportsmanship is shown] just like in most sports, really,” Romard says. “But I’ll tell you that after playing basketball, football and baseball, I have never met a nicer group of people or ever liked my opponents as much as I have from playing a game of ultimate.” East seniors Katie McKearin and Cara Sieber are two of about 15 players that participate on the Lakota team throughout its 10-game fall season competing against other schools around the area.They started in the summer and fall of 2014 and have continued to play and learn about the sport. “I like how the main part of [ultimate] is the Spirit of the Game,” Sieber says. “It keeps people honest. I really like how you have to be accountable for your own [actions].” At the beginning of each game, two teams consisting of seven players each line up at the 25-yard-deep end zones. The defense throws the disc to the receiving team, and the game begins with the offense attempting to move up the 70-yard field to score by throwing the disc
to different players, while the defense attempts to block them without contact. Contact between two players is a foul. “If someone fouls a player, [they must call it themselves],” McKearin says. “Then the other player agrees or disagrees [with the claim]. You are your own referee.” While ultimate has very unique characteristics such as the ability of players to call fouls, it also contains more common features such as the non-stop movements of soccer and the aerial passing of football. When it was created in 1968, ultimate was first played with a pie pan in Maplewood, New Jersey. For 30 years, this sport has been quickly rising in popularity. Ultimate frisbee is now being played in more than 80 countries around the world, according to usaultimate.org. It was recently recognized as an Olympic sport. With the option to play women’s, men’s or the mixed division, it is one of the only sports recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that men and women can play together. Men, women, boys and girls enjoy playing ultimate all over the world today. “Getting involved with the ultimate club team at Lakota was one of the best things I have done, and I have met some of my closest friends from playing,” Romard says. “Anyone with a little bit of practice and hard work can learn to throw, play ultimate and have fun.”
WOODLAND BORDERS TITLE 1 continued from page 10... “They don’t have to do that. They weren’t paid to do that,” Montgomery said. “I think that personal connection and the relationship with the kids makes a world of difference because when the kids are struggling, they are willing to let the teacher love them. We want to let them know we care and that we love them.” According to Montgomery, all the hard work is paying off. The annual state report card from the 2013-14 school year showed that Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) scores, goals set by the state for every district, went up by 12 percent. Scores from the state report card went up by 11 percent. The AMO is an average of academic performance of certain demographics compared to the rest of the state. AMO reading scores grew by 16 percent for economically disadvantaged students, and overall math AMO scores went up six percent. “We believe in going to people who have trouble getting involved in the community,” Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia said. “With all the outreach, attendance improved and their grades went up. We have the data. We know it works.” Montgomery sees these numbers as a success. Despite the obstacles, Montgomery and her staff feel confident that they can take care of their own, no matter what things look like from the outside. “In any building, the kids need you,” Montgomery said. “People say that Woodland has 37 percent of kids economically disadvantaged, but I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me. There are a lot of needs, and you have to be willing to put in the time to get it done. It’s challenging, but I love it; not a day goes by that we aren’t making a difference.” PARCC TEST FAIL continued from page 13... “We were used to having a certain amount of time, and it was cut off by a good 15 percent,” Carlin said. “There was so much time testing it almost seemed like I couldn’t teach anything because I was constantly giving a test. I couldn’t give special little projects and papers where things would be talked about much more in-depth for a lack of time in class.” Now, Carlin says that “we’ll see” if the new tests will allow him to once again include indepth lessons from his old curriculum. He added that he already gave his students one assignment from the textbook he had used before the books were switched to adapt to the Common Core curriculum the PARCC tests were aligned to. The new math and English language arts tests are currently being developed by the ODE and American Institutes of Research (AIR). AIR also created Ohio’s science and social studies assessments that were introduced alongside PARCC and was the vendor for the
Ohio Achievement Assessments, the Ohio Graduation Tests since 2007 and the alternative assessment for students with severe cognitive disabilities. The new tests will be administered in April and May. Because of the testing transition, the Ohio legislature created a number of safety measures to protect students, teachers and districts. “Safe harbor gives schools, teachers and students time to adjust to the new tests,” Norris said. “In most cases, there will no longer be consequences tied to the results of the state tests given in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years. The consequences of state tests usually impact the following school year.” According to the ODE website, PARCC scores and scores from the 2015-16 and 201617 tests cannot factor into the decision to grant credit to a student or to promote them to a higher grade level. Also, only students, their families and the district can view a student’s score report. The Third Grade Reading Guarantee, however, is an exception; students will still need to meet the required reading score for the state tests. PARCC scores can still count toward graduation for students who will meet Ohio’s requirements by taking end-of-course exams. Safe harbor, however, allows them to retake any end-of-course test, alleviating some of the anxiety students feel over taking the PARCC. “It’s really hard to have a test that actually does a good job of measuring everybody,” Hicks said. “They’re all going to fall off some places. They’re all going to be wrong some places. But this one was so time-consuming, and they were putting so much emphasis on it. I think they should put less emphasis on the test results and more on how the student is doing in class.” BUDGETS BUDGED continued from page 14... “Could we get 60 members in the house to do it? Not everybody lost,” Ohio District 52 Representative Margaret Conditt told Spark. “It was mainly the suburban districts that do well, where the governor thinks that we have the capacity and wealth to pass another levy. Not everybody falls into that category, though, so we’ll have to see whether we have the votes.” It is also possible that a Mid-biennium Budget Review (MBR) could affect Lakota’s financial situation in fiscal year 2017. According to Fleeter, however, the MBRs initiated in 2012 and 2014 mostly affected taxes, not spending, and Kasich, who will be busy running for president, may not decide to introduce another MBR in 2016. A third option being considered by some legislators is passing a bill separate from the budget to nullify the governor’s veto. District 28 Representative Jonathan Dever is in the early stages of potentially developing legislation to return the TPP supplement funding to schools.
“What we’re trying to do is hold the schools flat so long as they do their part and limit spending increases,” Dever told Spark. “If they can hold their spending flat or close to it— one percent per student is what we’re kicking around—and also try to make things more efficient, that might mean looking at different ways of managing things or finding different vendors. We can then hold you harmless, that’s kind of the idea.” Dever’s proposal, if it passes review by House Finance Chair Ryan Smith and the governor’s staff, will be made into a bill and decided on before the start of fiscal year 2017. However, Lakota still has to prepare for the cut. “Just because I am not going to be in school when this happens doesn’t mean that this doesn’t affect me and it doesn’t affect my family,” Kestermann said. “When the school gets budget cuts, it seems as though the quality level of the community goes down. I have a little brother, so I’m going to see him going through similar struggles to what we dealt with with the levies failing. It’s sad.” CLEAR AS MUD continued from page 32... because of a fear that others will demean it. Azuka disagrees with this avoidance approach, saying that the only way to break through the stereotypes is to have an open dialogue. She says she had a healthy experience with an open-dialogue-approach recently when she made new friends in Chicago who expressed interest in what is and what is not offensive to an African American. East junior Rebecca Addison has had open discussions with Azuka about the bias of race. While Addison recognizes that she cannot fully experience the racial classification Azuka has, they can both be mindful of the issue. “Because [Ekene and I have] such different [backgrounds], the fact that we can both talk about such a prevalent issue in society allows for our generation to help bring change to the forefront from both ends of the spectrum,” Addison says. “We both recognize the problem [of racial bias] and want to fix it.” Despite these conversations, Azuka says that this need to validate unsettling experiences as racist causes a lingering self-doubt that can undermine her confidence. Others question whether people read too much into such experiences, or are being “overly sensitive,” which makes it worse. Azuka admits that she doesn’t discuss all of the microaggressions she has experienced, because she has made herself doubt if they actually occurred. “You don’t understand because you don’t experience what [minority races experience]. When [I am] walking in Kroger and someone walks to the other side of the aisle after staring at [me, I] think, ‘Are they being racist, or do they just need something from the other side of the aisle?’” Azuka says. “Racism isn’t black or white anymore—it’s all gray.”
sports | new track
GET ON TRACK With the construction of the new track, East is now able to host home meets. story allie church | photography aly thomas
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o current Lakota East track and field athlete has ever experienced a home track meet. The torn gravel and potholes located specifically in lane one prohibited East from hosting its own meet. This summer, the track team’s wish was granted when the plans to build a new track were finalized and construction began. The groundwork of East’s new track began on July 6. This was the first time the track had been completely rebuilt since it was originally made in 1997, and, according to East Athletic Director Richard Bryant, the renovation of the track was long overdue. “There were holes and ruts everywhere,” Bryant says. “Our athletes deserve better, our community deserves better, our physical education classes that use the facility deserve better.” Not only did Bryant feel that the track was substandard in a physical sense, but it also was beginning to cause safety issues for the athletes using it. New East track and field coach Rodney Heath says that students started to develop a subconscious fear of the track. “The track that was there before was in such a bad shape that it caused severe shin splints,” Heath says. “That mentally can affect an athlete to where they really don’t want to come out and try as hard because they’re concerned about possible injuries.” The concern for safety was manifested into injuries for multiple track and field athletes, including senior Autumn Combs and junior Mackenzie Crowell. Shin splints was the most prominent safety concern for both. “The past few years, the track was so bad that [track and field athletes] had shin splints all the time,” Crowell says. “We even had to alter our workouts so we could avoid injuries. Our workouts were mostly on the turf, and the only time we could be on the track was to do our sprints.” Due to health threats for the student
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athletes caused by the track’s conditions, track and field meets have not been held at East in over seven years. Building a new track has been on a districtwide improvement list for the same amount of time, according to Bryant. With approximately $145,000 provided by the district, administration was finally able to replace the track. All American Tracks Corporation, a company that specializes in track design and installation, was hired in the hopes of finishing the project on July 22. The materials used to construct the track, polyurethane and TopTrax latex, required multiple layers and time in between layering for drying periods. Therefore, due to harsh weather conditions, the completion of the track was delayed for 36 days. The combined group of 30-40 people assigned to the renovation of East’s track worked through all-day and allnight shifts, finally completing the track on August 27. “We would turn on the lights some nights and [All American Tracks Corporation] would work overnight,” Bryant says. “It’s been an experience, that’s all I can say. But it was well worth it.” For Bryant, Heath and the entire track and field team, the many benefits provided by the new track far outweigh the complications suffered during its renovation. “All of our athletes utilize that surface at some point in the year,” Bryant says. “Obviously the track team uses it to compete, and that’s the surface they operate on, but every other sport from basketball to soccer conditions on it. The track being up-to-date now will provide a safe environment for our kids to train on.” Not only will the track generate new opportunities for athletes, but it will also contribute to the Lakota East Athletic Boosters, an organization that raises money to offset costs paid by individual athletes in each sport, says Bryant. According to Athletic
Boosters President Mike Goldman, through concession stands at home track meets, they will have a new source of revenue that can be used to purchase equipment and other athletic necessities. “A new track means more track meets, more invitationals, more [Greater Miami Conference] or state events, and soccer tournament games,” Goldman says. “We will have more people coming into our stadium and we’ll get more concessions, which puts more money in the budget.The more we can use the facilities, the more we can generate income.” As for the track and field team, Heath looks most forward to hosting a home track meet because it will be the first time in years that the student athletes will have the ability to compete on their home turf. East’s first home track meet for the 2016 season is tentatively scheduled for April 22. “I think you can run fast on any track,” Heath says, “but there’s just something different about being in a familiar environment. They’re used to running on this track, and it will make them more comfortable.” Crowell shares the same opinion as Heath, stating that the track will bring athletes closer together as teammates because they will all be experiencing the new track at the same time. Combs is especially excited to compete on East’s home track. This year being her final year in high school, she feels honored to lead the underclassmen for the first time in East territory. For her and everyone who will take advantage of it, the new track will change everything. “[The track] will bring new students to home meets, and, believe it or not, having a student section to cheer us on changes the way we perform,” Combs says. “The track and field team is really close, and we’re like a family. We all encourage each other to be our best. With this track, everyone will have the ability to see that.”
ON THE RIGHT TRACK Over time, natural causes like erosion and changes in temperature deteriorate running tracks. Now fully constructed, the new track ensures an even surface that will put less strain on the Achilles tendon.
paint lanes and numbers are marked to guide runners
fortified pave thin silicate minerals serve as a top coat for the track
cushioning this layer ensures safety and balance for runners
rubber granules fine rock is embedded to smooth out base layer
concrete/asphalt after land survey base layer is set to create level ground
sources precisionsurfaces.com, plexipave.com
sports | new volleyball couch
the high school teams come support Hopewell Junior volleyball teams at their first Volley for the Cure on September 2. He cancelled the practices for all levels so they could watch the games. Before the eighth -grade match, the high school made a tunnel for all of the junior high players to run through. “I thought it was really cool, and I wasn’t expecting it.” Hopewell Junior eighth grader Erin Bauer says. “It really pumped me up for the game and made me feel really special.” Long is not only changing the dynamic with the junior high schools but also making changes within the varsity program as well. The senior volleyball players typically get large banners that they hang from the balcony during home games to recognize them. Long has changed that plan, so that the nine seniors will have large banners and the three juniors will get slightly smaller banners. “Usually they just do senior banners, and I said we’re not gonna do senior banners, we’re going to do team banners. If you’re on this team, you’re equal,” Long says. “On senior day we are going to elevate the seniors and give them their just desserts, but the only way we’re doing things is as a team.” Long’s presence has made an impact on veteran players like senior captain Rose Middleton, who has played at the varsity level for three years now and has 46 digs so far this season. She says that it is difficult to start off
East volleyball team takes a time-out to huddle up.
SERVING UP CHANGE
Long instructs varsity player, junior Alexis Adleta on her footwork during a drill.
New Varsity Volleyball Coach Rob Long is trying to change the culture of the storied East program. story sarah mullins | photography aly thomas
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he scuffing of Mizuno shoes is heard coming from the Lakota East gym as the volleyball team sprints up and down the stairs. As they run, coach Rob Long stands with his arms crossed, encouraging the players as he paces back and forth. Long is the first-year head varsity volleyball coach at East, and when the position first opened up, the timing matched up perfectly. Long had been on a seven-year hiatus from coaching high school volleyball because he wanted to raise his six kids. With his youngest child starting kindergarten this year, he has time to take on a new challenge and coach again. Athletic Director Richard Bryant was in charge of hiring Long, and because East ranked in the top eight teams in Ohio in 2012 and top sixteen in 2013, he was looking for someone with experience. Bryant said he chose Long for his strong history of training and improving kids by coaching club volleyball as well as his vision of community. Long is the director of
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the Ohio Valley Beach Volleyball Academy and has won professional and amateaur events from coast to coast. “I liked his idea of starting volleyball at our earliest levels,” Bryant says. “He wants to work
NETTING HISTORY The East Girls Volleyball program has not lost a season since 2003 2004: 15-8 2005: 15-9 2006: 16-7 2007: 14-9 2008: 19-15 2009: 18-7 2010: 18-7 2011: 22-2 2012: 23-3 2013: 19-7 2014: 16-8
with elementary, junior high and high schools to put together a kind of a holistic approach to volleyball on the East side.” For the first time, “Community Day” on August 22 was an opportunity to have a combined practice between the varsity, junior varsity, freshman and junior high teams so that the entire program could have a new sense of unity on all levels. “Community Day is the beginning of a strong foundation that is being built in the East volleyball program.” Hopewell Junior eighth grade volleyball coach Darcy Marsh says. “It’s a great opportunity for East to come together as one and to be able to generate interest and improve the program overall district wide.” To start off Community Day’s practice, Long had all of the upperclassman pair up with junior-high players for drills. This way, the older girls could bond and help teach the younger girls. On top of Community Day, Long had all of
The varsity, junior varsity and freshman teams support Hopewell Junior’s team for their first Volley for the Cure game.
the season with many changes. “It’s hard to adapt to a new coach,” Middleton says. “We also have two new players, so it’s hard [to adjust] and build trust playing next to new people, but I think we will be fine.”
Middleton’s previous coach Casie Garland is now teaching physical education at E.H. Greene intermediate school full time and is coaching eighth grade volleyball at Sycamore. Garland says that she misses the girls, but she made the decision to leave for personal and professional reasons so that she could grow as a person. “The new coach, has a lot of volleyball experience and will do great with those girls, but they have to want it for themselves as well,” Garland says. “They have worked very hard to get where they are today, and I want them to achieve all of their goals.” Long is not the only new addition to the East volleyball program. Joining him is junior Edie Brewer and senior Sarah Driscoll. Both transferred from Ursuline Academy, whose varsity team clinched the state championship in 2012. Driscoll said that she transferred because she wasn’t happy at Ursuline and needed a change of setting. “The volleyball program here is more laid back,” Driscoll, who has 78 digs in her first year as a Thunderhawk says. “You can just play, and it’s not as tense, you don’t have to worry about getting pulled. I’d play here every year if I could.” So far under Long’s coaching East is 7-2 overall and 3-0 in the Greater Miami Conference. Long is trying to impact the entirety of the East volleyball community both on and off the court. He says they are one team pushing for one goal of a competitive team and a unified program. “I’m just really happy to be here,” Long says. “Honestly, I think the talent here is really strong. I’ll just try not to screw it up.”
SETTING THE TEMPO
Purdue redshirt junior Ashley Evans celebrates a point at a home game last season, as a part of their 20-10 record.
JUNE
2015
DEC.
Evans is names to the Academic AllBig Ten list
NOV.
2012 NOV.
ALUMNI PROFILE A
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Evans attends U.S. Womens National Team tryouts in Colorado Springs
2014
story aly thomas photography used with permission from ashley evans infographic andrew ebding, tyler bennett
t the end of the day in her Beijing hotel room, Ashley Evans pulls out her journal, clicks her pen, and begins to recount the day’s activities, such as visiting the Great Wall of China and trying exotic Chinese food. Because it is her first time being out of the United States, Evans writes down everything she will see and do for the two weeks she is in China participating as a member of the United States Collegiate National Volleyball team. “The whole trip was phenomenal from start to finish,” the Purdue University redshirt sophomore and 2013 East graduate says. “To have my first overseas experience in China, of all places, was quite an adventure. From the culture to the volleyball, I definitely learned a lot.” Team USA Volleyball held three-day open tryouts at its training center in February. Evans and six of her teammates at Purdue traveled to Colorado Springs with hopes of making one of three collegiate national teams. In April, Evans received the news that she would be going to China from June 13 to 26. After practicing for a day in Los Angeles, Evans landed in Shanghai and later took a sixhour train ride to Beijing, where she would spend the next two weeks playing volleyball and experiencing a new country. “My favorite part about the culture in China is how friendly the people are,” Evans says. “It isn’t everyday the Chinese see 12 six-footfour-inch American volleyball players walking around. They always wanted pictures with
FEB.
2015
East alumnus Ashley Evans is earning respect at the collegiate level after traveling to China this summer with the United States Collegiate National Team.
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experiences to heart and continue to use it to improve on and off the court. “She’s the type of player you love to have on your team, but if she’s not on your team you better be ready because she’ll most likely kick your butt,” Sigala says. “Ashley is probably one of the hardest-working athletes out there who is also always trying to make improvements on herself. She has goals in mind and will stop at nothing to achieve them. To say that she is dedicated would be an understatement.” Former East head coach Casie Garland says that when Evans was in high school, she would spend more time in the gym than she would doing other activities. Garland says seeing Evans succeed at a high level of volleyball is a true testament that hard work and dedication pay off. At East Evans was an Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year finalist and a two-time first team all-state selection who led East to a
Greater Miami Conference title in 2013. “I am not surprised to see her succeed so quickly in college,” Garland says. “She has earned the respect from players and coaches around the world, and this is her time to shine. I look forward to seeing her play in the Olympics one day.”
Evans leads team in blocks and kills, Lakota East reaches Regional Final in Playoffs Evans named GMC Volleyball Player of the Year a second time
OCT.
Evans named GMC Volleyball Player of the Year
OCT.
Lakota East Women’s Volleyball team wins GMC title
2011 he Boilermakers finished 22-10 last season. Evans started in all 32 matches as a redshirt freshman and averaged 2.34 digs per set. This season, Evans is competing for the starting setter position. According to Purdue’s senior outside hitter Annie Drews, Evans workhorse mentality and versatility on the court is going to help her win the spot. “I’ve seen her consistency as a setter improve a lot since this spring,” Drews says. “We graduated our previous setter, so having someone ready to work hard and efficiently run an offense is key this season. I’m excited to see how all of the extra training will transfer into her game this year.” Evans has been known for her hard work since her high school volleyball days, according to former East teammate and current Morehead State senior middle blocker Hannah Sigala. She says that Evans will take her learning
Evans makes Second-Team All-American American Volleyball Coaches Association
OCT.
2012
you and wanted to talk to you even with the minimal amount of English they knew.” While she was there, Evans played in three scrimmage games and three tournament-like games. The team went 3-3 overall and played the Chinese Collegiate National team and two Beijing Professional teams. Now back in the United States, she is taking everything she learned to help her in the upcoming season playing for the Boilermakers. Purdue Assistant Coach John Shondell says that her Eastern experience will help her in her college season. “You have to adapt to new situations, and this season, she will be playing in the Big Ten and possibly be our starting setter,” Shondell says. “These are all new roles that she is going to have to adjust to, and she has to be able to think on the fly. I think putting her through an experience like this will really help her.”
Evans travels to China as part of the U.S Collegiate National Team Tour
2011
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nowing that she could compete at the international level has given her a new confidence and edge that she hopes to show on the court this fall, according to Evans. “My main focus is on the fall season at Purdue,” Evans says. “We didn’t end up where we wanted to last season, so we have a lot of unfinished business to take care of on that front. Hopefully I use what I learned in China and the confidence I got, bring more to the team this fall, and put this program back to the top.”
ASHLEY EVANS sources gmcsports.com, purduesports.com
opinion | column
column | opinion
WHAT YOU’RE WORTH KELLY KRAJEWSKI
GIVE THE TESTS A REST CARA SATULLO
art julia sanders
J
ohn Oliver dedicated “Last Week Tonight” on Aug. 9 to sexual education, and one video in particular was all too familiar to any high school health class veteran. The video shows a bride and groom standing against a white background as she hands the man a beautifully wrapped box, inside of which is a pair of tattered white tennis shoes. The man is immediately enraged, saying that it looked like the whole football team had worn them. The woman, obviously embarrassed, immediately starts to defend herself, claiming she “made them all wear socks.” The video ends with the woman admitting how much she regrets letting all those people “run in her shoes” after she is reminded that socks don’t protect his heart. The aggressive dehumanization of women in this and many other health education videos is sickening. A common high school health class practice is teaching that a woman’s virginity is somehow more valuable than a man’s. This leads to an identity crisis for young men and women alike, creating pressure from all sides for men to have sex while women should stay chaste. However, there are some males who very much value their virginity and some women who don’t associate any value with theirs at all. Single-sided health class metaphors of chewed gum, locks and keys and dirty tape hurt all genders. “The concept of virginity doesn’t have the capacity to hurt only women,” says author of “The Purity Myth,” Jessica Valenti. “Not only does this ideology create inequality between the sexes, but it also humiliates men who reveal a sensitive or passive personality, often questioning their sexuality and ‘manliness’ and therefore their very worth.” The concept of the metaphorical v-card being more valuable than a Visa card is not new. Many anthropologists believe the concept of virginity dates back to the Neolithic Era where it was used as a privative paternity test: if a man knew his wife was a virgin, he knew any children
64 lakotaeastspark.com September 2016
she bore were in fact his. The idea evolved through time, and eventually the view became that virginity was the greatest dowry that a woman could bring to her husband’s family, giving virginity perceived value. Although this isn’t the first time virginity was associated with social value: Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, and many holy men and women of different religions and denominations abstain from sex their entire lives. This religious attachment to virginity has the capacity to hurt those who are told from a very young age that abstaining from sex until marriage is the only way to honor not only their partner but also their god. This belief
the age of 10. “They didn’t tell me that I’d be on my honeymoon, crying again, because sex felt dirty and wrong and sinful even though I was married, and it was supposed to be OK now.”
T
hough virginity has its roots in logic, its archaic structure fits poorly into the modern world, where people of different genders and sexualities need recognition, as well as proper education about their sexual health and identification. The idea of virginity is heteronormative only applying to those in heterosexual relationships. leaving members of homosexual relationships without a definition
Though virginity has its roots in logic, its archaic structure fits poorly into the modern world, where people of different genders and sexualities need recognition. drives children to sign abstinence pledges at dangerously young ages; it’s not rare for a 9-year-old child to promise to stay abstinent until marriage before they even know what abstinence really is. Later in life, many people find it hard to separate this idea of unholy dirtiness from sex, even if they are married and have fulfilled their purity pledge.
“
Everyone told me waiting for marriage was the right thing to do, but what they didn’t tell me is that after it was over, I’d be back in the bathroom awkwardly crying for reasons I didn’t quite comprehend,” said blogger Samantha Pugsly, who signed a purity pledge at
of virginity that applies to them. “If you’re looking in history for inclusion of lesbian women, or bisexual or heterosexual women who have had sex with other women, when it comes to concepts of virginity, give on up.” said feminist author Heather Corinna. “There’s nothing to find.” The value of virginity is defined by everyone individually, unlike the set monetary value of a dollar. A person’s value is not determined by their sexual activity or lack thereof. The loss or maintenance of a person’s virginity is a choice that needs to be made made individually and not by an outside factor. It is time to lose the unnecessary value attached to the social construct of virginity.
T
he global atmosphere is one of economic competitiveness, and the fear of falling behind runs high in this country. As a result, a great deal of attention has been focused on the American education system. Schools receive tremendous amounts of pressure to produce successful individuals so that the United States can stay ahead in an increasingly competitive global market. In response, this country has developed a systematic approach to education. Standardized testing, the Common Core and the No Child Left Behind Act have laid the groundwork for public schools. In theory, these would be very effective programs. However, they tend not to recognize that all students are unique and different, but rather expect them to think in the same patterns and conform to the same ideas. This kind of teaching produces masses of hard workers who can follow directions but fails to nurture creativity. According to research from Harvard Innovation Education, America’s most lacking competitive advantage is its ability to innovate. This skill is dangerous to lack. A number of world issues such as global warming and problems in the Middle East are in need of creative solutions, and in a poll done by International Business Machines, creativity has been dubbed the most essential quality for “leadership competency” as identified by 1,500 CEOs. Creativity is important for the
economy as well as for leadership competency, because according to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), small businesses represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms. It is clear that the ability to innovate is in high demand, but the results of a study completed by creativity researcher Mary Kyung Hee Kim found that creativity has recently decreased among American children. While the exact cause of this is inconclusive, he suspects it could have something to do with the increased testing in schools.
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hen the No Child Left Behind Act was passed in 2001, it proposed the notion that by creating assessments with measurable goals, improvement would result on an individual level. The problem with this idea is that assessments measure skills in only one area. They find those who are intelligent in means of memorization and critical thought but neglect the students who are talented in other ways. The reality of No Child Left Behind is that it judges thousands of artists, writers, entrepreneurs and athletes on their ability to take a test. “I can no longer cooperate with a testing regime that I believe is suffocating creativity and innovation in the classroom,” said veteran teacher and recipient of the Disney Teacher Award for innovation and creativity Ron Maggiano. “We are not really educating our
The reality of No Child Left Behind is that it judges thousands of artists, writers, entrepreneurs and athletes on their ability to take a test.
students anymore. We are merely teaching them to pass a test. This is wrong.” Testing is still an important aspect of school, but should not be the main focus. Schools need tests to get a sense of where students are, and states need standardized assessments to measure improvement and determine if schools are doing their job. The point where this becomes problematic is when the grading system turns into a method of weeding out the “less desirable” students. Society is increasingly putting more and more emphasis on GPA and academic prestige, so students who do well will get into the good colleges and receive the tools that they need to be successful. The rest are left to drop out or remain in a system in which they don’t benefit.
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t a Technology Entertainment and Design (TED) conference, a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading ideas, Ken Robinson gave a captivating TED talk that addresses these issues in education. He explains how tests promote the concept that questions only have one right answer, pushing students to always think inside the box. They are expected to memorize the given material and simply regurgitate it back. This leaves no room for coming up with original and creative ideas. “If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original,” said Robinson. “We’re now running national education systems where mistakes are the worst thing you can make, and the result is that we are educating people out of their creative capacities.” Schools are currently fostering a survival-ofthe-fittest environment and demoting creativity. This should not be the case. Teaching needs to transform to match the modern world. Rather than conditioning children to think inside the box, we should encourage them to take risks and think on their own terms. Once we’ve done this, we will have created a system that deserves the title of “No Child Left Behind.”
opinion | column
column | opinion
NOT OUR HISTORY KATY JOHNSON T
he chant “Gay power!” rings through the streets. Police beat down an angry crowd, only for one even larger to arrive the next day. Protesters throw bricks and yell for those in nearby apartments to come down and fight. The Stonewall Riots that began on June 28th, 1969, are hailed as the beginning of the modern LGBT rights movement. As police raided the Stonewall Inn and began to arrest patrons, Stormé DeLarverie, a biracial lesbian who was clubbed on the head during her arrest, is credited with yelling, “Why don’t you guys do something?” which sparked the crowd to action. Marsha P. Johnson, a black trans woman, is credited with being the first to fight back against the police, and Sylvia Rae Rivera, a Latina trans woman, is credited with joining her and being the first to throw a bottle at the police. With such a rich and inspiring history, it was a surprise to many both inside and outside of the community when the first trailer to Stonewall was released -- a movie about these events that was highly anticipated -- and seemed to focus entirely on a cisgender white gay man. That’s not to deny the presence of that demographic during the riots, but as one survivor, Titus Montalvo, states, “about 70 percent” of the crowd was Hispanic or black. A common question raised in response to the trailer was why, if so many people of color were involved in this historical event, would a studio choose to make a movie about
a white male instead. The lead actor in the movie, Jeremy Irvine, has said that Marsha P. Johnson “is a major part of the movie,” and that there’s “a Puerto Rican transvestite struggling to survive on the streets.” But when the majority of a cast is white when their movie is portraying a historical event that was predominantly composed of people of color, there’s a problem. This problem isn’t unique to Stonewall. Whitewashing refers to white actors playing the roles of people of color, and has been going on for years, seen as early as Elizabeth Taylor playing Cleopatra in Cleopatra. It’s one thing for a role to be given to the actor that will give the best performance, and another thing entirely for a white actor to take the place of someone of color in a performance.
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hitewashing also applies to erasing people of color entirely, an aspect that’s visible in Taylor Swift’s new “Wildest Dreams” music video. As Zak Cheney-Rice of Mic.com pointed out, “The video’s narrative of white people finding romance in the hinterlands of a land wracked by colonial violence is not only obliviously ahistorical, but also exhibits tropes that people across the African diaspora have been trying to dispel for years.” Cheney-Rice goes on to explain that during the time of European colonial rule in Africa, media presented the continent as savage and uninhabited. Taylor Swift and her male co-star
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prance through the savannahs of an unnamed portion of Africa, supplemented by shots of wild animals. Nowhere, though, are the inhabitants of Africa, or even a single nonwhite person, personifying the trope to a tee.
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ften, these forms of racism are overlooked. They’re less blatant than using slurs or having race be the punchline to a joke, but they’re just as hurtful. Whitewashing shoves people of color out of media where they have a right to be, essentially telling them they’re not worthy of equal representation. Hugo-Award winning author Mary Robinette Kowal best summed up the need for this representation, saying, “It’s not about adding diversity for the sake of diversity, it’s about subtracting homogeneity for the sake of realism.” When the Oscar nominations for 2015 rolled around, there wasn’t a single person of color nominated. Furthermore, between the years 1927 and 2012, 91 percent of the “Best Actor” awards went to white men, and 99 percent of the “Best Actress” awards went to white women. The defense brought up against those angered by these numbers was that Hollywood producers are simply giving people what they want. However, as Sociological Cinema blogger Lester Andrist said, “If it is true that the paying public truly wants white actors to dominate the silver screen, then Hollywood producers need to own up to the fact that they have played a central role in shaping that desire.”
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recent opportunity for producers to begin moving toward change has presented itself through Disney’s announcement of a production of a live-action Mulan movie. Disney has had a history of whitewashing characters, but since they’ve only bought the script for Mulan, producers still have a chance to cast Chinese actors in this retelling of the Chinese legend. Disney holds a high amount of influence over kids -- it’s time to start showing kids of color that they matter too.
SAY BYE TO THE BINARY VICTORIA NEGRON A
ssigned female at birth, Caleb Essentier, a transgender man living in Philadelphia began to come into his own at 17. At this point, he started to dress in masculine clothing, unaware of the struggle he would face every time he went to the bathroom. Upon entering either the men’s or women’s bathroom, he faced hostility and intimidation to a point that his partner would “visibly relax” upon seeing that he left the bathroom safely. “It’s as simple as not thinking so hard about a basic need,” Essenthier told PhillyVoice publication. “[Both bathrooms] are a hostile place for me to be. People would worry about their kids seeing a trans person in the bathroom. They’d rather I get a bladder infection than let their kid know I exist.” Forcing an individual to conform to the gender binary can cause dysphoria for certain people. Gender dysphoria is the formal diagnosis used by psychologists and physicians to describe those who experience significant discontent with the gender they were assigned at birth. Those who suffer dysphoria often isolate themselves from their peers and develop anxiety or depression. By pushing noncisgender individuals to make a choice based on the gender binary could lead to worsened symptoms of dysphoria. Gender expression does not always equal gender identity. Expression ranges from feminine to androgynous and everywhere in between. According to the Transgender Law Center nly 25-30 percent of transgender people have sexual reassignment surgery, leaving a majority of transgender individuals with genitalia that may not line up with their gender identity. As a result, both binary and nonbinary transgender individuals may have physical differences that don’t correlate with current gender normalities. This leaves many subject to harassment on a daily basis when trying to use gender-specific restrooms. “It’s intimidating in a different way,” said Essenthier. “I face different territory—turf
with seldom-verbalized rules about interaction. On occasion [someone] will ‘clock me’ in a confrontal way, which makes me feel even more physically unsafe.” The opposition to gender neutrality in bathrooms has questioned the “special privileges” that the transition would bring for transgender individuals. Gender-neutral restrooms are not just beneficial to members of the transgender community. They also benefit all who fall under the nonbinary umbrella, including agender, genderfluid, genderflux and gender-questioning individuals. Parents who have children of a different gender also benefit
Gender expression does not always equal gender identity. by having a safe space where they can be with their child. Disabled individuals with caretakers of a different gender would have a space to be safe with those caring for them. “There are a lot of single-parent families that need adequate resources,” said John Locke, a student government representative at the University of Houston. “A gender-neutral bathroom would be beneficial to them. There are also many differently-abled [individuals] who require the work of caretakers or assistants. If their caretaker is of a different gender a gender-neutral bathroom could be a much needed asset.” Those opposing the shift toward genderneutral restrooms also bring forth the argument that women who have been sexually assaulted or raped would be fearful every time they enter a gender-neutral restroom. Creating a single-stalled restroom or simply changing the signs of family restrooms to be more inclusive eliminate this discomfort. A gender-
neutral space will not eliminate pre-existing gender-specific bathrooms, allowing cisgender individuals to continue using the facilities they are most comfortable with while transgender individuals may now have their own space where they feel safe. “The gendered system does not provide a meaningful obstacle to people who wish to commit acts of violence in bathrooms,” said transgender lawyer Dean Spade. “If a person wished to visit the ‘wrong’ restroom in order to harass or assault persons in that room, the gendered sign on the door would not protect against that.” The current binary organization of bathrooms creates social discrimination against those who don’t subscribe to the dichotomy. Individuals who don’t fit into the binary system consequently become defined out of existence. With the refusal to provide gender-neutral bathrooms comes the erasure of transgender individuals. Petitions coming forward from both sides of the issue show there is a prevalent need for laws to enforce the creation of genderneutral facilities. “As with race, restroom segregation reinforces social discrimination. It took laws to eliminate ‘whites only’ lavatories. It took laws to mandate handicapped toilets. It is taking laws to redress inadequate bathroom facilities for [transgender individuals],” said Martine Rothblatt, a transgender lawyer. Strict adherence to the binary segregation of bathrooms in public spaces forces people to hide or be pushed into uncomfortable situations. A basic need that many don’t have to think about shouldn’t cause others unnecessary trepidation. Something so simple should not become something so difficult for people to accept. Facing hostility to the point that anyone with you “visibly relaxes” when you return safely from the bathroom is a sign that change is necessary for the protection of individuals who don’t fit into the current dichotomy of gender-specific restrooms.
opinion | guest column
editorial cartoons | opinion
JUST SPIT IT OUT ADAM RING T
his past August, I sat with my uncle and began our yearly heated debate. This year, we focused on the Supreme Court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage in the case Obergefell v. Hodges. I expressed my concern with the ruling, citing my religious and personal beliefs. I explained to him that just because I didn’t agree with same sex-marriage did not mean I didn’t love all people equally. “David,” I said, “Whether they are white, black, pink, purple, straight, gay, bisexual, transgender—it doesn’t matter. I love them all the same.” But after I said this, he stormed away. “You should be ashamed of yourself,” he shouted. “If religion gets in the way of what ‘is right,’ you should abandon it. You are the very definition of a homophobe. You’re a bigot.” This is society as it currently stands. The United States of America, founded on the very principles of free speech and expression, no longer exists. There are many grave problems facing our country today, but I would put the constant need to be politically correct right up there at the top. Simply put, political correctness gets in the way of what needs to be said. According to a new study conducted by Rasmussen Reports, 79 percent of adults think political correctness is a serious problem in America today. The vast majority of people see that people can no longer hold their tongues when something controversial comes up, because all it ends up doing is slowing down the potential for a solution. Solving problems such as more than 18 trillion dollars of debt
GUEST COLUMN and massive amounts of illegal immigration requires blunt, down-to-earth talking. Our founding fathers would have never succeeded in creating America if they stood on their tip-toes and kept their mouths shut in fear of offending King George III. Take Patrick Henry, in his fiery and impassioned speech to the Virginia Convention. The point had passed where he could ignore the issue of British rule, so he spoke his heart. It was not politically
EDITORIAL CARTOONS
dehumanizing. In addition, there have been many documented cases where individuals who were accused of being a racist have sued their accusers for defamation. The courts and many people alike are starting to see that blindly throwing the term “racist” around at people is going too far. Not only is it horribly offensive, but also it destroys people’s lives because they end up getting an undeserved reputation.
I
t is important to step back and look at what people are really saying. Most people are not trying to discriminate or be hateful—they just trying to voice their opinion in a way with which others might not agree. It’s time that our society moves past this phase of ensuring nobody is offended. All we are doing is digging ourselves into a deeper hole because what needs to be said might not always be what America wants to hear. I am still in disbelief today that my uncle would use those terms to describe me. My goal was not to insult homosexuals. It was to simply have an informed conversation with an adult. I have always been told not to talk politics around family because it’s a taboo subject. I suppose it might be more politically correct to talk about the latest baseball standings around the dinner table, but having an intelligent political conversation with family members helps everyone become more informed about the issue from all sides.
“Mean girls take Syria” — Lauren Wilson
“Protect the Black Bear” — Julia Sanders
There are many grave problems facing our country today, but I would put the constant need to be politically correct right up there at the top. Simply put, political correctness gets in the way of what needs to be said.
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correct at that time to denounce and criticize the king. Yet, he and many of our founders did, and as a result created a new and better country.
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lashing forward to 2015, the country faces a similar problem. Many people find themselves afraid to speak their minds. It’s difficult and frustrating to voice an opinion knowing people will react to it violently. What is particularly interesting is how the American culture fails to understand how damaging it is to call someone a racist or a homophobe. Being called such derogatory terms can be extremely
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from the editor | opinion
iving in “White” Chester has never really felt like much of an accepting, melting pot. But when a friend recently told me that her father would most likely vote for Donald Trump, I laughed, thinking it was just another Trump-WhiteSupremacy joke before I quickly realized she wasn’t kidding. Confused and flustered, I asked if her father knew about all the things he has mentioned about minorities. “When Mexico sends its people,” Trump said during his presidential announcement, “they’re not sending the best… they’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems. They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime. They’re rapists and some, I assume, are good people, but I speak to border guards and they’re telling us what we’re getting.” Or when he said “all of the women on The Apprentice flirted with me—consciously or unconsciously. That’s to be expected,” and “Laziness is a trait in blacks.” Her father did know, and he agreed with most of them. Still stunned, I couldn’t help but ask why I didn’t deserve to live in America just because my parents were born outside of the country. I wondered how her father could talk to me and think in the back of his head that he deserved to live in the United States, as if it was an appointed state of hierarchy, while I didn’t because of something over which I had no control. Although much of the United States was founded on racism, I had hoped that after a few centuries, its citizens would at least have matured past outright racism. Only a decade ago, it was almost normal to hear people say that if the United States ever elected a black president, then that would be a sure sign of the apocalypse. Yet in 2009, Americans chose Barack Obama and soon after, Eric H. Holder, Jr. became is the first black man to serve as Attorney General. Since then, riots around the country have erupted in Ferguson and cities across the United States., including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Boston, fighting back against the discrimination of black people in support of Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old was shot and killed in Ferguson, Mo. by Darren Wilson in an alleged black hate crime. The protests continued to spread throughout the country after a Staten Island grand jury did not indict Daniel Pantaleo, the police officer involved in the death of Eric Garner. Today, it’s again accepted as the norm to hear leaders of the free world openly discriminate and generalize groups of people because of the amount of melanin in their skin or the country from which their ancestors came. Regardless of political or socioeconomic views, backing Trump simply because he’s brave enough to “speak his mind” is not only a horrible basis for presidency but also incredibly regressive in the work society has done to combat racism.
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