Issue #177 (Issue 1 2017-2018) by Lakota East Spark

Spark Lakota East High School lakotaeastsparkonline.com Nov 2017 $5 Newsstand

EAST MAKES STATE Boys golf, girls golf, and girls cross country qualify; Dustin Horter wins

VETS

Veterans share their experiences

DIVIDED AMERICA

In this divisive year in American history, issues such as religion, science, media, education, and patriotism have all become hot topics.

Contents November 2017 | Issue #177

NEW LAKOTA STAFF 152 new staff members joined the Lakota Local School District for the 2017-18 school year, including four at East.

OPERATION POSTVIETNAM Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7696 share their personal experiences.

REACHING OUT TO REFUGEES East senior Noor Ghuniem narrates her summer experience in Jordan.

BUZZED BULL Buzzed Bull Creamery is a new, local ice creamery serving up handcrafted, icy treats with a twist.

SETTING THE PACE For the first time in over 10 years, the entire East girls cross country team qualifies for state.

THE RIGHT TO DIE Should physician-assisted suicide be legal? East junior Kayleigh Bearden shares her opinion.

opinion | letter to the editor

Spark 2017-2018 STAFF

Editor-in-Chiefs

Art Director Business Team Manager Marketing Coordinator Public Relations Directors Design Coordinators Photography Editor Online Editors

Julianne Ford Lexy Harrison Vivian Kolks Sidney Li Michael Croy Vivian Kolks Rachel Vogelsang Lauren Maier Landon Meador Tyler Bonawitz Richard Giang Richard Giang Meredith Niemann Rebecca Holst Lina Kaval Katey Kruback

Broadcast Manager

Landon Meador

News Editors

Bea Amsalu Julianne Ford Stephen McKay

Culture Editors

Caroline Bumgarner Noor Ghuniem Sidney Li

Feature Editors

Megan Finke Lexy Harrison

Package Editors

Ruth Elendu Sidney Li Samadhi Marapane

Sports Editors

Julianne Ford Lauren Maier Jack Parr

Opinion Editors

Jessica Jones Vivian Kolks

Art Editors Graphics Editors Survey Coordinator

Tyler Bonawitz McKenna Lewis Michael Croy Meredith Peters Sidney Li

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Spark, We are now a few weeks into the school year, and I am wondering if anyone else has noticed the same crazy thing that I have. Teenagers are walking around in a zombie like state. I am a high school teacher as well as a parent of teenagers. Everywhere I look I see my students yawning, barely able to make it through the day. My daughter often comes home from East and I find her asleep on the couch. What can be causing this phenomenon? I can only assume it is the start of the school year and the extreme change in teenager’s schedule. Most teens that I know prefer vampire-like hours, sleeping in until the early afternoon and staying awake well into the night. However, that all changes when the school year begins. My daughter must wake by 6:30, and some of my students even earlier in order to be in class on time. I have to wonder if this schedule is the best for our teens. Three years ago, our family re-located here from Loudoun County Virginia. There, elementary schools started the earliest, followed by middle school and then the high schools. I taught in the local high school and class did not begin until 9:00. In my observations, the teenagers there arrived to class awake and ready to learn. I do realize the later start time comes with drawbacks. School lasted until 3:45, which caused after school sports practices to run into the early evening However, a later start time allowed for early morning club meetings and the opportunity to receive extra help from teachers. The students were better able to focus in class and retained more of the information presented there. I wonder if our district would ever consider making a change. -Michelle Bumgarner The Spark encourages letters to the editor. Letters can be sent to the publication at lakotaeastsaprk18@gmail.com or delivered to room 118 at the Lakota East High School Main Campus. Letters must be signed, and the staff reserves the right to edit the letters for length, grammar, invasion of privacy, obscenity or potential libel. The opinion editors will contact writers for confirmation.

SPONSORS AND PATRONS Patrons Jared and Kelley Kruback, Brian and Georgia Bammerlin Sponsors Cheryl Leksan, Liz and Chris Shepard, Amanda and William Schmidt, The Szczepkowski Family, Carolyn Landers, Jennifer Vankirk

ON THE COVER

Spark Lakota East High School lakotaeastsparkonline.com Nov 2017 $5 Newsstand

photo connor douglass

EAST MAKES STATE Boys golf, girls golf, and girls cross country qualify; Dustin Horter wins

VETS

Veterans share their experiences

Subscription Coordinator

Advisor

Leah Boehner Dean Hume

DIVIDED AMERICA

In this divisive year in American history, issues such as religion, science, media, education, and patriotism have all become hot topics.

In this issue of Spark, we cover the growing debates on issues such as religion, media, education, reality and science, focusing on the “anti” perspective of each issue. This women’s march in Cincinnati took place in spring 2017 and demonstrated this divide within our country.

PERIODICALLY CREDIBLE

LEXY HARRISON I photography richard giang

n today’s society, there is probably no bigger oxymoron in the eyes of the public than a “science journalist.” Especially in a world where to certain groups of individuals, climate change is just as much of a myth as Nessie the Loch Ness Monster. Facebook and other unreliable social media websites have ruined journalists’ reputations. Science and journalism, both formerly respected industries, are mocked in everyday pop culture. I have been informed, thanks to unwanted input from peers, strangers, politicians and family members, that my choice of a career is seen as “unstable,” “questionable” and/or highly mockable. As a result of being a student journalist, I constantly hear sentiments from people that national news networks—and even my own publication— spreads lies and it tugs at my heart. It is dispiriting to know that the public believes that one would take the below average salary of a journalist to spread lies instead of wanting to inform the people on news that actually matters. Out of 297 East students surveyed, only 155 of them believe that journalists are being mistreated today. While I dislike the fact that so many of my fellow classmates feel this way, this does not come as a shock to me because there is a stereotype today that whatever crazy crisis is happening within the journalism industry is the media’s fault. The blame actually falls on an unhealthy consumption of news from social media with little to no fact checking by the general public. For example, according to a 2016 study by Pew Research Center, 62 percent of adults in the United States get their news from social media. As an average teenager, I am on several social media websites and see stories with absurd headlines on the daily. Thanks to my journalism classes, when I click on the link and begin to read, I immediately notice that there are hardly ever any credible sources within these articles and only fake numbers at the bottom of the page to contact. It is truly disgusting to know that this is what people think journalism is. A democracy cannot function without journalism and civilization cannot function without science. Science, one of my other great passions, and its credibility is a topic that everyone seemingly has an opinion on these days. When I hear people say that science is false, it baffles me to the point of physically being unable to speak. For me, science has always explained everything in and outside of our world—whether that be Newton’s Law of Motion, precipitation, why chemicals affect a certain immune system, or simply how hair grows. Science writers cover new developments and discoveries in fields such as genetics, biotechnology, astrophysics and more. Needless to say, science reportings on modern technology shape our civilization. Because I am passionate about both science and journalism, I can combine the two to help better the public overall. That’s why I enjoy learning about it so much and why I have decided to follow a career in it. It pains me to know that not everyone feels the same way. •

SPARK ONLINE

Go to www.lakotaeastsparkonline.com to keep up with the latest school, district and community news, learn more about in-depth topics covered by the Spark staff, and read reviews and fashion stories.

LEAF CLUB LANDSCAPES

STAFF PLAYLIST: NOVEMBER

photo story kara harris

compiled katey kruback art mckenna lewis

BROADCAST: SPARK INTERVIEWS SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES live stream landon meador and jack mcfarland

Four staff members of the Spark interviewed the six candidates for the Lakota Local School Board on October 24th. To see individual stances on issues asked at the Spark School Board Candidate Night, visit lakotaeastsparkonline.com.

2 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

FAMILY CAR CARE YOU CAN TRUST MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

8AM-6PM 8AM-6PM 8AM-6PM 8AM-6PM 8AM-5PM CLOSED CLOSED

Located at: 9138 Cox Rd, West Chester Township, 45069 Call us! 513-755-9858

The Yankee-Princeton roads intersection is under construction through November.

ROUNDABOUT THE N The new roundabout construction is altering many East students’ drive to school. story amy bohorfoush I photography julianne ford

hen the bright orange barrels first went up on the intersection of Yankee and Princeton road, East junior Alexis Burt did not take much notice. That was until these barrels altered her consistent route to school. The construction that started on July 5, 2016 is the first phase of an extensive renovation project that is taking place in Liberty Township. “Before the construction started, my commute took a little over eight minutes,” Burt said. “Now, I have to circle Liberty Township, so my [drive] takes fifteen to twenty minutes. It’s not just longer but I have to leave earlier to avoid all the traffic.” Burt’s observations aren’t just the complaints of a teenage driver. Her struggles are shared by Lakota parent Colleen Pyron, who experiences similar challenges along Princeton as she drives her son to school each morning. “The hardest part was remembering that travel was difficult because more lanes were blocked,” Pryon said. “I’d forget that, then find the road was blocked and I’d have to turn around,” According to the Butler County Engineer's office (BCEO) the total cost of the five phase project is $4,071,271. The funding is from federal and state organizations including Ohio

Public Works Commission (OPWC) and BCEO. All work is tentatively scheduled for completion by mid-June 2018. Some of the improvements that hamper with Burt’s route to school include an installation of a roundabout at Princeton Road and Yankee Road that has an approximate three month schedule. Yankee Road will be closed half way between Wyandot Lane and Princeton Road for a bridge replacement for around one month. These two changes in Burt’s and Pyron’s routes to school are the first two phases of the county’s extensive road improvement project. Burt also expressed concerns about how new drivers who were “used to four-way stops” would handle the installation of a new roundabout on Princeton. She conceded that the traffic flow on Yankee may have warranted some work, but overall considered the road improvements to be too much. “Yankee could have used some work because it was always too backed up,” Burt said. “But the project on Princeton is a little much.” However, despite the seemingly sudden conception of the road improvements, the process has been given lots of critical thought. Project manager and design engineer Stephen Miles is leading the efforts to install a turn lane

4 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

on Yankee and the Princeton roundabout. “Our accident data showed lots of rearends at four-way stops,” Miles said. “ We have ten roundabouts throughout the community, and we observed a decrease in accidents at those [intersections] over the last three years.” According to a 2017 BCEO news report, Butler county had a 60 percent decrease in overall crashes. The county also established that the roundabouts have 80 percent fewer injury crashes, and 100 percent reduction in serious and fatal crashes.

akota Department of Transportation head Chris Passarge also believes that improvements in safety and traffic flow will be worth the temporary inconvenience that the construction causes. His work has also been affected by the renovations, as he’s needed to alter bus routes around Liberty Township to avoid the construction. “There have been several roundabouts installed throughout Butler County and specifically in the Lakota district’s boundaries,” Passarge said. “ We have been involved in many discussions and have collaborated with the Butler County Engineer’s Office on a few of them, to include the one on Yankee and Princeton Roads. [A roundabout] forces

EW PERSPECTIVES vehicles to slow down, avoids vehicles running through stop signs and eases congestion spots.” Passarge also noted that the district has had concerns about the change in locations for bus stops and times. The district contacted those families directly to let them know about the change in routes. “I know we have had some concerns about pickup and drop-off locations for students that live in close proximity to the construction site,” Passarge said. “ For others that have concerns about earlier pick up or drop off times, once they understand the impact of the construction, they have a better understanding of the changes.”

After a few weeks of getting used to the changes, Burt has also come to the conclusion that the construction will improve life in Liberty Township in the long run. Burt believes the overall traffic flow will be contained when the project is completed.

he final three stages of the project include: Yankee Road being closed, just south of Wyandot Lane for a bridge widening for two to three weeks. All three lanes of the Wyandot Lane and Yankee Road intersection will be closed for approximately 45 days. The widening of Yankee Road will go from Princeton Road to Dutchland Parkway.

“Based on what they’ve done now, traffic is already a lot better,” Burt says. “It makers the area look a lot nicer too.” Colleen Pyron is also excited about the potential to improve the routes from her neighborhood to her destinations. Since the opening of part of the roundabout during the week of September 15, Pryon has been able to utilize old routes again. However, one section of the roundabout will continued to remain closed until approximately November. “Now, it’s much better because I can go out of my subdivision two different ways,” Pryon said. “I’m also very excited for when Yankee Road opens again.” •

144 out of 304 East students surveyed had to change their route to school due to the road construction.

New social studies teacher Justin Dennis helps a student during extra help.

back to school to get my principal’s’ licensure,” Blevins said. “Administration is a competitive area to go into right now and I feel very fortunate for this opportunity. Being able to stay here in Lakota means the world to me.”

NEW LAKOTA STAFF For the 2017-18 school year, Lakota brought in 152 staff members into the district, including four new faculty members at Lakota East. story julianne ford | photography meredith niemann

t’s eight in the morning, Aug. 16. The first day of the 2017-18 Lakota Local School District school year. It’s not only the first day for the students, but also for the new district teachers, support staff and the first official inschool day for administrators. According to Lakota, there are 93 new teachers, 12 new administrators and 47 new support staff. In total, the district has 152 new employees. The overall increase in teacher hirings was less than one percent from the last school year, being zero. Executive director of Curriculum & Instruction Keith Koehne is one of the 152 new hires in Lakota. Koehne’s most recent position was assistant superintendent at Loveland City schools for the past four years. Koehne earned his Bachelor of Science degree in secondary social studies education from Miami University he then received master’s degree in educational administration at Xavier University. “The transition [to Lakota] has been awesome,” Koehne said. “I started in July and got to meet so many great people already. I am excited to spend time this fall in the school buildings, seeing first hand the amazing work our administrators, teachers and support staff do everyday.” Director of Gifted Services Lori Brown joined the number of new administrators in

the curriculum department. Brown has spent the last six years coordinating special services programming provided by the Butler County Educational Service Center to Lakota schools. Brown has spent many years in Lakota, her positions include: assistant principal at Plains Junior School, the secondary summer school coordinator and an intervention specialist at Ridge Junior School. “I am very excited to be the Director of Gifted Services at Lakota. The first 10 years of my career were spent in Lakota and I am so happy to be home,” Brown said. “While there are some regulations in gifted education, I love that we have the power and ability to create services and enrichment opportunities that are unique to our population and needs.”

long with the the new district administration comes new building administrators in Lakota. New principal at Endeavor Elementary Andrea Blevins is elated to try a new position in Lakota. She formerly was Ridge Junior schools assistant principal. Blevins graduated from Miami University with a bachelor’s degree in middle childhood education and two master’s degrees in elementary reading and school administration. “I have wanted to get into administration for many years. I decided a few years ago to go

6 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

akota also welcomed a new superintendent Matthew Miller to the district this year. He started his five year contract on Aug. 1. With many new administrators in Lakota, Koehne is excited to have an opportunity to collaborate his ideas with Miller. “The interview process was a little unique due to the fact that Mr. Miller was coming in as a new superintendent,” Koehne said. “It was very important for both of us to share a similar vision for education and student learning. A lot of time was spent brainstorming and sharing ideas about education, teaching, leadership and the ideal student experience.” According to East principal Suzanna Davis, East added four new teachers to the staff for the 2017-18 school year. East senior Abby Martin has seen the positivity first hand that the new ideas from the administration and teachers has brought to the district. “The environment has been awesome so far this year,” Martin said. “You can tell they are really trying to make the the district a better place so kids are actually excited to come to school.” The district keeps count of all of the new hires in Lakota; however, it does not keep the overall position changes. According to Lakota, a teacher could be moved from a second grade to a third grade teacher and would not be considered in the Lakota new hire count. One of the main efforts Martin has enjoyed seeing the administration’s involvement with the schools through the use of social media, such as Twitter. East students have hosted informational meetings with teachers to show them how to use the app for educational purposes. “I really enjoy having [the faculty] on Twitter,” Martin said. “They can share pictures from classes and things that they do personally. It makes them more approachable and Twitter is a great way to spread school spirit.”

oehne is excited for the districts personalized approach to learning. He cannot wait to see the success of the Lakota student in the future. “My vision is always about the individual student,” Koehne said. “We, as educators, have an incredible responsibility to ensure that we are helping prepare each of our students to be successful in their future. It starts with developing trusting relationships with students. We must have a student centered mindset that allows us to personalize the learning experience as much as possible. We want to have innovative learning experiences that kids love to be a part of.” •

EXECUTIVE OPPORTUNITES story charis williams photography julianne ford East and West GSA will meet with the board of education for an executive meeting.

he East and West Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) student groups will meet November 20th with the Lakota School Board of Education in an executive session to discuss transgender students as well as the policies that relate to them. The last Board meeting that discussed the transgender community, held on Oct. 25, 2016, ended with no change in policy, which is created with approval from the board, there was a consideration for making administrative guidelines, which are created by the superintendent without public processes. All in all, the issue of policy change regarding transgender students was “put on pause” until after the superintendent search was over, according to East principal Suzanna Davis. Now that the district has hired Superintendent Matthew Miller, the Lakota School Board of Education is ready to have another conversation with the students concerning the policy. The meeting with the Board will be held over an executive session where the students will discuss topics in small groups before sharing the general consensus with the entire room. Only family members of the students are admitted; however, they are barred from adding their opinions. Davis thinks that the GSA student groups need to have an “open and honest dialogue” with the Board in order to speak for the “underrepresented voice” of transgender students.

hree-year East GSA member and senior Gold Bristow is excited about the opportunity presented to the GSA members. He believes this is a much needed conversation between students and advisers. He said the meeting is a great way for the Board of Education to communicate their feelings to the students’. “I would really like the board members to [understand] the students’ perspectives,” Bristow said. “I want [the school board] to know how the treatment of the students affects their willingness to come to school and learn. [The school board] doesn’t understand [gender] dysphoria and it is hurting students.” East English teacher and GSA adviser Kate

East senior Gold Bristow poses with the transgender flag in front of the ally week display.

For more GSA coverage: lakotaeastsparkonline.com Foldy understands the need for this type of conversation in today’s schools. The East GSA student group has been around for four years and in Foldy’s experience, this is a “potentially lifesaving decision.” “I am excited for the opportunity for our students to have a voice around these very important issues,” Foldy said. “I am grateful to our board for taking on decisions that are both timely and appropriate.”

oldy often participates in discussions between the students on issues in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT +) community at bi-weekly meetings. In addition to discussions, East’s GSA student group watches movies and videos that relate to the LGBT+ community, allowing the students to understand that there can be open-minded representation of different demographics within the media. East parent Carolyn O’Meara supports the “open-minded, educated conversation” of transgender issues, stating a need for a discussion that isn’t based in “rhetoric and fear.” The executive session will give students a chance to openly discuss their opinions. “I would like to see a conversation that openly address the safety and issues of the local transgender community faces,” O’Meara said. This time around, students are ready to

speak out, including two year member of East’s GSA Dylan Paul who asks to be “treated like any other cis [gender] guy.”

isgender, the other end of the gender spectrum from transgender, means a person’s gender identity matches with the sex they were born. Although cisgendered individuals are more numerous, transgender individuals aren’t any more out of the ordinary than left-handed or red-haired people, says Foldy. “I’m not an oddity,” Paul said. “Things like bathrooms and locker rooms shouldn’t have to be debated as much as they are.” On Oct. 18 the West Chester and Liberty Chamber Alliance hosted a board of education candidate night at the Lakota Central Office. Six school board candidates are running for three open seats on the Lakota board. All candidates agreed that the district needs to work on a Transgender policy. When asked a hypothetical: “the Board is tied two versus two, to allow male transgender to use the restroom they identify with. How would you vote?” The Nov. 20th meeting will give students a chance to discuss bathroom situations with the Board of Education. “The school board is doing the right thing by holding this meeting,” East senior Jamie Galioto said. “It’ll give [students] a chance to speak about issues such as bathrooms and bullying.” •

November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 7

news | engineering

ENGINEERING TO ELEVATE Lakota East Engineering programs designed and built cars to help toddlers in need. story bea amsalu I art tyler bonawitz *denotes name change

An illustration of one of the cars engineered by East students.

cstatic laughter and excitement filled the air as one-year-old Jacob Olden* and fouryear-old Ryan Thomas* cruised down the hallway of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) in a Mini Cooper and a Dodge Viper in May 2017. The toy cars were modified to accommodate the toddler’s’ needs with their mobility issues. The Intro to Engineering class and club altered the battery powered cars for the two boys. The toddlers are patients at the Aaron W. Perlman Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, a facility founded to help patients with cerebral palsy and other mobility restrictions. The engineering program has big plans for the upcoming 2017-18 school year. The Perlman Center at CCHMC asked the engineers at East to build a specialized adaptive bicycle for a patient in addition to more toy cars for patients. Perlman has asked the students to work with them again due to the success of the 2016-17 project. The current and previous projects were part of the “Go Baby Go” initiative, a grassroots campaign with the vision of “all people exploring their world via independent mobility.” It started at the University of Delaware and made it’s way to Perlman and CCHMC. East engineering teacher Kenneth Kinch heard about the project through a colleague who does a similar remodeling of cars in his respective school district. Milford High School, Seven Hills Middle School and Harrison High School have all also built and donated cars for the cause. “The whole idea is to allow a child who has these mobility issues to get around,” Kinch said. “[To] give them the ability to interact with the people around them just like any other child that’s two to three-years-old [would].” Kinch and the Engineering Club supervisor

Ed Matlack allowed the project to be completely student driven. The teachers had many conversations and spent many hours brainstorming the ideas with the students. “It was better for [the students] when they delivered the car,” Kinch said. “They should be the ones who get all the credit because they did everything, we just made sure they stayed on track.” The engineering program purchased battery powered cars off of Amazon at around $200 each to revamp and expand. The students then made the appropriate modifications based on the measurements and information provided by Perlman Center therapists Matthew Elliot and Molly Donawerth. Elliot, an occupational therapist, and Donawerth, a physical therapist, were both heavily involved and supportive throughout the design process. “We took measurements of the kids and provided information about the level of support needed for safe use of the cars and equipment that the kids used at home for seating and positioning,” Elliot said. “Molly and I both came out to Lakota once to meet the building teams. I came once more to check the finished products before delivery.” Amenities in the car for one-year-old Olden included removing the gas pedal and rewiring it to be a button on the steering wheel so the patient could manipulate and steer the car entirely with his hands since he has an issue with the movement of his legs. Four-year-old McCallister had problems with both arm and leg movement, so the students incorporated a remote control system where the parents could steer the car while the child made the car stop and go using a head switch. The Perlman Center and the patients’ families alike were incredibly impressed with

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the East students’ work on the cars. “[The best part about the car is] the remote control function [and] attention to detail,” Elliot said. “And most of all, enthusiasm in presenting the cars to the kids did exceeded my expectations.” Student feedback on the project has been incredibly positive. East junior Hanane Amlal said this opportunity helped her consider engineering as a viable career option. “I really fell in love with engineering,” Amlal said. “The idea of incorporating math and science to better others and do what this project just helped us do by innovating and inventing.” Classmate junior Emily Willms said she was already considering engineering as a potential career option. The endeavor gave her a taste of what it would be like if she followed through with becoming an engineer. “It gave me a different perspective of engineering,” Willms said. “Instead of just being in a classroom working on measurements and stuff, if was fun to see how all that can affect someone directly.”

oth of the students and Kinch are excited to continue with the project this upcoming year. Kinch believes it encompasses what his class, and East Engineering, is all about. “Watching the students realize what they did, how they designed something that’s not just in this fishbowl of a classroom,” Kinch said. “You could just tell it shook them in a good way, I think they saw the gravity of what they did, and that’s the home run right there.” The program is excited with the finished work of their 2016-17 project; however, the students are already planning out how to execute their current 2017-18 project. “We were going to make a motorized wheelchair, but the Perlman Center asked us to make an adaptive bicycle instead because that’s what the family wanted,” Kinch said. “The adaptive bicycle will be for a 5-year-old named Charles who has mobility issues with his legs, he has decreased strength in one side of his body more than the other and the team has to design a bicycle that the family can take and own.It’s going to be a heck of a project, but we’re gonna try to tackle that.” •

Hopewell junior design and modeling teacher Todd Hummer teaches his third period class the scientific method.

ENGINEERING AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL L

akota offers several opportunities in engineering for middle school students. One of those opportunities is the Technology Student Association (TSA) National Conference, where three teams from Lakota junior schools placed in the TSA National Conference this past summer. This school year, the middle schools plan on competing again. According to the Lakota Program of Studies for the Junior Schools, middle school students can take Design and Modeling in seventh grade and Automation-Robotics in eighth grade. Lakota Superintendent Matthew Miller believes that the engineering field is important. “It’s extremely important for middle school students to have opportunities and exposure to potential careers they want to explore,” Miller said. “Engineering is certainly one of the fields that should be attractive to students.” Hopewell Junior School (HJS) Design and Modeling teacher Todd Hummer plans on taking students to TSA competitions and to start at the state level. He leads Hopewell’s Engineering Club which will meet in the fall. At the 2017 TSA National Conference in Orlando, the Hopewell Junior team placed third in the Inventions and Innovations competition where students come up with an idea that fits a need in society, according to Hummer. The team of four seventh-graders created the Clean Cone, an ice cream cone with an edible, builtin drip catcher. Hummer said that the four students: Mary Barone, Carly Graham, Rachel

McGarvey and Sarah Renfro, began working in January and “continued to improve [the cone] all the way up to the time [they] left for Orlando in June.” Hummer said that the teams were sponsored by Butler Tech, with all the costs paid. This includes transportation and lodging costs. “They came up with the idea during a quick sketching exercise in class and decided they wanted to continue to develop it for the TSA State Competition,” Hummer said. “It was really cool to see how much fun the team had throughout the process. They would spend many days eating lunch in my room while working on the project.” One Liberty Junior team placed first in the Catapult Design competition which consists of designing and producing a working, adjustable catapult that can propel hollow plastic practice golf balls. The three students, Elijah Fidder, Dillon Lacey and Andrew Lewis also turned in a portfolio showing their designs and logs, according to the team’s adviser and Liberty Junior Design and Modeling teacher Brian Ruby. The other Liberty Junior team was an all female group with Courtney Lyden, Sarah Schnetzer and Megan Sheth that placed in eighth place. They participated in the Systems Control competition, creating a solution to a given industrial problem by programming a computer-controlled model that the judges would test. Advised by Ruby, the students built

Students at Hopewell Junior School and Liberty Junior School partake in engineering, with some students going above and beyond at state and national competitions. story and photography lina kaval a conveyor belt system that sorted materials using various motors and sensors, which “told the conveyor belt when to stop and sort the material into various bins.” Both Liberty Junior teams worked over several weeks, mostly during the Robotics Club meetings which took place after school, working towards the National Conference.

ccording to the TSA website, the National Conference is made up of “competitive events and challenging activities that foster personal growth and leadership development,” taking place earlier this year from June 21-25. In order to qualify for the National Conference, the teams first had to compete at the State Conference at Butler Tech’s D. Russel Lee Career-Technology Center on April 20. TSA Communications Manager Megan Honour said in a press release by the TSA that over 7,700 participants attended the 2017 National TSA conference, which was held in Orlando, Florida. The upcoming 2018 National TSA Conference will be held in Atlanta. “While we were on the bus to Orlando [for the National Conference], one of the kids found some purple hair dye on the bus seat,” Ruby said. “They wanted to dye my hair purple. I told them if they won a national championship, I would let them dye my mustache purple. They won and I let them dye my mustache purple. They are still talking about it.” •

November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 9

news | h.o.s.a

EAST H.O.S.A PLACES INTERNATIONALLY story rachel vogelsang | infographic lauren maier

East students placed internationally in medical sciences this past summer.

eing in the Future Health Professionals of America (HOSA), or Medical Club, means more than just attending meetings and buying a club shirt. The club’s members may meet on weekends on their own time to practice anything from taking blood pressure to analyzing a crime scene. Seniors Hannah Ackerman and Sofia Seppi have been looking at judge’s score sheets and studying Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) books and websites since they decided on what HOSA competition event they would be doing for the upcoming year. “After the regional competition our first year [competing], we found out that score sheets existed and that there were book sources,” said Seppi, who has been competing in a pair with Ackerman since their sophomore year. “We got those and studied every little word, practically memorizing them.” The HOSA club’s hard work paid off when many of the students involved placed internationally at this summer’s international competition in Orlando, Florida. East students who placed included East seniors Maddox Linneman, Chase Harris, Shamil Abdu and Haseeb Bakali and former East students Lexie Adams and Sam Pannek in Medical Innovation. Along with those students are Sara Lunsford and Jenna Duckworth in Forensic Medicine. In medical reading, junior Aly Hamilton placed with Ackerman and Seppi placing internationally in (CPR). While there are many different types of competitions at the regional, state and national levels, one program offered is Medical Innovation. The goal of the medical innovation competition is to analyze different types of technologies in health that relate to science, engineering, biotechnology, math and the delivery of health care. Another option is creating a new type of medical innovation.

The advisors for the Medical club include East Biomedical Sciences teacher Jim Williams and East Sports Medicine teacher Nikki Drew. Williams and Drew are the advisors of HOSA after an extension of Butler Tech to Lakota Local Schools. “It was brought to my attention that this was something that the school would benefit from,” Williams said. “One of the plusses of being a Butler Tech teacher is that it is not like a traditional club here and it gives them opportunities that they would not have other places. To prepare for the competition, Williams stated that people who are competing must construct a visual aid of the medical innovation that they created and analyzed. The competitors will be judged on their understanding of the value of the innovation they chose. They will also be judged upon how they present themselves during their seven minute speech and the two minute question time period. Bakali and Abdu were partners and they created a medical innovation through an app that they called “Eye Care.” They had worked last minute on this project, due to the fact that they did not know what kind of innovation they wanted to create. “It’s an app to help you when you use your phone a lot, and it tracks how much you use

your phone,” Bakali said. “A day before the [regional competition] we did the math for three hours and created the trifold with labels and got the demos.” After finally deciding on wanting to create “Eye Care” as their innovation, Bakali and Abdu quickly got to work on starting their project. For the national competition they created the app and also had their visual aid that helped them go with their speech. “We did our best, but we could have done better,” Abdu said. “When we placed, I was in shock and couldn’t believe it. I honestly thought that they messed up.”

longside of Bakali and Abdu, was East’s other team consisting of Linneman, Pannek, Harris and Adams. The students created an original medical innovation which was a cure for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. “We had to practice and memorize our speech,” Linneman said . “We also talked to a University of Cincinnati professor and a doctor talked to us about the flaws in our cure and we fixed it.” Their team all agreed that they wanted their project to be the best it could possibly be which is why they went to doctors and spent hours preparing for all of the competitions. Linneman was proud of all the hard work that

When we placed, I was in shock and couldn’t believe it. I honestly thought that they messed up and it was all a blur. -East senior Shamil Abdu

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h.o.s.a | news the team put in and its place at the competition solidified the team’s work. As part of the competition, the team had to present a speech on the subject and answer questions that were asked by judges. Their team ended up placing in fourth place internationally after two years in a row working on their project.

long with Medical Innovation and Forensic Medicine, Medical Club students also competed in Medical Reading. This was Hamilton’s first year competing in medical reading. This type of competition, to Hamilton, felt like she was “dipping her toes in the water.”. The purpose of competing in medical reading, according to Hamilton, is to improve the students’ reading and understanding of medical/special topics and to develop leadership skills. “[I was] definitely in shock and then I thought, ‘oh that’s my name, wow I did this,’”

Hamilton said. “‘I made it here and that’s my work with every step of the way.’” The last form of competition that Lakota East’s HOSA club competed in was Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/first aid which included Ackerman and Seppi. The purpose of CPR, according to the official website of HOSA, is to provide knowledge in first aid and basic life support. The competition includes two rounds, round one is a written, multiple choice and the top scoring competitors advance to round two with a written scenario and performance. “[Seppi] and I were looking through the list and for which type of competition was the easiest to teach ourselves,” said Ackerman. “The competitions were interesting and some competitions were just a test of your skill. When East’s’ medical club went down to Orlando their trip included pranks on their roommates, staying at the pool until two in the morning when the pool closes at midnight, and the cops showing up at Bakali and Abdu’s

H.O.S.A at East H.O.S.A stands for Health Occupations Students of America and aims to promote the medicine field at East. source hosa.org

doorstep because they left their phone open. Along with the competition, Hamilton’s favorite part of competing was spending time with everyone who was on the trip. The students spent a few days at Disney world relaxing and bonding as a group. “I became very close to everyone in the East Medical club,” Hamilton said. “It was a really good feeling.” According to Seppi, bonding included going to each other’s dorms late at night to study together and work on projects.The friendships formed over the summer have bled into the school year with memories still being shared at meetings as new and returning members alike choose events and get ready for competitions to begin. “I’m excited for all the new experiences and challenges the competitions this year will bring,” Seppi said. “We’re ready to work hard and hopefully make it to internationals in Dallas this year, especially since it’ll be my last time competing at East.” •

2015-16 school year

Epidemiology

2016-17 school year

Forensics

Clinical Nursing

Healthy lifestyle

Creative problem solving

2 total

12 total

One person competed in the medical math challenge each year.

The Medical Innovations grew from three competitors to nine competitors.

51 total

The total number of competitors went from 11 to 40. 6 total The CPR/ First Aid section doubled at East from two competitors the first year to four.

10 total In the 2016-2017 school year, one person competed in Epidemiology, one in healthy lifestyle, two in forensics, three in creative problem solving and three in clinical nursing. November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 11

news | candidates

ELECTION DAY HEAT

On November 7, Kelley Casper, Bradley Lovell, and Todd Parnell were elected to the Lakota Local School Board.

story julianne ford | photography jack mcfarland and julianne ford

wo new school board members and one incumbent were elected on Nov. 7 to the Lakota Local School Board. The candidate with the highest votes was long time Lakota volunteer Kelley Casper with 8,515 votes followed by former Creekside principal Bradley Lovell with 7,937. The third and final candidate elected was incumbent Todd Parnell with 7,367, barely beating incumbent Ray Murray by 226 votes. “It feels great [to win the election], it validates what we [the school board] have done for the past four years,” Parnell said. “The district is in great financial shape, we have some means to do the things that the community wants to see.” The three elected board members will serve a four year term and will start Jan. 1, 2018. The salary for the position is $125.00 per meeting. The two other members of the board Julie Shaffer and Lynda O’connor are up for reelection in 2019. The six Lakota Local School Board candidates attended two candidates nights on Oct. 18 and Oct. 24. The candidates are running for three open spots on the board, the two incumbent members include Murray and current vice president Parnell. The other four candidates running include: Jason Baldwin, Casper, Ernest Gause and Lovell. Residents in the Lakota districts had three votes on the ballots for the open spots. School board member O’Connor ran for West Chester trustee, if she was elected then the would board would have to vote on who would take the open seat. But O’connor fell to Ann Becker for the position. The Oct. 18 candidate night was hosted by the West Chester and Liberty Chamber Alliance. The moderator at the event was Thompson Hine partner Deborah Brenneman. The six candidates were welcomed by an audience of around 30 to 40 residents, teachers and faculty; including Lakota superintendent Matthew Miller. At the Oct. 24 candidate night the candidates were greeted by the East Spark student panel.

The Lakota Education Association (LEA) helped Spark with the venue and technical help. The panel included seniors Michael Croy, Julianne Ford and Lina Kaval along with junior Ruth Elendu and the moderator being East senior Richard Giang. The candidates answered a range of questions submitted by the audience throughout the Oct. 18 and questions written by the student journalists on the Spark panel Oct. 24. A few of the topics included the state report card, non-academic school barriers and a transgender policy scenario. A potential transgender policy was a key topic to Murray throughout his past term and now through his re-election campaign. On Oct. 25, 2016 former board president O’Connor and former acting superintendent Robb Vogelmann informed the district that no policy would be placed regarding transgender students. That has not stopped community members and administration from pushing for the policy. According to Parnell the district has administrative guidelines regarding transgender students but no formal policy. hen asked at the Chamber candidate night, “The board is tied two versus two, to allow male transgender student to use a female restroom. How would you vote?” All six candidates stated that they would say yes to allowing the student to use their preferred genders’ bathroom. Another topic brought up at the Chamber night had to do with non-academic barriers that students face throughout the school day. Former Marine Corps and foster parent Baldwin believes that the schools should become more active with their students plans. “The school needs to properly evaluate [these students] to see if there are any plans to be put forth whether it is an individual education plan (IEP) or a 504 to help them out and get them help in the classroom,” Baldwin said. “We can also look at hiring or having more interaction with guidance counselors so the students can have an outlet.” Stay-at-home mom and long time Lakota

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volunteer, Casper understands how stressful students high school careers can be. With both of her kids being East graduates, she understands the importance of reaching out to all students. “We do a good job in Lakota [with nonacademic barriers], but we can do better,” Casper said. “We can reach out to the community to get this help, which we have started to do. It is important that we empower the students. [Lakota participates in] Be The Difference which shows kids how to accept each other and for students to think more critically about their fellow students.” he candidates were also asked at the Chamber night about the recently published state report card. The question compared Lakotas results to nearby district Masons. Former Creekside principal and educator Lovell doesn’t want the district to be defined by the piece of paper. We have challenges we are facing in Lakota that Mason does not have to face,” Lovell said. “For me, for 14 years [in education], it is about the child’s journey and growth; which is not always accurately shown through the report card. We need to figure out what success looks like. We need to tell people what is the fantastic things, rather than one page.” The state report card has been changed multiple times throughout the past few years. Parnell believes that this had led the state report card to be flawed—to him, the most important grade is the progress that the students and district shows. Another question asked to the candidates at the Chamber night involved the gifted student program in Lakota. Businessman Gause believes the district needs to challenge the gifted students from a young age on. “You have to identify [the gifted students] early to keep them challenged,” Gause said. “This is why I like College Credit Plus (CCP), [it] creates this pathway for the students. We have to be innovative in the way we look at all of our students.”•

Check out the Spark live coverage on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/LakotaEastSpark

KELLEY CASPER Education: University of Cincinnati Occupation: Part-time Research data specialist for Retail Data Inc. Stance on having a transgender policy: Yes “It is important that we empower the students. We do Be The Difference which shows kids how to accept each other and for students to think more critically about their fellow students.”

BRAD LOVELL Education: Miami University and Wright State University Occupation: Crossroads church leading local and global partnerships. Stance on having a transgender policy: Yes “Every child matters- we have to look at every child. It is not only understanding how they learn and what teachers need to do, but it’s also how we can layer our offers to them.”

TODD PARNELL Education: DePaul University and The Ohio State University Occupation: Division president- Midwest and Eastern Operations at Activate/ Displayworks Stance on having a transgender policy: Yes “Community at large—we have the best students, no matter the race, religion, culture— we are embracing and respecting each other.” November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 13

Letters Mike and Sally Barker wrote to each other during the Cold War.

BARKER BOOT story caroline bumgarner photography lexy harrison art charis williams

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Between contributing to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization during the Cold War and launching the first attack of what became the Persian Gulf War, veteran Mike Barker had an exciting Air Force career.

veterans | feature

CAMP HIGHLIGHTING THE

VETS

n war formations consisting of four to eight aircrafts, B-52 Bombers took off from the Straits of Gibraltar in February 1991, cruising over the Egyptian pyramids and Sinai Peninsula; gliding up Saudi Arabia and into Kuwait and Iraq to drop non-nuclear bombs. The planes had to refuel mid-air, transferring 60 thousand pounds of fuel without room to leave their seats or relax over the 20 hour flights. At the beginning of his senior year of high school in 1984, Mike Barker enlisted in the United States (U.S.) Air Force and went into a delayed entry program which allowed him to complete his final year of high school. “Basic training was really easy for the air force—it was only six weeks,” says Barker. “Every 18-year-old can run a mile and a half, and if you can do 30 sit ups and 30 push ups, it’s not so hard.” Barker expected to be an air traffic controller, but in January 1985 he accepted the position of a B-52 aerial gunner which put him in charge of shooting down opposing airplanes as they approached his aircraft. Being apart of a nuclear aircraft was not a common job, however, Barker says he knew what he truly wanted to do in life—which was to fly. “As all the other recruits were being herded off, they were still under the control of all their sergeants and [the training area] became empty,” says Barker. “I was the only one left and I thought, ‘well, what am I supposed to do?’ The training instructor [then told] me, ‘Well you’re in the real air force now. [If] you’re going to go to Florida, get yourself there.’” Barker’s intensive training lasted just under a year, which was offered to him because of his specific job title, because of all the components it entailed such as land, water and resistance training as well as seven months of flight training. There’s a plethora of possible situations that he had to be prepared for because of his specific position. For example, if his plane were to be shot down while over water, he would have to know how to survive or if he were to be captured by an enemy he would know how react. Barker trained in five different states, each for different duties to complete his prerequisites to becoming an aerial gunner. Barker’s final destination was Barksdale Air Force Base where he was stationed for the six years that he was in the military. Here he met his lifelong friend Mike Collins, who was also a B-52 aerial gunner. “It was difficult for them to keep [Barker and I] on base because we were enlisted fliers which meant we had to have our own room [off base] due to crew rest,” says Collins. “We had to have rest before we flew because sometimes we would fly at odd hours so they gave us money to live off base.” Barker traveled to England for six to seven weeks at a time to help support the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s nuclear deterrence during the Cold War. He was apart of what is called the nuclear triad which consists of bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles and sea launch ballistic missiles. Even during one of the most high tension wars in American history, he was able to have a “memorable experience” in Gloucestershire, England where he met his wife Sally. “He was over at an air force base near where I lived and he happened to be at the same place where I was and we met at a [party],” says Sally. “He came over and asked me to dance, then we exchanged phone numbers and he contacted me the next day.” As the Cold War came to an end, a new threat arose in the Middle East. In September 1990, Barker was assigned to

November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 15

feature | veterans

He was basically fully trained. He voluntarily went into the military so when Desert Storm came about, they were prepared. He knew what he had to do. -Sally Barker

a secret mission in support of “Desert Shield.” This was as a precaution to the fact that Saddam Hussein would invade Saudi Arabia. “He was basically fully trained,” says Sally. “He voluntarily went into the military so when Desert Storm came about, they were prepared. He knew what he had to do.” n January 16, 1991 Mike and his crew were among the seven B-52 bombers to fly into Iraq and initiate Desert Shield which would later turn into Desert Storm. It was a direct flight from Barksdale Air Force base into Iraq and back to Barksdale. After dropping the bombs, Mike, along with his fellow crew mates thought the mission was over, however, shortly after, the first Persian War ensued, lasting seven months. “It was a 37 hour mission that flew into northern Iraq and ployed 37 air launch cruise missiles and that’s what took out the eyes and sights of Iraq on the first night of the war,” says Mike. “Then we came home and we thought that was it.” When the 20 hour flights were not enough to get the job done, Mike was temporarily deployed to Moron, Spain. From there, he flew into Iraq and dropped iron bombs. In order to stay in contact with her husband, Sally utilized letters as her main form of communication with her husband. “Honestly, I got a lot of my information from the base,” says Sally. “Just about anything general I needed to know I could go on [Barksdale Air Force] base and find that information out. But if he wanted to personally contact me, it was [through] letters and phone calls.” The base was an area for anyone who had connections with military

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personnel to go and socialize, buy groceries and visit friends and family. However, on one occasion, Mike’s aircraft navigator was able to contact Sally through his radio to tell her that Mike was okay and to spread the word. Even though the air force is a strict profession, there were still shenanigans at Barksdale Air Force Base. While on alert, the aircraft crews had to live on their fully armed planes for seven days straight, giving the men who weren’t on alert several opportunities to plan different pranks. “Your whole crew would get together and you’d set up somebody’s bedroom in the parking lot or the rec room area,” says Mike’s fellow squadron member Mike Collins. “There were also shaving cream grenades where you would take a can of shaving cream, poke a hole in it, throw it in someone’s room and close the door [before] it exploded.” After he set aside all of the good times and valuable memories, it was time to decide if this would be the career path Mike would pursue by returning to school and becoming a commissioned officer. In 1991 however, Defence Secretary Dick Cheney cut the budget in 1991 which would cut 38 thousand people from the armed services. The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army received the most active forces cuts, resulting in the lowest levels in forty years. The goal to gain commission while serving had depleted, therefore a new chapter in his and Sally’s life quickly approached. “It was explained to me when they got rid of the gunner position that there was no chance in me getting a commission,” says Mike. “So all those hopes were kind of gone, and my wife and I decided that one war was enough. We had done our service and it was probably better to raise a family apart from the military so that’s why we left.”•

Contact Nicole Grice Ngrice@masonumc.org for information, events, and times

feature | veterans From left to right: The sign for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) organization outside of the building. Don Carter at his monthly VFW meeting. Badges Donald Carter was awarded during the Vietnam War.

OPERATION POST T

he scorching Vietnam sun shone on the soldier’s helmets perched aloofly on his head. The terrain of the rice paddies crumbled beneath the soles of his boots. With pounds of materials and tools in his backpack, the soldier couldn’t bare to take another step and trudge. Yet, he continued to persist. Sweat dribbled down the contour of his face as he finished patrolling his area. The soldiers in his infantry all had anxiety scribbled on their faces. Some tried to mask it with bravery but deep down, they all knew of the possible endings. After being Indochina 1965 stationed in Da Nang, Vietnam near the end of the Tet Offensive in 1968, the 18-yearold marine corps Laos soldier Donald North Vietnam “Don” Carter had no idea of how far his pride and patriotic zeal could take him overseas. One year prior to this, Dave Smith joined as an eager Cambodia young man who had had a dream of being a lieutenant since he was a boy. South Vietnam With only 11 months total of being in the service,

18 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

Vietnam War veterans Donald Carter and Dave Smith are proud of what they have accomplished and experienced overseas with the marines and armed forces.

Carter says that his senses “quickly adapted to the bullets piercing past him and the screeches of frightened humans. The screams and hollers, and the mutilations of other human bodies” imprinted his mind. The turmoil of never being able to expect the events of each day was the norm. It was the war itself that led to vastly different experiences like becoming a part of the United States (U.S.) Marine Corps or planning a crucial operation. What each veteran did specifically during the war may change from person to person but one thing is clear: a soldier never forgets about war. Angsty memories of being an adolescent soldier creep into his mind decades later, even while residing in quiet West Chester, Ohio. With the memories remaining by his side, they continue to imprint on him even today. Years later, outside the small unassuming house on CincinnatiDayton, the parking lot is packed with cars, despite the fact that it’s seven thirty on a weekday. Inside, men of all ages, shapes and sizes joke and laugh inside a renovated house. There are banners hanging everywhere and an official desk set up at the front of the room. No ordinary gathering, these are the West Chester and Liberty Township Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). Right now in the comfort of their meeting, surrounded by friends, they share lighthearted stories, but one thing they can never forget is that they have far more harrowing to tell.

ietnam War veterans Carter and Smith are two such members of the VFW, and they are grateful for the experience that they had overseas. These men would never consider changing their past in the U.S. Armed Forces because of how it developed them into who they are today. Of the 289 East students surveyed, 41 percent said that they were aware of the organization. The goal of VFW is “to represent VFW and

veterans | feature

VIETNAM story sidney li and vivian kolks photography lexy harrison and richard giang art mckenna lewis and alexandra fernholz

how it supports the community they live in,” according to VFW Post 7696’s website. After his first tour of Vietnam, Smith attended an Officers Advanced Course (OAC), a school for officer training that he graduated from in 1971. He originally believed that he was not eligible to head directly back to Vietnam; however, he was surprised to find out at his graduation ceremony that not only was he once again stationed in Vietnam, he only had 24 hours to get there. Jet-lagged after a 20 hour flight in a cramped airplane seat, it was two in the morning when Smith arrived back in Vietnam, still unsure of exactly where he was going to be stationed and what he was there to do.

captain at the time, Smith and his fellow soldier were met by an officer driving his own car which at the time was extremely unusual. According to Smith, officers don’t normally drive their own cars. Smith and his friend were then escorted to the headquarters of lieutenant-general James Sutherland Jr. “[When] we walked [into the headquarters], there were military police saluting there with loaded weapons,” Smith says. “They let us into the general’s office and there was general Sutherland himself.” The general told Smith and his friend that whatever they talked about was top secret. There were only four people at the time who knew why they were there and what they were to do. There would be an invasion of Laos, according to the general. Thousands of men and tons of heavy weaponry were going to be involved in destroying a military support depot in Tchepone, a village between Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnamese-Laos border. The goal was to reach Tchepone and destroy the supplies there. Their mission would be to write the operation’s order. They would have four months to plan, after which they would have to present their ideas in front of both General Sutherland and Hoàng Xuân Lãm, a South Vietnamese general coordinating with the U.S. Army.

Then, if their plan was approved, they would have another four months to implement it. Knowing that the two men were curious to know how they had been chosen, the general went on to explain that while the two officers were in OAC, Smith and his friend had developed a solution to organizing a large scale operation that had beat the school’s purposed solution. “I’m 27-years-old, I’m writing the operation’s order for 10,000 plus men to go across the border and invade a foreign country,” says Smith. “Four months seems like an Indochina 2017 awful long time [and] it truly was.” When the time came Vietnam to present it to general Sutherland, Smith and his partner had divided Laos their presentation up into alternating parts, leaving Smith the conclusion. The general thought it was a wonderful plan, telling the two men that they had developed a brand new military operation that nobody would have expected. Cambodia Over the next four months, Smith worked in 12 hour shifts in order to complete the project on time. Despite strenuous efforts, he showed up early every time in order to keep the momentum going.

November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 19

feature | veterans

Mike Barker (far right) and fellow VFW members (from left to right) Dave Smith, Don Carter and Tom McGill standing beside the organization’s sign.

Dave Smith in his military cap speaking on his past experiences.

HIGHLIGHTING

When he wasn’t planning, he would try to sleep—but ‘alright, let’s go to an award ceremony.’” And Smith found it incredibly hard after the stresses of planning . soon got his medal. THE “[At the time I thought,] ‘what could I have done Beyond his experiences as a veteran, Smith says to save some more lives, should I have gone another that he proposed to his wife after a romantic desert hot route?’” says Smith. “All of this is going through your air balloon ride, the skittering of rats big as cats on a mind for four months.” tin roof in Vietnam, the storm with 60 foot waves he After making it to Tchepone, Smith says that they eliminated a vast witnessed crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a cruise ship. But he also shared amount of the supplies as they saved lives too. The stress was so excessive his pride in his community, the joy he derives from seeing the patriotism that at the end of the operation, after eight months of planning and all around him. preparing the operation, Smith had lost 40 pounds. He was given 30 One such instance was a Veteran’s Day celebration held at a local days leave and told to “fatten up.” elementary school. Smith has been attending these for five years but the Unfortunately, the operation was badly received by the press, “as most first year, he had something very special to say to the students assembled things were with Vietnam at the time.” Smith spent time afterwards there. writing a news article that told the true story of the operation, in hopes “What you young people don’t realize is that you are our future— of improving the public’s opinion. now that may put a lot of strain on you, but don’t let it be,” says Smith. “Right now our country isn’t in great shape, but spread the word and espite the initial negative reaction to the operation, Smith still keep that patriotic flow in your veins.” remembers the Tchepone operation as “the highlight of my Then, with pride, he called the color guard to attention and they career [and] one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done in saluted the elementary school students, according to Smith, bringing my life.” even the principal was brought to tears. This dedication and pride of While in still Vietnam, Smith was awarded a Bronze Star for a his accomplishments shows in whatever Smith is does. For example, one combination of his actions during his first tour through Vietnam and Memorial Day, Smith was marching with the rest of the VFW when he his operation planning work and a Hero’s Medal from the Vietnamese began to suffer a kidney stone. for saving the life of his North Vietnamese counterpart, a colonel whose After his years of service, Smith went on to receive a Bachelor of helicopter was shot down over Laos. Business Administration in accounting and information services Having heard the colonel radio his position when the crash occurred, from North Texas State University in 1975 and a Master of Business Smith commandeered a medivac helicopter, used for evacuating troops, Administration in economics in 1977. He worked as an air traffic and flew with the pilot out to the crash site. When the colonel was controller for an airport, a financial analyst and a highly successful unable to get into the helicopter, Smith jumped out and helped him in, salesman for General Electric. unintentionally defying direct orders from the Pentagon which forbade Now at 73-years-old, Smith’s life remains just as exciting and busy American boots on the ground in Laos. Unfortunately for Smith, the as it has always been. He fights the good fight with his stubborn, three helicopter pilot reported his actions. hundred pound lawnmower and works at Ace’s Hardware with his wife, The next day, Smith was once again called into general Sutherland’s doing what he does best—helping people. The work is fulfilling, simply office, where he found the man contemplating two sets of papers, one because he is helping people find what they need. that was calling for Smith’s court martial and the other that was from Unlike Smith, the flip of a coin altered Carter’s life in terms of the armed General Lãm, requesting that Smith be rewarded a Hero’s Medal for forces. At the time, 17—almost 18-years-old—Carter was preparing for saving his Chief Strategy Officer. the short term enlistment opportunity that was approaching. He decided “The general asked me ‘now what do you think I should do?’” Smith to join the U.S. Marines before the draft was initiated. So Carter and his says. “ I said, I want to go with the latter one. And the general said, high school friend both flipped a coin that decided their futures of which

VETS

20 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

“

veterans | feature

I used to not be able to bring up the whole topic of the war and my part of it without breaking down in tears. But through therapy, my other soldier friends, the VFW organization and my family, I have been able to recuperate and find my voice. -VFW Member Donald Carter

branch of the military to go into. His friend wanted to go into the marines, while Carter wanted to join the navy. However, the flipped coin favored Carter’s friend so they enlisted into the marines together. Before they knew it, they were both set to deploy for marine training. “It was funny because when we were both in high school, our geography teacher told us something that we all didn’t believe and shrugged off,” says Carter. “He said that Indochina, which is Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos today would have 90 percent of our male graduating class fighting on their land. Little did we know that he was right.”

arter and his high school male classmates were student athletes “playing football, basketball, baseball and boxed all the time.” However, as soon as they were training, they soon came to realize that they underestimated their physical abilities. “We were used to fighting and getting hurt all the time. We weren’t afraid of anything. But in terms of being in shape, we quickly found out that we were definitely not in shape [for this kind of ] training,” says Carter. “We didn’t even know what it was but in essence, it’s breaking down and conditioning our mind and bodies for the upcoming war we were about to experience.” The 10 week, arduous boot camp set various high struggles for both Carter and his friends as they were put to the test mentally, physically and emotionally. The extended time that Carter spent away from his family prepared him for the future months that he spent overseas. Once Carter was deployed to Vietnam, he was in awe of the fortitude of the people there. With huts, dirt roads and no clean hygienic utilities, Carter says that “even the people who are considered ‘poor’ in the U.S. are living better off than the Vietnamese thousands of miles away.” When Carter was exploring the foreign area, he soon came to realize that the treatment of everything in the U.S. was much better than what some of the people in Vietnam had. With the “war, debt, devastation and worry” instilled on them from their government, Carter was in awe of how culturally different a country could be. “Some of the soldiers took in some of the children from the village in order to help them out,” says Carter. “Whether it was to have them do some of our laundry in exchange for money or just for us to create relationships—especially since we couldn’t do it with our own friends and families.”

Even though he comes from a family of eight siblings and a strenuous childhood, Carter has found himself engulfed with the positivities that his life has given him. Now he has five children whom he teaches lessons to about gratefulness that he learned from the Vietnam War. “I used to not be able to bring up the whole topic of the war and my part of it without breaking down in tears,” says Carter. “But through therapy, my other soldier friends, the VFW organization and my family, I have been able to recuperate and find my voice.” One of Carter’s daughters is in the army, while one of his other daughters Kelsey Carter is at The Ohio State University studying to be a neurosurgeon. If Kelsey were called to service, she would “absolutely serve as a military doctor. My dad has shown me that all humans bleed, no matter which side [they fight for.]” Through the various anecdotes that Don told his children, they were able to get a grasp of the hardships that their father experienced overseas. Even though they weren’t able to be empathetic to the situation, they were compassionate to the memories of Don. “[His] dedication [to improving his life] and putting others before himself has been the foundation of [our] connection, [which is] parallel to veteran values,” says Kelsey. “I’ve always respected [military] service as an honorable and selfless act. War [and] conflict can be a state that doesn’t always end when returning to civilian life. It’s important to humanize veterans and realize that health isn’t just physical.”

hen Don came back from Vietnam, he wasn’t greeted with the ticker tape parades or any recognition for his service from anyone. Instead, there was disgust and disrespect towards him and his fellow soldiers from American civilians. “It didn’t hit me until I personally came back to the U.S. that people viewed and had this [negative] stigma against soldiers,” says Don. “People who didn’t serve time overseas or had any idea of what you went through were viewing you as animals below them. That was definitely one of the hardest parts of the war.” Through speaking about his experiences, open conversations and spreading awareness, Don hopes that he can help with destigmatizing war veterans from Americans’ views as he doesn’t “want any other soldiers nowadays to go through what I and even hundreds, maybe thousands, of veterans did in the past.” ...continue reading on page 75

November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 21

feature | veterans

shaped by the seas World War II veteran Byron Sales relates lessons to his loved ones as his presence brightens the room. story megan finke photography lexy harrison

leeping in hammocks, eating canned food, listening to strict commands and watching movies on nearby ships was his everyday routine for a year and a half. While serving in the United States (U.S.) Navy during World War II, he was taught valuable lessons such as the importance of working hard and the ability to adapt to unexpected surroundings. The knowledge he gained from his experiences is passed onto people around him, the people whom he loves. When 95-year-old Byron Sales was a child, he found his interest in the U.S. Navy by becoming a Sea Scout, which is led by the Coast Guard to provide a pre-navy experience including things like wearing uniforms and learning commands. He also realized he didn’t want to be in the army after Pearl Harbor took place so he decided the navy was right for him. From the moment Sales was enlisted in January of 1945, his unique experiences were profoundly memorable but not without defect. His first few days on the job consisted of the stereotypes his predecessors warned him of, including invasive physicals, immense travelling and lack of sleep. “My first day was terrible,” says Sales. “When I went to New York I had a physical and they did [it] all in one night. It was 10 o’clock [and] they [were] busy checking teeth, checking your heart, [and other] things and I just couldn’t understand why they [were doing ]all of this.”

World War II veteran Byron Sales in front of a global map. After his check-up was complete, Sales embarked on his journey to and through boot camp where he walked miles in the cold and rode dilapidated buses for hours. When he thought he had a chance to get rest on the ship he was assigned to, he and his mates were deceived. “We were tired and they [his superiors] said, ‘all right you guys can go to your quarters and go to bed.’ Little did I know that I [was] going to sleep in a hammock,” says Sales. “Through the night I’m holding on and I’m not getting any sleep. Some [people were even] falling out of the hammocks.”

ales was later placed on a boat called the Road to Murmansk where he and his crewmates travelled on a draconian journey to protect supply ships while sailing through the Arctic Circle and Norwegian sea. The men then spent two to three days fulfilling their duties as well as risking their lives on the rough Atlantic Ocean. Throughout the war, Byron stayed in touch with his family by the use of v-mail which was a system in which his parents could write to him but he was limited in his responses back. He could not give away his location or say what he was doing. Later on, his return from war was more urgent than he anticipated. “One of the hardest parts of my life was when my mother died when I was in the war and [my

22 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

family] tried to get me [to come home],” says Sales. “They [shipped] me [home] and it was a five day trip. I couldn’t wait to return, but I missed her funeral. I was afraid my father would be angry at me because he loved his wife, but he embraced me and said [just] the fact that I tried to get to my mother was good enough.” When Sales returned to the U.S., he didn’t receive a warm embrace from the nation like he did from his father. The comparison between the excitement and the acrimony of return affected many of the homecoming soldiers. “People were very very angry at sailors because they had a lot of money,” says Sales. “The [sailors’] salaries accumulated because you can’t spend it while [at] sea besides all of your cosmetics.” After the war came to an end, Byron took time off to figure out what he wanted to do as a career, but after a while he realized that something needed to be done for the veterans who were hurt physically, mentally and emotionally by foreign wars. “I wanted to join the veteran’s organization because many men were coming back,” says Sales. “[I knew] a lot had to be done for these disabled veterans because there were so many, so I joined.” Through all the lessons he learned on and off the ship, it shaped who he is today, including his involvement in the Veterans of Foreign Wars Organization (VFW). Former B-52 bomber in the Desert Storm and fellow VFW member

veterans | feature

I wanted to join the veteran’s organization because many men were coming back. [I knew] a lot had to be done for these disabled veterans because there were so many, so I joined. - Byron Sales, World War II veteran and member of the VFW Mike Barker has become a close friend to Sales through his participation in the organization. The are always there for one another, whether it be over a friendly discussion at a VFW meeting or in a difficult situation that could determine a path that went against things they believed in.

ales has been a member of the VFW for over 20 years and has been making a positive impact ever since. Not only does he feel he had a purpose to join, but also enjoys helping his fellow veterans. “He is a pretty good guy and as far as leadership at our post [goes], he always likes to make sure that I don’t change who I am for the organization,” says Barker. “And to not change my personality for anyone else.” East senior Lindsay Schmidt met Sales at a video recording session held at East to talk to

HIGHLIGHTING THE

VETS numerous veterans who took part in the VFW and hear about their their stories and experiences. Schmidt says that Sales inspired her in the short amount of time that they had a chance to talk, but also learned things about him in the process. “Talking to Byron was honestly such an amazing experience. He was so sweet and offered so much input, not just on war, but on life,” says Schmidt. “It was like talking to your grandpa about the war and about what life [back then] was like.” Sales’ personality and ability to let people into his life provides many opportunities for someone to get to know him, including

Schmidt who had the opportunity to learn many unforgettable lessons. “He is such an inspiring man for all of his service and how well he is doing now,” says Schmidt. “His biggest piece of advice to me was that you have to go after your dreams and aspirations in life, they won’t just be handed to you or come easily. So take every opportunity you can and enjoy what you do.”

erving for the U.S. Navy not only gave Sales a memorable experience for the good and the bad, but let him be apart of the VFW where he is today and provide him with lessons to pass on to the people he loves. “I mean there are so many more [lessons from him],” says Barker. “What can you not learn from a 95-year-old guy?” •

Co-VFW members, from left to right, Tom McGill, Byron Sales, Dave Smith, Mike Barker and Don Carter.

ReACHING OUT

feature | personal narrative

story noor ghuniem photography used with permission infographic michael croy

An experience of a lifetime, I interacted and met a community of underprivileged citizens who still saw the light in a dark world.

ust when I think I’ve seen the worst of the world, it’s clear I haven’t. I spent the summer of 2017 in Jordan and relied solely on my subpar knowledge of Arabic throughout a multitude of dispersed Syrian Refugee Camps. I met new people everyday and was cultured with things I will never forget. I learned perspectives on life that I would have never found on my own. After this mission, I truly understood what it meant to have the experience of a lifetime, an experience I wouldn’t trade away for the world. The goal of the Atlantic Humanitarian Relief Group (AHR), an organization founded in 2012, mission trip was to provide medical relief and support services that address both the physical and emotional impacts on the refugees. They work to deliver health care services, humanitarian aid and sustainable development projects in support of the injured and vulnerable. The group makes the trip multiple times a year and works avidly to bring as many supplies as possible to help aid those in need. “I have been on multiple of these trips, and I can still never fully comprehend how these people get through what they have been through,” says 22-year-old Omr Zahrieh who is studying neural cells in Switzerland and making his way through medical school at the University of Jordan. “It definitely makes me very thankful for everything I have.” My first day was in a small little village in Jordan, filled with tents and refugees. While more than 85,000 syrian refugees are currently living in the Zaatari Camp, only 13 percent are found there, according to Aljazeera, a Middle East news coverage company. There are still over 600,000 refugees scattered across Jordan, and the majority are living in random camps. Our bus was full of chatter and laughter, until we actually reached the camp. The bus went silent as we saw people living in an environment of sand and dust flying all around, in tents and makeshift tin houses that look like they could fall over at any moment. When we got off the bus, a team of photographers took polaroid pictures of the children. This simple action brought all

24 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

the adolescents great pleasure, and slightly lifted the dull spirit in the environment. “It truly is an incredible sight and feeling to see something that is so normal to us make them [that] happy,” says 18-year-old Majed Majood from the AHR media department. “I would have bought them all the Polaroids in the world if I could, it’s the least they deserve.” I distributed notebooks and pencils with the rest of the humanitarian team. We brought a large supply to the camp, over 14 suitcases filled with medication, toys and educational supplies, but amazingly, all the supplies ran out in less than five minutes. It was amazing how the substantial amount of supplies ran out in the small camp. Some children were more than willing to run and take all the supplies they wanted, but the ones who really touched my heart were those who shied to the back, and didn’t come forth at all. I saw one girl who sat alone and looked too scared to come up and take toys, and by the time I noticed, all the supplies we had brought were already distributed. I walked up to the little girl and gave her hair clips, hand sanitizer and a pink water bottle out of my backpack. If I could have given her more, I would have, because the expression of gratitude and the gracious hug she gave me afterwards was priceless.

nfortunately, most of the supplies donated and collected by large organizations such as United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and Save the Children go straight to the Zaatari Camp. The smaller camps are taken care of by government sources throughout Jordan, since there is a scarce amount of food supply, water and clothing. However, some are often neglected by what can be seen when actually going to the camps. Although Jordanian representatives want to provide the citizens with refuge, they do not want them to become so comfortable and forget about their homes. They want them to carry the hope that they may return, and making Jordan their new home makes them forget about their old one.

personal narrative | feature

TO REFUGEES

One of several Jordan refugee camps the Atlantic Humanitarian Relief Group (AHR) visited this past summer.

However, this does not justify their poverty. I set my backpack down for a moment, with four water bottles in it. When I came back, they were all gone. The children begged me for water, even after I had none left. It was a problem.

ventually, I friended a group of teenagers who showed me a strawberry farm that stretched for miles. It’s where they worked in order to be able to live on the camp. Of course seeing the camp was one eye opener, but meeting these refugees and learning about their lives was something I will never forget. They laughed about everything, and asked me so many questions about my own life, marveling rather than becoming irritated as I probably would have if the roles were reversed. The summer heat during the trip was blazing beyond belief and I found myself often becoming faint. The refugees worked for hours in the 110 degree weather, with no entertainment other than each other. They went through the greatest hardships in life, and were still able to find the best in their situation. I met a woman, who gave birth to her child with no medical care whatsoever in a tent, no bigger the forty-nine square feet in area. Still, she saw the best in her situation—she had a child. Their battle has proceeded to be a warzone that hasn’t let up for over six years. It has claimed the lives of over a quarter of a million people according to British Broadcasting Corporation. Some have severely injured by the war and have lost their homes as well as family members. The war summarized in short is the forces loyal to the President Bashar al-Assad, who is considered a tyrant ruler, and the rebels that oppose him. Over time both sides split into more sectors, and war broke out. Those who were not fighting, were the innocent casualties, who were displaced from their homes and now live as refugees. According to Mercy Corps, Half the country’s pre-war population—more than 11 million people—have been killed or forced to flee their homes.

“We have each other. I have all my siblings, and my friends, and that all helps,” says an anonymous 16-year-old refugee. “We really can express nothing but gratefulness to everyone who tries to help us.” Here, stood in front of them, this privileged group of Americans and they could not have been any kinder. Once when I had sat on the ground after becoming incredibly dizzy from the heat, and one girl ran to grab me a chair, meanwhile proceeding to sit on the ground herself. The people of this camps had seen the worst in life, where they know I have not seen a fraction of that hardship. Their selflessness was truly inspiring.

learned that the boys had a school on the camp, but the girls were not allowed to attend. Human Rights Watch reported in 2016 that more than one-third of school-aged Syrian children—over 80,000 out of 226,000 children—registered with the United Nations refugee agency in Jordan, were not in formal education during the previous year. Still, if this bothered them, they did not show it and the unfair condition did not impact their hospitality. They invited me into their tin home which was about half the size of the average classroom at East and made me tea with the already minimal amount of water they had. But still, with the heat and impoverished conditions, I witnessed nothing but smiles and laughter all around me. The only sadness they displayed was when we had to leave and a group of children came to me, asking me to return the following week for a wedding they were having on the camp. Another day, I spent at a very small school. Jordan’s Ministry of Education, with support from UNICEF, began a new back-to-school campaign in 2017, targeting all Syrian children registered in the country between the ages of 6 and 18. The campaign, implemented by Save the Children, aimed to provide 300,000 students, parents and community members with information on education as well as assistance with referral services across Jordan, including in Syrian refugee camps.

November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 25

feature | personal narrative

owever, the program is far from being perfected. With the lack of people able to teach, I was thrown into a room by myself and was told to teach the class with no directions, no lesson plan and a class of 32 children—all refugees under the age of 10. As I handed out the notebooks and pencils I was provided with, I could see the childrens’ faces lighting up. We began with the English alphabet, and another pang of resentment for the amount of privilege we receive in the United States hit me. “They seemed eager to learn, which kind of opened my own eyes,” says East alum Omar Zayed who was able to teach his own class as well. “I feel like I’ve grown up resenting education, but they were so happy just to have me teach them a word, and how to spell it.” I have never seen children so overjoyed to learn and thankful for us to teach. They would run up to me after they finished the activities I gave them, show me their work and become incredibly delighted when I would simply say, “this is amazing work.” Together, we went over the alphabet, the days of the week, and basic colors. As I was leaving, they all begged me to promise that I would return the next day, which I knew I couldn’t do. My heart broke as many of them cried as the children lined up to hug me—and with that, I had to leave. The Zaatari camp is the largest Syrian Refugee Camp in the world according to UNICEF, a temporary home to over 85,000 refugees residing in tin homes and tents. The camp is well separated away from the rest of civilization and surrounded by guards along with barbed wire fences. I worked in the UNICEF tents with children on the camp. Assisting the humanitarian team, we played together with kids, giving them an opportunity to get a sense of what it’s like to be an average kid who has fun and doesn’t have to worry about the family members they saw left for dead on the ground or the home they lost to a missile strike. ... continue reading on page 75

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The country of Jordan has dedicated time, money and effort to the refugee-saving cause.

Population:

10.25 million people

Industry:

Clothing

Fertilizer

Phosphate Mining

personal narrative | feature

AHR volunteers interacting with Syrian children refugees in one of the visited camps.

Refugee Camp Locations:

Rukban

The Zaatari camp is the largest refugee camp in Jordan with over 85,000 refugees living within its boundaries.

Hadallat Zaatari

Marjeeb Al Fhood Azraq

The strawberry farm right outside of the Zaatari camp is a popular place of employment for those living inside the camp.

There are several other large refugee camps spread across Jordan however none are as big as Zaatari. source cia.gov, atlantichumanitarianreliefgroup.com November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 27

feature | hawk spotlight Every issue, the Spark asks one student from each grade questions relating to feature stories in the issue.

hawks ON Do you know a veteran? My great grandpa who just passed away was a World War II veteran. How did he impact your life?

He was always a role model, he had a really good sense of humor he was always upbeat and I Always wanted to be like him so he inspired me that way. Do you know a lot about veterans in our community? I don’t know a lot about them in our community but I do know a couple in my family. Do you know what the VFW is? I do not.

NATALIE NIEMANN Do you know any veterans?

Yes, my grandpa is one. I think he was in the Korean War? I’m not sure. Do you know what he did, exactly? He was a cook.

Is he in any veteran organizations at all? No, he’s not.

Are you aware of the VFW organization? No I am not.

49% of 113 East Spark Twitter followers

do not believe East teaches a sufficient amount on U.S. wars and the veterans who fought in them. 28 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

Do you think east teaches enough about wars and veterans? I think they teach a lot about war but some of the novels we read in like english like the things they carried shows us what they go through and it helps us understand it but we don’t understand it from actually talking as much as we should.

NICholas EDDY

VETERANS

hawk spotlight | feature interviews lexy harrison and megan finke photography lexy harrison and meredith niemann

Do you know any veterans? Yeah I do. How do you know him or her?

I have a couple who are now deceased and another few that are still in my family right now who were in the Vietnam War and another war I do not remember. They have a lot of history with serving. What did they do?

My grandfather was a doctor. He helped out a lot of patients and a lot of people who were dying. He was a nature doctor. He was a DO. I also had another family member who died in a plane crash.

MADDY RIORDAN Do you know a veteran?

I have, we talked about it in government class year. Do you know anybody in the organization?

Yes. How are you related to him or her? My uncle is a veteran. How does your uncle impact your life?

He’s a good leader and he is really funny and he is a very positive person. Do you know a lot about the veterans in the community? Not too much. I don’t know a lot of veterans that live around here Do you know what the VFW is? No.

There is an organization called the VFW, have you heard of it?

Do you have any idea of what you think it is? Something, no not really. Do you think East teaches enough about wars and veterans in our community? I think they talk about the facts of war and stuff but they don’t talk about the actual people and how it affects them.

No I don’t know anybody in it, we just studied it in class. I wish I did though.

HANNAH KEATING

package | the divide

THE

DIVI DE Americans are divided on topics, such as science, race, education, religion, sports and reality. story sidney li | photo illustration richard giang | infographic michael croy | art mckenna lewis

nstagram feeds are occupied with fact posts on how much time millennials spent on the internet. Snapchat stories are posted with racial slurs. Twitter timelines are saturated with religious distaste amongst users. Tumblr blogs are shared about high school dropouts being failures. Facebook posts are pinned on profiles with science being trumped by traditional views. For East senior Alex Lemen, she is constantly bombarded with disparity and arguments amongst peers—no matter the topic and platform. East’s main campus students participated in East’s presentation of social media safety on October 17, 2017. Sophomores, juniors and seniors were informed of the legal and academic consequences of their actions online. “That presentation made me realize that I see about a couple of posts or tweets a day that are against certain people or groups in disgust and disdain,” Lemen says. “It’s sometimes is tough realizing that these people are the ones that I sit in a classroom with or talk to in lunch on a dayto-day basis.” Creating an account on Instagram was just the beginning for Lemen as she was exposed to more conflicts around her usual environment. Since Lemen was in the eighth grade, the unlimited access to widespread opinions of millions of users made her aware of polar opinions being a major setback within the American society. According to the November 2016 Gallup survey, 77 percent of Americans view the United States (US) as divided on the most important values to American’s lives. This survey has taken place over the past 20 years and each one of them report a majority of the results believing the US as divided; however, this year’s survey is the record high. “Having disagreements is the norm for daily interactions like ‘do you like this’ or ‘why don’t you want to do that?’” Lemen says. “But I know a lot of my classmates and friends who do bring that divide alive.”

30 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

When Lemen noticed the beginnings of the National Football League (NFL) players kneeling or locking arms during the national anthem on Twitter and Instagram, she was captivated by the powerful meaning and stance they had. This led her to research deeper into the issue as she didn’t know much of it. Within a few articles, posts, and tweets, she found President Donald Trump’s tweets regarding the issue and his opinions on it. According to the First Amendment, kneeling or taking another posture when the national anthem is played, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” However, there is a federal statute in 36 US Code Section 301 that “individuals in uniform,” “members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform” and “all other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart” when the national anthem and American flag are present. On September 1, 2016, former San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the anthem. This led to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks, and Tennessee Titans to stay in their locker rooms during the anthem on September 24. In Trump’s speech at his rally in Huntsville, Alabama on September 2017, he says that when the audience sees players kneeling during the national anthem, “the only thing you could do better is if you see it, even if it’s one player, leave the stadium. I guarantee things will stop, Things will stop. Just pick up and leave. Pick up leave. Not the same game anymore, anyway.” However, the NFL’s official website NFL.com released an article stating that “The NFL has no plans to mandate players stand for the national anthem, a league spokesman told NFL.com” as “‘The NFL is

the divide | package

package | the divide

Americans are divided on major issues that affect the country now more than ever.

John

Cell Phone Use:

77 percent of Americans believe that the country is divided on important issues.

sources pew research center & gallup poll

doing the hard work of trying to move from protest to progress, working to bring people together.’” According to the manager of media relations of the Cincinnati Bengals Pete Schramm, the Bengals released a statement on September 24, 2017, “the day of the Green Bay game, regarding the anthem. It was released following the anthem for that game.”

he Cincinnati Bengals statement says that “football and politics don’t mix easily. Fans come to NFL games to watch great competition on the playing field and that’s where our focus should be.” In a Cable News Network (CNN) conducted by the Social Science Research Solutions, 49 percent of Americans say that players, who are kneeling during the National Anthem in order to express their political opinion is wrong; while, 43 percent say it’s the right thing to do. After Trump’s statement in Alabama, high school football players across the nation, such as Evanston High School in Chicago, Illinois; South Park high school in Buffalo, New York and H. Grady Spruce high school in Dallas, Texas kneeled before their own respective games. In regards to East, East’s athletic director Richard Bryant says that “it is an issue of individual choice. As a school and an [athletic] department it is not something that we have gone into detail about or discussed.” Miami University professor of sociology

51 percent of teens prefer to communicate over the internet rather than in person.

Religion: 23

Environment: 60

percent of people in the U.S. are unnafiliated with a religion.

percent of Americans are opposed to the recent budget cuts to the EPA.

Glenn Muschert says that the US becomes heavily divided at certain times throughout the the years—especially after elections and events that take place on US soil. Also, in an East survey, 64 percent of the 312 students believe that the American public is divided over issues in American lives. “After this election with an unconventional president and many catalysts for change in society with shootings, marches and others, Americans are torn,” Muschert says. “There is a fresh, reborn, and discrete division today on numerous topics—hence this so called ‘anti’ [on] the internet, science, academia, race, religion, and the media.” Along with this, 35 percent of Americans say that they used social media and internet as the main source of news for the 2016 presidential election, according to a 2016 survey from Pew Research Center. This has led to an “influx of dependence on the internet and it’s ability as [a] source for information,” Muschert says. Since Lemen uses her phone about three hours each day, she is able to easily connect with her friends and family without any issues. A drawback, however, is not reinforcing the opportunities to physically hang out with her friends on a regular basis. Besides that, Lemen uses the internet to take a break or have an “escapism” from her real life’s current situations in order to seek distraction and alleviation. Through her schedule between volunteering, babysitting, and horseback riding, Lemen says that the

32 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

Dropouts: 49 percent of East students know a person who has dropped out of high school through either friends or family.

internet allows her to take her mind off of any stress and anxiety. “There is a tendency for younger generations to adopt an online medium for communication in comparison to the older generations,” Muschert says. “We have become so dependent on devices that people find it much easier to express themselves than in person, whether it’s due to self-esteem or accessibility.”

esides using electronics as a medium to communicate over social media, people also use it to text. According to a 2015 report from Attentiv, 51 percent of teens prefer to communicate digitally than in person, even with their friends. Despite the religious background of her family and the belief of a superior being, Lemen hasn’t fully committed to the faith. While her parents and younger brother attend church, Lemen struggles with aligning herself into Christianity’s core beliefs. When Lemen was a child going to Sunday school and church services, she always brought coloring books and a distaste for Mass in hand. Sitting in a pew wasn’t appealing to her because her adolescent mind couldn’t comprehend and believe the topics that her family brought her up in. “Part of me still fights with the Christianity side because growing up, I felt that I had to believe in something. But the science side of me, which is practically all of me, doesn’t,” Lemen says. “I sometimes struggle with my

own self-identity because I am so torn about this [divide].” While Lemen’s mom Wendy Lemen works as the biology lab manager at University of Cincinnati Blue Ash campus, she equally believes and practices Christianity. Even though there is a separation between church and state, Wendy embraces both concepts uniformly. “Church and state might have distinct differences [between] each other, but they are concepts that everyone should respect,” Wendy says. “[However], there is a lack of willingness to listen to others opinions and [a] total lack of respect for any opinion that differs from your own [today] especially with science-related jobs like mine and religious beliefs.”

he apathy amongst religions hasn’t fazed Alex as she says there is “a correlation to the closed-mindedness of many of the traditional religions in Liberty Township.” But the lack of religious affiliation is increasing in prevalence amongst people today. According to a 2016 survey from the Public Religion Research Institute, people today are about four times as likely as people in the past generation to identify as religiously unaffiliated with just over 26 percent. This number has increased from 14 percent in 2000. Also, 66 percent of people, who report being raised outside a formal religious tradition, continue as unaffiliated when grown up as adults. However, the amount of people, who identify themselves as Catholic is 21 percent; even though, there is a decline of 10 percent in participants. “There are so many religious Americans who are traditional and [believe there is] a superior being above all us,” Muschert says. “But soon enough, people of different or no religions can become the majority and alter [the] conservative persona of the religious outlooks into the world.” Even though religion has affected Alex in numerous aspects of her life, her race hasn’t impacted her and her religious beliefs in any way. Alex’s friend and East senior Maggie Lehman has found negative stereotypes to play a crucial role on people disregarding certain races and religions. “Long held beliefs of one race being superior to another have caused people to use any reason they can to pit people against [others],” Lehman says. “The negative stereotypes [against] every race is very active, while [people are] excusing the behaviors of their own race, even if they’re just as bad.” The mistreatment of colored races has led to 64 percent of people say that racial tensions have increased over the past decade, according to a November 2015 Kaiser Family Foundation and CNN survey. Alongside to this, 53 percent of blacks and 36 percent of Hispanics experienced unfair

treatment in the previous month due to their race. Miami University sociology professor Lee Harrington says that this correlates for all races too. “[There are] certainly stereotypes about different racial-ethnic groups contributing to differential treatment, [such as] stereotypes about Asians being good at math versus stereotypes about [Mexicans] being ‘lazy,’” Harrington says. “In addition, many whites today feel threatened by a rising population of people of color in the US, and use stereotypes as a defense mechanism.” While Alex believes reverse racism exists, she still “thinks that racism itself is a bigger issue, even though we are one [race], the human race with biodiversity.” But her pertinent belief in science has allowed Alex to openly accept other’s beliefs, whether she agrees or disagrees with them. When Trump announced the budget cut of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by 31 percent, according to the Trump Administration’s fiscal 2018 budget proposal, both Alex and her friend and East senior Alyssa McDonald was distraught at the blatancy of the presidency not committing to aid the planet and the environment.

the divide | package

ow, the current budget of 8.2 billion dollars would decrease to about 5.7 billion dollars. Of the 349 East students surveyed, 34 percent were aware of this exact deficit and 29 percent knew of it, while 36 percent weren’t even aware of the Trump administration’s cut of the EPA’s budget. “When I’m grown up and am hopefully a veterinarian in ten to fifteen years, I want there to be advancements and change,” Alex says. “I hope that we could all help each other out since the science community is known to be open of everything, no matter the racial, religious, educational, or financial background of researchers.” As president and vice president of Lakota Environmental Advocates Forum (LEAF) club Goldina Bristow and Lexi Defillipo believe that Trump should not have the right to “revoke funding of the EPA [as] coal, oil and natural gas in all of its fossil fuel glory, will cease to exist at some point.” “The companies that sponsor fossil fuels and nonrenewable energies have become so rooted in the fabric of our society, that many doubt the future of our economy without them,” Bristow says. “But when we set a reform

111 Reading Rd, Mason, OH 45040 (513) 398-2020

”

package | the divide

Americans are torn. There is a fresh, reborn, and discrete division today on numerous topics—hence this so called ‘anti’ [on] the internet, science, academia, race, religion and the media. - Glenn Muschert, Associate Professor of Sociology at Miami University in motion of using harmful materials, these companies are as strong as the government makes them and Trump wishes to give [them] the power they want.”

ith 48 percent of Americans believing human activity affect global climate change, 52 percent believe there are no environmental consequences of the 7.5 billion people on this planet today, according to an October 2016 Pew Research Center survey. On top of that, 20 percent of Americans believe there is no evidence of global climate change. “The EPA was created and stands for protecting people’s health by regulating the amount of hazardous chemicals in the air, water and soil,” Defillipo says. “The lack of perception to see how this [budget cut and] the ignorance is going to affect people’s quality of life.” After that, Florida governor Rick Scott signed the Florida House Bill 989 or more commonly known, “The Anti-Science bill” on June 26, 2017, after it passed both chambers of the house. Any county resident in the state of Florida can file a complaint about the academic teachings of science in the county’s public school system. Once the complaint is filed, the school would have to appoint a hearing officer for it. This bill has supporting affidavits that don’t support the lessons in classrooms concerning the topics of evolution and climate change. After learning about the concept of evolution, global warming and the heat index in biology in freshman year, McDonald’s interest in science was piqued by how much of the world and its history has been affected by it. Later in her high school career, McDonald took honors anatomy and physiology in her junior year as she wanted to learn more about the human body system. Because of that class, McDonald plans on pursuing neonatal or pediatric nursing. “Anatomy taught me so much about our human race as I am pro-science,” McDonald says. “There is so much that we don’t know about how influential science is and that isn’t

right. There shouldn’t be a divide on science, even if people are conservative or not.” Clinical social work and therapist Delvin Hector has experienced and educated human development to his patients over the past 35 years in Cincinnati, Ohio. Hector says that some people “refuse to accept facts in order to relieve themselves and others on the dire, impending issues.” “It doesn’t matter in what you believe or don’t believe in [with] climate change and science, it’s what are the facts,” Hector says. “It is what it is, but it comes down to who’s in power and can allocate the resources to certain issues. However, some people are accustomed to presenting and arguing their beliefs, whether they are right or wrong that others tend to believe and trust them.”

ut of the 1.87 million bachelor degrees distributed to the 201314 college graduates, health professions and related programs and biological and biomedical sciences were one of the highest amounts of degrees with three hundred thousand graduates, according to a 2014 report from the National Center for Education Statistics. Even though science related programs and degrees are increasing, so is the number of high school dropouts. Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis had a 2014 study that says 11.4 percent of students would drop out if they have to pass six math and/or science classes to graduate than the ones who have to pass two classes, as it is a 8.9 percent dropout rate. “I joke around that I’d drop out but in reality, that isn’t the case because I need to go to college and get my diploma so I can get into medical school,” Alex says. “Since I aspire to be a veterinarian, college and graduate school is my best bet as I want to be able to make a living doing something that I want. But going straight into the job market out of high school might be others’ aspirations.” Over 1.2 million students are dropping out of high school every year; that is equivalent to 7,000 students a day or one every 26 seconds,

34 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

according to former US deputy secretary of education Anthony Miller at his speech at the Auxiliaries in Ministry Convention in 2011. “High school dropouts always had this stigma as they were generalized that they were the social failures, who couldn’t manage the strenuous high school curriculum [and] life,” Muschert says. “That isn’t the case for all since we have an increased job marketing field that is now easily accessible for people to get jobs with or without a high school diploma.” With career technical programs such as Butler Tech, Alex still continues to enroll in the traditional high school route until she graduates with her Ph.D degree in about eight years. She finds herself striving and accustomed to the same method of school that both her parents had pursued. The divide in views for high school dropouts has always existed just as it is for race, religion, internet and science. Hector says that is one of the reasons why it is con that the US is a melting pot “when you combine how exposed people are to issues, how they were either conventionally or unconventionally brought up and their disagreements, there is bound to be some distaste.”

ot only that, White House press secretary Sean Spicer prohibited reporters from news publications, such as, CNN, the New York Times, Politico, the Los Angeles Times and BuzzFeed, from attending Trump’s daily briefing in February 2017. This action adhered to Trump’s blacklist of media platforms during his 2016 presidential campaign trail. Similar news outlets, such as, Politico, the Washington Post, Buzzfeed, and the Huffington Post didn’t have the same resources, time and press credentials as other publications in attendance. The Ohio State University freshman student Erinn Aulfinger was a former editorin-chief of Lakota East Spark and believes “the current administration mocks the power and importance of the media by blaming qualified journalists for contradicting false material, and spread dangerous misinformation that

the divide | package threatens democracy.” “As one of the [former] chief editors of a nationally-awarded student news publication, I experienced first hand the impact journalism has on society,” Aulfinger says. “Access to quality, unbiased information saves lives, stops wars and changes the way individuals interact with their surroundings. Information is the greatest power.” Of the 293 East students surveyed, 48 percent say that they believe journalists are being mistreated today, whether it is through politicians or society as a whole. Muschert says that some people tend to follow public figures on their opinions without fully doing their research and allows people to bash journalists

without knowing the full story of Trump and the media. “We have always been [a] divided country, it just hasn’t been as recognized as it is today. We had a civil war in America as we were divided as a north and south,” Hector says. “Now, there isn’t a north and a south but we have large groups of people against other large groups of people, no matter the topic. Hopefully we will resolve our issues and make improvements.” Whether it is through her phone, friends, conversations and observations, Alex finds herself deluged in the divide. She hopes to find a united front with not only the US and its population but universally in the near future. “People unite over Sunday night sports,

64% of the 312 East students

surveyed believe that the American public is divided over issues in American lives.

memes, vines, posts, Facebook jokes, games, award ceremonies, tweets on Twitter and events,” Alex says. “But it’d be so much better if people could unite over pressing world and domestic issues surrounding and affecting all of us in different forms and shapes today.” •

UNDER DEITIES OR UNDER OATH The separation between church and state has been an underlying divide amongst the American public. story samadhi marapane | * denotes name change

acing the front of his lab equipped classroom, he continues his lecture in a college preparatory chemistry class in hopes of influencing the minds of the high school students in front of him. As his students take notes, he teaches them how to interpret the lab data and evidence they need to form conclusions. Outside of the brick-walled classroom, the slow beginnings of a nationwide anti-science movement persists. This movement comprises of debates against evolution, human-induced climate change, vaccines, stem cell research and more topics. However, science teachers, such as East Chemistry and Advanced Placement (AP) Physics teacher John Severns, attempt to educate teenagers in those topics. Before his 15 years as a highschool teacher, Severns worked 11 years as a research scientist and manager at Procter and Gamble. This all stemmed from his continued interest in the science field 38 years ago. Even though he advocated the current status of the internet and all opinions having equal value, Severns also has discontent in the attempts to disprove scientific findings. “It is ludicrous to equate someone’s gut reaction to the well-reasoned conclusion of someone or a group of people who have studied something for years,” Severns says. “I find it very frustrating when someone says ‘I

just don’t believe that’ and consider that [as] a counterargument.” According to Professor of the History of Science at Harvard University and author of “Science” and “Anti-Science” Gerald Holton, anti-science is the rejection of the scientific method and that science is an objective method or produces universal knowledge. For example, climate change, or the gradual increase or decrease in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and its oceans, is a concept widely believed by scientists across the world. However, according to a 2014 poll by Pew Research Center, only 40 percent of Americans believe in climate change or that it is an immediate threat. Miami University Justice and Community Studies Professor John Forren focuses on the fields of civic engagement and political science, and says that the challenges of some of the basic premises, methods and finding of the scientific community are not new in American politics. “[The anti-science movement] is a very troubling thing because if we as a nation are going to solve our problems, we need to be able to agree on what the basic ‘facts’ are— about climate change and about a broad range of other social, environmental and cultural issues,” Forren says. “America’s success as an economic powerhouse has been based largely

on our ability to innovate and solve problems through science and technology.” Even though atheism endorses science, the theory of evolution is still controversial between many types of atheists and religions. Whissel believes that the teaching of creationism over evolution in classes is strictly religious based and is refuting the scientific findings about evolution. “It is certainly a concern when many Americans don’t believe in the findings of scientific experts,” Forren says. “It is going to take a big effort by government and the private sector alike to address challenges [like Americans questioning the existence of the problem in the first place].” The Valley Temple rabbi Sandford Kopnick has been the leader of the temple since 2001. According to Kopnick, Judaism believes in one God who created the heaven, earth and everything in between. However, Judaism’s holy book the... continue reading online.

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November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 35

package | the divide

The Great Divide Religion and science often cause division between people in the United States. infographic michael croy source pew research center

20 percent of Americans believe climate change does not exist.

People who do not believe in a God, universal power, or religion are called atheists.

Only 45 percent of Americans favor the building of more nuclear power plants.

92 percent of atheists favor same-sex marriage.

About 69 percent of atheists identify as democrats or lean to the left on the political spectrum.

47 percent of Americans believe that astronauts are essential for the future of outerspace missions while 59 percent of scientists do.

Only 37 percent of U.S. adults consider genetically modified food to be safe while 88 percent of scientists consider foods of this type safe.

43 percent of atheists have a college degree compared to 27 percent of the general public.

68 percent of atheists are male while 32 percent are female. 36 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

84 percent of scientists consider the lack of knowledge of science in America to be a major problem.

the divide | package

O Say, Can you Kneel?

Athletes all over the country have taken a knee for the national anthem, but it has started a national debate the right to kneel. story stephen mckay | art tyler bonawitz

t was August 26, 2016 in San Francisco, California. The San Francisco 49ers were in a National Football League (NFL) preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. This was the day that everything started. This was the day the national anthem became the focal point for protests in America. This was the game that now former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to take a seat during the national anthem in the protest of what he believed was for oppression of people of color in the United States (US). Ever since this day, Kaepernick’s stance caused a nationwide debate has been sparked about whether people should be forced to stand during the national anthem. Since he took a knee, Kaepernick has not been worked out or played for any NFL team because of his protests of the national anthem. On a survey on the Lakota East Spark’s Twitter account, 43 percent of voters believed that athletes can either sit or stand for the national anthem, 40 percent believed they should stand and 17 percent believed they should sit. President Donald Trump and the NFL have been going back and forth on the issue of whether they should make the players stand for the national anthem. In a news conference on October 18, NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, said that he had a meeting with the owners of NFL teams and players from the NFL Players’ Association (NFLPA). Even though Goodell says that players should stand for the anthem, they will not be forced to. There is no law in the US that say that everyone has to stand for the national anthem, but the NBA, not the NFL, does have

a rule in place stating that people have to stand for the anthem. “They’re talking about equality issues,” Goodell said. “[The players are] making sure that we’re doing everything we possibly can to give people an opportunity, whether it’s education or economic.” Not only have professional athletes taken a kneel in protest during the anthem, but college and high school athletes have joined them. On September 16, 2016, football players for Garfield High School in Washington took a knee during the anthem. Then on October 1, 2016, a member of the East Carolina University band took a knee while playing the national anthem. The faculty at Parkway High School in Louisiana threatened to punish athletes who kneeled during the anthem which caused an uproar nationally as people all over social media and on the news have been debating about the topic. According to the decision by the US Supreme Court in the court case of Tinker v. Des Moines, schools cannot limit the speech or expression of students as long as they are not defamatory, violent or disruptive to the learning process. In regards to East, athletic director Richard Bryant says that nothing has been put in place in regards to standing or kneeling during the national anthem and they “have not had any issues with it.” “I am not aware of any instances of any type of individual act by anybody during the national anthem,” Bryant says. “I haven’t been aware of anything in that realm [of the anthem].” The East football team has not been on

the field for the national anthem for any of their 2017-18 games. However, Bryant says the football team has been off the field for years during the anthem.

his is a result of how there is not enough room for band and both football teams on the field at the same time. Still, East varsity football player Sam Florence says that some players decide to listen and put their hand on their heart for the anthem from the locker room. “For the most part, the players have been indifferent to it,” Florence says. “Although some have decided to stand up and put their hand over their heart in the locker room while the anthem is playing outside.” The debate about the national anthem has been whether it should be prohibited because of the disrespect it shows to veterans and U.S. soldiers that are at war or whether it should be allowed because the U.S. is based off of the ideas of freedom of speech and expression. “The disrespect [that] kneeling for the [national] anthem shows is incredible,” an East community member says at East’s varsity volleyball game. “Athletes and all people should always be required to stand for the anthem. However, the divide of people has allowed some people to feel that the soldiers at war and veterans of our country fight for not only our safety, but our rights such as freedom of speech. “America is based off of rights such as freedom of speech,” another East community member at an East’s varsity volleyball game says. “All people deserve [to have] the right to protest peacefully.” •

November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 37

package | the divide Poverty Law Center (SPLC) article, the Unite the Right rally was the largest white supremacy march in decades. According to the SPLC website, white nationalists believe that the white race, excluding the Jewish, should have a separate nation for themselves. Groups such as the “Ku Klux Klan, neo-Confederate, neo-Nazi, racist skinhead and Christian Identity could also be fairly described as white nationalist.”

THE ClASH o f co lo r Due to various issues and events, the treatment of people of color or “POCs” has been negatively impacted within the last decade. story ruth elendu | infographic michael croy | art tyler bonawitz

ollege visits are a vital time during one’s senior year of high school. With the excused absence, curiosity and a sense of a new beginning. With various colleges in her mind, she wanted to get a taste of what each college had in place for her and her next four years. But there were close similarities between some of the colleges that blurred together. But one particular college visit has stuck with East alumna Ekene Azuka for as long as she can remember. Azuka, her stepmom, her stepsister and her sister wanted to explore Nashville, Tennessee after visiting Vanderbilt University. All four of them walked around Nashville, exploring the place that Azuka might soon call home. The night was coming to an end and the

43% of 328 East students

surveyed believe that people of color are being mistreated today.

four of them were strolling back to their car, ready to go home. As they were approaching their car, a white truck with four white, male passengers slowed down as they passed the curb, continuing to move slowly as they passed Azuka and her family and shouted, “stupid n*****.” They were all nervous as the white truck, still going slow, approached their car, coming in front of them at night on a busy road. Azuka says that, “we all felt afraid, not necessarily [for] our life, but our safety.”

his feeling of fear was experienced by people around the United States (U.S.) during the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia on Aug.11-12,2017. White nationalists and their supporters came to protest the removal of the Confederate statue, Robert E. Lee, but were met by counter-protesters. Fighting broke out on both sides, causing Virginia governor Terry McAulife to declare a state of emergency. Later, a white nationalist took a vehicle and ran it into a group of counter-protesters leaving three dead and 34 injured. According to an August 2017 Southern

38 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

niversity of Ontario professor and hate crime researcher Barbara Perry has dealt with human rights issues around the world. Perry told Spark that white nationalist groups in Canada and the US have recently grown “in the numbers and activities.” Approximately 66 percent of the 917 hate groups in the U.S. classified as white nationalists can be found in 35 out of the 50 states, according to the official SPLC hate map. Also, there is still an increase from the 892 hate groups in 2015. “[Hate crimes] are part of our history. Most cultures find someone to denigrate, so it’s easy to dehumanize African Americans in the states because they were considered less than human by law,” Perry says. “We have seen an increased visibility from groups on the street [and] online in terms of their activity, recruitment, vocal discourse and narrative around white privilege and the defense [of] white culture.” One of these white nationalists groups is Identity Evropa, led by Iraq war veteran Nathan Damigo. In 2016, Damigo and his group went to college campuses all across the U.S. promoting white nationalism with posters that say, “protect your heritage” and “white people, do something.” In an April 2017 study by the AntiDefamation League, they reported that 147 cases of white supremacist fliers, posters or stickers have been reported on U.S. college campuses from September 2016 to April 2017. Now a freshman at Vanderbilt University, Azuka is afraid that these flyers will promote violence and endanger her safety. She had perceived that the collegiate life would include more diverse races than East. East alumnus Aaron Wade enrolled at Yale University with his three brothers and found various hate comments online regarding their racial involvement with college admissions. Their friends found these comments on various news outlets, predominantly on The Washington Post. “[With] the whole college admissions thing that my brothers and I had, affirmative action [did] play a small role in that, as much [as] people don’t like to admit it,” Wade says. “If I weren’t black, my brothers and I might not have seen as high as the degree of success that we did earlier this year in terms of our admissions.” In 2014 Louisiana State University professor

the divide | package Nathan Kalmoe asked people to watch two sets of fictional political advertisements. One set used violent metaphors while the other did not. It was found that among “citizens with aggressive personality traits” support for political violence “doubled when exposed to political messages infused with violent metaphors.” “[Political figures allow people] to express their beliefs because they are not creating that anxiety [and] hostility that they are playing to the sentiments that have been latent for so long,” Perry says. “[When] someone says it’s okay for you to come out and share those sentiments more broadly, it’s acknowledging and inviting them to now speak.” During president Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, he said that Mexicans

are not geared toward immigrants and blacks,” Kramer says. “But rather for the consumption of whites who feel [a sense of] superiority, difference, advantage and threat.”

zuka’s younger sister Nkem Azuka also believes that Trump’s statements are influencing people in a violent manner. Whether it be over Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, Trump constantly updates his followers on his plans regarding the future years during his presidency. “If the ‘model citizen’ of the U.S. doesn’t even stand up and say that what these terrible things that [the white nationalists] have been doing is wrong, then that makes it okay for [white nationalists] to do stuff,” says Nkem. “I think that [white nationalists] have been

The Federal Bureau of Investigation surveyed victims of hate crimes across the United States. Their responses about the effects of hate crimes are represented below.

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were “rapists and drug dealers” and retweeted a white supremacist message on November 22 that reported black people were responsible for 81 percent of white people that are murdered— this tweet was similar to Kalmoe’s study. Villanova University Rory Kramer says that “Trump [is] building and feeding on that sense of group position [with] primarily white audiences.” After Charlottesville, Trump told reporters that there was blame on both sides of the rally. However, there was never an official statement released by the White House regarding Charlottesville. “[Trump’s] rhetoric about immigration and his coded language about black communities

and privilege.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s 2008 Hate Crime Statistics reported that one of the biggest increases was in the number of antiblack hate crimes, which rose nearly eight percent from 2007 to 2008. This correlated to the inauguration of former president Barack Obama as there were “more than 200 hate-related incidents,” according to a November 2008 study by the SPLC. Also, in an East survey, 43 percent of 328 students believed that people of color are being mistreated today. In 2012, Perry and professor at the University of Ontario Shahid Alvi conducted research on communities that have experienced hate crimes—specifically in Canada. They reported that over 75 percent of people feared that “such incidents could happen to them or other members of their community again” Alongside to this, 50 to 75 percent “felt they did not belong, they wanted revenge and they didn’t share the same rights as others.” After creating a 2002 report on hate crimes with his colleagues, professor at the University of California, Berkeley and hate crime researcher Jack Glaser has found that, “there was a natural tendency for people to feel insecure in their communities” after a hate crime occurred. “I live in constant fear [that someone I know can be a victim of hate] and I don’t think that it will ever go away,” says Nkem. “I start thinking about how I might be walking around one day and get shot and then it leads to how am I going to feel safe in my life? If I think about it too much it makes me really anxious to the point where I don’t know how to feel.”

emboldened by the fact that no one has come out and said anything [against them].” In May 2017, the Public Religion Research Institute reported that 55 percent of Americans and 66 percent of the white working class fear that the US is in danger of losing its culture and identity. “People hold negative views and prejudices against particular groups because those groups pose a threat to them, either in economic, physical or cultural terms,” Perry says. “One way to [defend] is to repress and oppress them through violence. It becomes a way of defending themselves, their culture, their sense of entitlement [and] very often, their power

espite the challenges that Ekene and her family had experienced, such as racial comments, being followed in stores by employees and stereotypes, they still embrace their culture without any hesitations. “I never wish for a second that I wasn’t black because there’s a uniqueness about us,” Ekene says. “No matter what we’re put through, we’ve gone through the ringer so many times that we overcame [it,] regardless of our race.” Similar to Ekene, Wade has no regrets concerning his race. With a plethora of customs and traditions rooting back from his ancestry, he hopes that society will be able to go beyond the differences amongst races in the US in the near future. “We take lemons and not only make lemonade out of them, but make lemon cookies, lemon squares and just a whole buffet out of the crap that life has [given] us overall,” Ekene says. “So you move on by saying [that] I’m not going to end up like a stereotype. I’m not going to give anyone a reason to say I don’t deserve what I have or that I’m less than [whites or] give any excuses and reasons for people to not believe in me.” •

November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 39

ESC Despite how often people live in the moment, they find themselves “distracted” with the use of animate or inanimate objects as a way to escape from reality.

story katey kruback | photo illustration richard giang | infographic meredith peters East student demonstrates package’s theme of paint splashed over her eyes and duct tape over her mouth displaying the topic of the story.

he dainty strains of Debussy’s Clair de Lune drift down the hallway, enveloping the house in it’s sweet, tranquil melody. The lights are off and candles are lit, casting shadows across the muted blue walls. With her flute in hand, she takes a breath and continues. The flutist is East junior Katie Frazier, sitting on top of her black and white bedspread, pajama-clad, with her blonde hair piled atop her head. This is her safe place, her place to create. Frazier is a self-professed “slow learner” and says that her teachers tend to move through material quickly. This leads her to be “in the zone,” fully concentrated for the entire duration of the school day. At the end of the school day, Frazier says “Focusing is hard for me. My brain hurts and I actually have a headache because I’ve been trying so hard all day.” Similar to her, East junior Abby Biddle says that reading books gives her an outlet when she’s stressed, which allows her to delve into one of the various worlds offered in fiction. “[Books] help calm me down so everything’s not focused on that one emotion. I’m able go into that different world and think about different things [from reality],” Biddle says. “Reading was just interesting, seeing how people wrote [and] seeing their different points. I could get different views and not always have the one biased view of my family.” In a recent East survey, 258 out of 385 students say that they have felt the need to escape from life and school. Whether it is through the internet, video games, music or books, teenagers have found each to be a reliable source of distraction. “I 100 percent need reality breaks. I go to my room. I lock the door. I light a candle. It’s

my safe place.” Frazier says. “Even though playing [the] flute is stressful, in the sense that I have to get better before I apply to colleges; it’s still a little happy place.” According to Frazier’s mother Paula Frazier, Katie is interested in a receiving a music scholarship, which puts some stress on her to improve before applying to colleges. As Katie hopes to double major in flute performance and musical education after high school, she specifically plans to attend the CollegeConservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. “She enjoys [her flute], but at the same time she sees it as a way of getting college scholarships,” Paula says. “She takes it very seriously, it’s not just a hobby. [It’s] all pretty prestigious. I’m not sure the average person knows how much time and effort Katie puts into her music.” This past year, Katie was selected for the AllState Orchestra for Ohio and was moved up in the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra to the top level, the Philharmonics. Paula says that this dedication “makes her one of the best high school flutes in Cincinnati”.

ccording to psychologist Albert Rizzo, escapism is a “subjective moral judgement” and has become overblown in recent years. In a traditional sense, “to escape” means to get away from a threat. Now, “escape” is associated with preserving a person’s well-being, whether it is physically, mentally or emotionally. “Say you escape by watching TV. Are you spending 8 hours a day watching TV [or] are you escaping from having a solid interchange in everyday life with people?” Rizzo says. “What if you are watching intellectually stimulating content with your family, talking about the

40 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

elements of that content. Is that an escape or social facilitator?” Teenagers today, specifically 13-year-old’s struggle to find the “firm line between their real and online worlds,” according to a Cable News Network 2015 report with researchers from the University of California, Davis and University of Texas at Dallas. “[Teenagers] are in constant contact with each other and in constant contact with world events. It’s seen as almost a necessity to have your phone within arm’s reach,” Biddle says. “Even when I try to focus on homework, I have [my phone] close by so I know what’s going on. [Without it], I might be missing something.”

atie agrees, saying that notifications and people trying to reach her through her phone are impossible to get away from unless “you put the phone down all together, which is hard for a lot of people to do, unfortunately.” According to the The National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety disorders affect 25.1 percent of teenagers. Their research shows that of untreated persons, about 63.1 percent of those affected with anxiety are at a higher risk of substance abuse or missing out on important social experiences, both of which are indicators of escapism. On an average day, Katie uses about 70 percent of her phone battery watching lifestyle videos on YouTube alone, and isn’t even the highest data user in her family. But she still uses her phone for Snapchat, other social media platforms and school activities when necessary. Katie is not alone as 32 percent of students surveyed at East frequently feel the need to escape life using the internet or social media. The instant gratification of the internet allows teenagers to be on a mental hiatus from reality.

the divide | package The need to take a break from life and escape to other things is very prevalent among East students. source webmd.com

Out of 394 East students surveyed, 61 percent say it depends whether using the internet to “escape” from reality is healthy or not.

83 percent of East students surveyed always or sometimes feel the need to “escape” life with the use of the internet.

44 percent of East students surveyed said that they spend a minimum of three or more hours per day on the internet.

“I like learning about other people’s lives because they’re different from mine. I know it’s not real life, but I feel like YouTubers have this life that’s really awesome,” Katie says. “They have all these fans and it’s really interesting to me how they live their lives. They do things [that] I’m genuinely interested in.”

ccording to a 2016 survey from the Journal of Media Education, 87 percent of Americans report that they believe digital technologies are creating a generation susceptible to distractions and possessing a shorter attention span. “There’s a theory in communication called ‘transportation theory’ [where] technology is a facilitator for transporting your attention to something other than your immediate surrounding,” Rizzo says. “Technology definitely provides an easy solution to having alternative experiences that are different from your immediate physical surroundings and what they offer you.” With the rise of social media, younger generations spend less time in reality by living in a virtual hub instead. According to the 2016 Pew Research Center study, 41 percent of adults ages 65 and over don’t use the internet. However, the number decreases as less than one percent of the students surveyed at East spend less than an hour online a day. Regardless of the unclear division between

hobbies and escapism, people turn to either animate or inanimate objects to take their minds off of their current life situations. Individuals, as Rizzo says, tend to put “value judgements” on activities, using their own experience to judge and then define whether someone else’s activity is an escape. “There is a stigma [against escapism and] it’s cross-generational,” Rizzo says. “People from older generations are comfortable with the activities they use to escape, [and] don’t understand [others].” Paula is not concerned about the time that Katie spends on her music, despite the fact that she spends between an hour and a half to two hours practicing a day after school. Yet, Katie still puts an equal amount of effort into her schoolwork of two and a half hours on homework each night. A 2009 study at the University of Sussex reported that reading can reduce stress by up to 68 percent in as little as six minutes, which is more of an effective strategy than a cup of tea or listening to music. An additional study conducted by the University of Liverpool in 2016 found that 38 percent of adults consider reading to be their ultimate stress remedy. “Sometimes I [need a break] when my sisters drive me crazy or when there’s so many things going on I can’t breathe,” Biddle says. “If you don’t take those regular breaks, it’s all going to build up and explode.”

atie says that massive amounts of time spent escaping is not healthy for anyone but regular breaks to think and be calm is healthy. However, there should “[be] a balance. [Having] that break to sit down, chill out and think about things before you do them is something everyone needs.” East students agree, with 85 percent of those surveyed say that escapism is healthy. Neither Katie nor Paula consider Katie’s music a form of escapism. While her flute may be used to facilitate a distraction from the stresses of life, she doesn’t see her music as a waste of time, but a down payment on her future. “I just want to [play flute] for the rest of my life. It’s important to me and a part of who I am. It’s not just a part of what I do, it’s a part of me,” Katie says. “I put music above everything because it’s a part of me. I wouldn’t be Katie Frazier if I wasn’t playing the flute, but I would still be me if I wasn’t taking Algebra II.” •

32% of 348 East students surveyed need to escape life using the internet or social media.

November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 41

UNDE OF JO The growing distrust

he scribbled pages of the overused notebook contrasted from her pristine writing on her laptop. With her phone by her side, the recording of the interview blared over the typing of the keyboard. This was a typical night for her. Instead of going to football games, she spent her Friday nights editing stories and coaching her fellow student journalists. Writing was her forté. Attending Monday night’s school board meetings was part of her usual routine in order to gather local story ideas. East alumna Emma Stiefel has aspired to become a professional journalist throughout her high school career. Stiefel, who is now attending Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute still intends on pursuing that route. As a dedicated student journalist at East, Stiefel is excited to see where her future in media will take her. “When I was young freshman I was always the nerdy science kid. I liked going to school, learning new things, writing and being more creative with my work,” Stiefel says. “I joined Spark my sophomore year and learned about the civic importance of journalism. From then on, I knew I wanted to pursue the journalism field.” Over the years, media has evolved from print publications to online and more recently, social media. According to a 2017 Pew Research Center study, 64 percent of US adults use Facebook and about 30 percent of users receive their news from that media platform. According to DePaul University professor of media and cinema studies Paul Booth, “the media has evolved immensely over the years.” He says that new media platforms have helped shape modern media. Booth says that some of the most significant changes have been the rise in social media and the consolidation of internet giants like Google, Apple and Facebook. Also, the rise in interpersonal communications like Snapchat and Instagram that have helped evolve journalism. With the use of social media, Stiefel believes that this allowed journalism to grow and explore new platforms. Along with the advancement of media, this

42 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

ER THE EYES OURNALISM

the divide | package

of media from the administration has provoked different opinions over the journalism field and its purpose in society.

story julianne ford | art tyler bonawitz

has also allowed for negative uses of some platforms. Even though it can potentially harm journalism, Stiefel sees how the growth of technology will impact it in a more positive way. Another aspiring journalist and sophomore at Ohio University Connor Kurek grew up watching the news with his family almost every night at dinner. He noticed how his family reacted to the stories and saw how emotional they got, even though they weren’t the ones being directly affected. “How would a tsunami in Japan impact my parents by making them sad? That’s the power of journalism [by] communicating the pain or happiness of a story so people can really feel what’s going on,” Kurek says. “Knowing that if I create something [on] radio or TV package, someone will learn something new and feel something.”

uring the 2016 presidential election, the influence of social media and other media platforms lead to old terms becoming more prevalent to today’s society. The term “fake news” became more mainstream during the 2016 election. According to the Booth, this term is defined as false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting. “What Trump and the Republicans are calling ‘fake news,’ [are really] just news that reports on Trump negatively,” Booth says. “The New York Times and The Washington Post are not ‘fake news’ [publications], they are actual organizations accurately reporting; as best they can. They are also human and sometimes make mistakes. Actual ‘fake news’ actively tries to reinterpret what is actually happening in the world.” According to a 2016 Gallup poll, the trust in media has hit “a new low.” About 32 percent

of Americans trust the news “to report the news fully, accurately and fairly.” This is the lowest reported percentage since 1972. Even with the growing distrust in the media, Stiefel thinks that this is the most important time to become a journalist. As it is their job to inform society with current events and issues, journalists provide a different, objective perspective than the societal norms—whether it is through articles, columns or editorial cartoons. “I personally think it is now is a scary time to go into journalism. I have people ask me ‘oh why would you want to be a journalist?’ in a surprising way,” Stiefel says. “Journalism is about exploring new things and figuring out core issues. It’s an exciting time to be a journalist because there is so much potential in the field.” Professor and director of the science, health and environmental reporting program at New York University Dan Fagin believes no statistics have been published to conclude the number of people who consider themselves “anti-media” have gone up. Fagin believes the numbers have stayed the same but due to social media and other platforms it’s easier for groups to connect and spread their views. “Right now I think it’s fashionable for certain people to label themselves ‘anti-media,’ because there is a political incentive to do so,” Booth says. “But in truth I don’t think most people are ‘anti-media.’ They’re just ‘anti-’ whatever media they disagree with.” The number of hate crimes and threats against journalists has been on the rise in the past few years. According to a 2017 Statista study, in the past three years 69 percent of journalists have experienced psychological violence, 46 percent have been threatened by force and 53 percent have experienced cyberbullying. “Trump, himself, encourages violence

against journalists, and we’ve seen firsthand that journalists are being body slammed by candidates,” Booth says. “Trump would significantly curtail the power of the press to report negative information if he could, and there is a real danger if more strict regulations on journalists becomes a reality.”

lthough the term “fake news” has given the media a negative reputation, Booth believes there is a positive side to this attention. However, there is a projected 9 percent decrease in the job outlook from 2014-2024, according to a 2015 Bureau of Labor Statistics report. This decrease can lead to issues within the journalism community and reputation. In that same report, there is a fewer amount of “reporters, correspondents and broadcast news analysts,” the journalism field has become more selective in the people with about 4.8 thousand potential positions lost from 20142024. With less job opportunities, people become disinterested and there is a lesser chance of changing that view on media. “Every mainstream news outlets have tried to fix the audience problem and shift to a broader Audience,” Stiefel says. “I understand that a lot of people recognize that mainstream [articles] are actually written for them. I’m not trying to ignore ‘fake news’ but I think that people who embrace the term ‘fake news’ are wrong.”

52% of 297 East students

surveyed believe that journalists are being mistreated in society.

November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 43

”

package | the divide

Journalism is important to the survival of democracy. Being a journalist and helping to inform the public is incredibly important. It’s the glue that holds the democracy together. - Dan Fagin, Environmental Reporting Professor at New York University Stiefel interned at The Journal News over the 2017 summer in order to gain more experience in her future job field. From writing on local events and features, Stiefel was able to get a taste of the professional journalism setting and be more comfortable with it. With a combined news and print platform for The Journal News, subscribers are able to have more opportunities to stay connected to local and national news that pertain to them—such as, local school issues and road construction. “Newspaper subscriptions are up, more people are watching and reading the news, and the news is becoming more influential than before,” Booth says. “The trick is for individuals to find established and meaningful news media rather than reading overtly partisan or ‘fake news’ sites.”

agin has noticed how journalism impacts and supports the society; even though, modern journalism has been under the influx of attacks from society and the presidency. During a rally in Phoenix, Arizona in August 2017, president Donald Trump said that journalists are “sick people trying to take away our history and heritage.” According to the US Freedom Press Tracker website led by the Freedom of the Press Foundation and the Committee to Protect Journalists collaborating with other press freedom groups, there have been “23 arrests of journalists, 14 equipment searches and seizures, 25 physical attacks and 4 border stops on journalists” in just 2017 alone. “Journalism is important to the survival of democracy,” Fagin says. “Being a journalist and helping to inform the public is incredibly important. It’s the glue that holds the democracy together.” Stiefel has the same perspective that the

power of journalism is essential in modern society. Alongside to this, Steifel’s mom Amy Stiefel believes that journalism impacts the world with all of the content released from multiple publications daily. “When Emma was very young, I remember she told my mom that she was going to be a writer,” Amy says. “She’s always had a strong interest in writing. As a first grader, she wrote what she called ‘a novel’ [which] was more like a short story about a wolf.” “Fake News” alters the way Americans view major issues going in the US. According to a 2017 Pew Research Center study, about 64 percent of adults say fabricated news stories cause a great deal of confusion about the basic facts of current issues and events. “I think [journalists are] taken for granted now and with the proliferation of social media, anyone can write. But on the flip side, anyone can write and I think that’s where Emma comes in,” Amy says. “She will have so many opportunities to create the position for herself and I think that’s particularly important considering her choice to not go with a journalism school.” Traveling professor for Ohio University and professional journalist Andrew Alexander has worked in the media field professionally for approximately forty years and has seen the transition of the basic facts involved in the media. Alexander believes that the lack of trust or confusion for the media is not the biggest problem. He says that the real problem is the lack of revenue that media sources receive, not only from donations but advertisements as well. “Now because of the internet and the explosion of media we have hundreds or websites, and platforms of social media,” Alexander says. “This has [also led] to an

44 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

explosion of media in today’s society.” According a study by the Pew Research Center in 2017, The New York Times had a year by year decline of nine percent in advertising revenue. However, in contrast they saw a three percent rise in circulation revenue. Overall, the total revenue of The New York Times fell by two percent.

hile the media has been criticized over the past year Alexander believes this is a positive aspect of all of the coverage the media has received as the spike in readership allows the media to prove their reliability. Due to this, the large number of eyes on media has pushed for accurate information and sources. “I think this is a fantastic time for journalism,” Alexander says. “Almost every newspaper has a larger readership than any other time. In many ways the responsible media is more ethical than years ago. Also, there are more ways for the audience to monitor the conducts of the media.” As Emma had recently graduated from high school journalism, she got to witness the power of her published stories on the Liberty Township and East community. From writing in-depth stories on the heroin epidemic and transgender policy, Emma has been able to make an impact to readers of all ages and grades. “My favorite memories in journalism are [the] different stories I have written that have had an impact. When I wrote about low income students, I was able to turn it into a feature about one family I met,” Emma says. “The girl I featured texted me after and thanked me for telling her story and clearing up common misconceptions about low income families. That’s the kind of impact I want journalism to make on the world.” •

East student demonstrates package’s theme of paint splashed over his eyes and duct tape over his mouth displaying the topic of the story.

GOODBYE, HIGH SCHOOL Even though the high school graduation rate is at an all-time high in the United States, some students decide to drop out of school in order to pursue other goals. story lexy harrison | photo illustration meredith niemann | infographic meredith niemann

o one understood his decision. With his fellow peers in transit of the collegiate route, he was expected to leave East with a diploma; however, at 17-years-old, he decided to say goodbye to his classmates with a different goal in mind. Former East student Ben Weisbrodt signed his last form of paperwork in the fall of his junior year in 2016 to finalize his decision to drop out of high school. With a few goodbye waves to his friends and a massive clean out of his locker, Weisbrodt was officially no longer a high school student.

According to former president Barack Obama in October 2016, the high school graduation rate in the United States reached an “all-time high of 83 percent in the 2014-15 school year, marking the fifth straight record-setting year.” Even with this high percentage of his classmates receiving a diploma, Weisbrodt still continued with his decision confidently. The graduation rate declined since 2014 as that year’s graduating class “had 93 percent of its students graduate, which was the highest graduation rate from 2011 to 2015,” according to the US News and

November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 45

package | the divide

52%

of 302 East students surveyed say that they know someone who has dropped out of high school. World Report website. However, that average graduation rate since 2014 is still higher than Ohio’s average. Former East counselor Denise McLinden and now independent college counselor and coach at Alliance College Coaching believes a common factor of students wanting to drop out of high school is boredom. McLinden says a lot of the students dropping out are very intelligent, but they do not click with their peers, teachers or the school work, which leads them to make the decision to leave. “A lot of [the students] think they are not as bright [as other students]. They think high school and college [is] too hard and they’d rather just go work,” McLinden says. “They know the information they’re getting in school but don’t think that it’s going to help them.” For Weisbrodt, dropping out was the best opportunity for him to start working towards being a sole proprietor early in his life and heading into the marketing business earlier than most do. According to a 2012 study by 26 percent became parents

Experian’s Business Information Solutions, the average small business owner is 50.3-years-old. “By the time I was a freshman, I started questioning why I was at school,” Weisbrodt says. “I didn’t understand why there were people who didn’t go to school and [were] really successful in life and people who went to school [and] spent their life in debt.”

ccording to a 2016 Federal Reserve Board survey, about four in ten adults under 30 years old have student loan debt. Among adults ages 18 to 29, 37 percent say they have outstanding student loans from their education. Weisbrodt does not regret dodging this accumulation of debt and has more time to work on his own website. “It really sucked because as a kid, nobody really understands what’s happening in your life,” Weisbrodt says. “They just assume you’re a bad kid and you’re going to stop [going to school] and be a drug addict, even though it’s not like that.” When Weisbrodt first brought up the idea of leaving school earlier in his high school career, his mother Deneane Poynter was at first apprehensive, but was open to any option that would help him receive a diploma— traditionally or through a special program. Weisbrodt says that, “my mom didn’t really know how to [help me] find ways to do what I wanted to do.”

22 percent to care for family members

20 percent for other reasons

32 percent for work

Male: 7.1 percent

Asian: 1.1 percent

A 2014 childtrends. org study revealed the percentage of students dropping out from several different groups:

Hispanic: 10.6 percent

Female: 5.9 percent

African American: 7.3 percent

A 2013 study by the Huffington Post found that people dropped out of high school for several reasons.

46 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

Caucasian: 5.2 percent

sources childtrends.org & Huffington Post

Clinical psychologist, associate professor at the University of Cincinnati and director of the Program on Childhood Trauma and Maltreatment Barbara Boat has had two patients who dealt with the decision of whether or not to stay in high school. These individuals ended up leaving the school setting to pursue other options for learning and now have advanced degrees. Boat does not like the term “dropouts” as these young adults are not dropping out from society, but from school for a number of complex reasons. According to a 2013 study by Huffington Post, 32 percent of individuals dropped out of high school to work, 26 percent became parents, 22 percent had to care for a family member and 20 percent left for other reasons. “One of the most important items about leaving school early, especially as a senior, is to help them have a plan for the next year— and further after,” Boat says. “[And] if they can, [they can] get support services in place. Hopefully a parent will be involved as well.” Member of the Lakota Board of Education Ray Murray believes one main reason students drop out of school is because they fall behind in credits, usually in ninth grade, and never catch up after. By the time they reach their junior or senior year and see that they do not have enough credits to graduate, they tend to dropout.

sychiatrist Susan Kuschnir says the majority of her patients she has seen dropped out of school were because of unexpected pregnancies or mental illnesses. These individuals may have extreme anxiety which affects their ability to attend school. Similarly, Weisbrodt has been battling clinical depression and anxiety disorders. This affected his attendance in school significantly. Poynter realized that being in the school setting caused Weisbrodt stress and anxiety that she hadn’t realized earlier in his high school career. “It must be a terrible feeling to be someplace and be that uncomfortable,” Poynter says. “How could anyone function? It made me understand him [more]. I would never have dreamed that that was so stressful to him. At times, I actually feel bad about forcing him into that situation.” Weisbrodt says there were days that he wouldn’t get out of bed, wouldn’t eat and wouldn’t sleep. He and 5.1 percent of American adolescents ages 3 to 17-years-old deal with anxiety and/or depression issues with these and sometimes more symptoms, according to national data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 20052011. “Usually there’s more than one problem with these adolescents [with mental illnesses]. The majority of [patients] were having difficult

the divide | package life issues,” Kuschnir says. “For example, they [may have] had special behavioral and intellectual needs in school. Or they were suicidal, homicidal or psychotic. Sometimes these issues feel bigger than completing high school.”

ccording to a 2006 national survey by the Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health, over 50 percent of students with emotional and behavioral disabilities ages 14 and older, drop out of high school. McLinden says after the student meets with a counselor and converses about dropping out, he or she goes through the district controlled policy with the Board of Education to finalize the decision. “We try very hard [to change the individual’s mind], but by the time that they’re signing papers, you’ve been trying for a long time,” McLinden says. “The graduation requirements are changing for Ohio. They’re changing the pathways for students to get their diplomas [as] I think each state tries to make it as possible as they can [for higher graduation rates].” Murray is passionate on bringing back former East and West students who left school early and helping them receive their diplomas.

Ideally, he would like to bring back every high school dropout and do whatever he can to see them graduate. “I would love for them to get back into the [school] system,” Murray says. “That would mean that they would take online classes. But we need to get them back here [so we can] be productive members in society.” Similar to Murray, McLinden is enthusiastic on seeing her students succeed in the school setting. She has had the opportunity to encourage young adults to stay in high school; however, not all of her pupils left East with their caps and gowns. Out of 302 East students surveyed, 52 percent say they know someone who dropped out of high school. “Sometimes kids dropout by not coming in,” McLinden says. “And we couldn’t even get the family to come in and fill out the paperwork. It didn’t always work. [When it didn’t work], I would have tears in my eyes when the kid finished the last class and got out without a diploma.” McLinden says another major contribution to a student deciding to drop out is his or her family. If the student’s family does not value education highly, than the individual will see that and not prioritize his or her own education.

She says that the young adults who leave school early, “never get to see what it will look like for them to do their best. Family is key.”

eisbrodt has been working on a “full sale” website where he buys and sells popular products and will register as a sole proprietor as soon as he turns 18-years-old. He also is planning on meeting with other businesses and helping them advertise via social media. “I didn’t start questioning [school] until I got older. It didn’t make sense to me because I wouldn’t come to school that much,” Weisbrodt says. “I thought, ‘why would I want to [come to school] when it doesn’t benefit me when I can be [starting a business]?’” Even though Weisbrodt made the final decision to leave East a year and a half before his graduation, Poynter says she sees a lot of value in her son taking the steps necessary to enter the real world and build his own business. “I don’t [want to] dump on his dreams. I get him to think on the legal side [of things] because he’s not 18-years-old yet,” Poynter says. “I will [always] be there [for him and] I will continue to support him in any way that I can.” •

Kumon Math and Reading Center of West Chester 8202 Highland Pointe Drive West West Chester, OH 45069 513-777-0888 • kumon.com/west-chester-oh

LOCALMOTIVE Right: What was once Twisted Sisters is now The Pretzel Place, a stop in or sit down restaurant that serves handmade pretzels and pretzel bun sandwiches. They let the slightly sweet dough rise into a bun shape and can serve it with a side of beer cheese made in house with local beer. “It’s a special recipe,” says owner Beth Saunders. “It was not my recipe but we do have rights to that recipe so nobody else has it.”

t Shop

e Schneider’s Swe

The Pretzel Place

Above: Opened in 1939, the ice cream and candy store became a staple in the Bellevue area. Owner Jack Schneider inherited the business from his father and now solely makes all the candy available in his store—the most popular being opera creams. “We still keep things the same from how they used to be in the 30’s and 40’s,” says Schneider. “We make three to four hundred pounds a day of candy as if I like it, I’ll make it.”

The Cozy Cottage

Below: Serving traditional Thai food to their customers is what Siam Orchid strives for, whether it’s from their pad Thai to curry. The caring and family-oriented environment instilled in the restaurant allows employee Amanda Nguyen to take care of all their customers to the fullest potential. “When you go to modern Thai restaurants, they use a lot more western ingredients,” says Nguyen. “We use real, fresh flavors in dishes that have been around Thai culture [for] generations.”

Left: Bellevue’s walkable, oldtown-feel created a perfect community for The Cozy Cottage owner Barb Wiedeman to open a local consignment shop over 13 years ago. Full of crafting supplies, merchandise and the most popular handmade American Girl doll clothes, a majority of The Cozy Cottage’s items are hand-made by local suppliers and artists. “Often, small shops are not more expensive than the big [shops],” says Wiedeman. “Seeing all the creative stuff people bring is my favorite part of owning a boutique.”

urant

i Resta a h T d i h c r O m a Si

localmotive | culture

This quaint, thriving town just outside of Newport has caught the attention of locals inside and outside of the area. story caroline bumgarner, sidney li and samadhi marapane photography samadhi marapane | art caroline bumgarner

Bell

evue , KY

Left: Torn Light Records has a wide selection of used records, cassettes and cds as well as zines which are short pamphlets including poems, reviews etc. Because they buy and trade vinyls, the stock is constantly rotating and covers a wide array of genres. “We specialize in experimental music,” says co-owner Dan Buckley. “There’s a lot of like noise and avant garde music that we sell here that not a lot of the other shops around the area or even further will kind of stock”

Mrs. Teapots T

Torn Light Records

Resen8 Art Ga

llery

Above: Unlike most art galleries, mother and son Patricia Lynch and Brandon Maupin teach painting classes from beginners to advanced. With Lynch’s traditional portrait style and Maupin’s contemporary abstract style, they intend to reach out to Bellevue in a broad fashion. “We like everything about art. We love to see people painting in their own style,” says Maupin. “We simply love everything about art.”

ea Room

Above: Nestled on the busy Bellevue strip is Mrs. Teapots Tea Room, where Lunch can be had and tea can be sipped. Co-owner Paula Gallo-Knight had reinstated a classic tea room equipped with hats and gloves and all antique or homemade decor and furniture. “Our most popular tea is probably the french carmel creme brulee,” says Gallo-Knight. “We do try to change them on the seasons… We also sell our tea here, you can buy all the bags of tea and we sell everything you need to purchase it.”

Right: 12 years ago, owner Crystal Thompson began running her local boutique shop Splendid Things, in the developing area of Bellevue. Her goal was to sell a wide selection of jewelry, clothes and other eccentric, unconventional products. “There are mottos, such as ‘it’s the most unusual shop’ and ‘precious people deserve splendid things.’” says Thompson. “Our selection of jewelry [is the most popular item sold.] People know I’ve got odd things and like to come in here for something different.”

Splendid Things

culture | restaurant reviews

RESTAURANT REVIEW:

CHEAPSIDE CAFE review samadhi marapane | photography caroline bumgarner & samadhi marapane

heapside Café consists of fairy-light strung ceilings, free Wi-Fi and wooden tabletops—perfect for the Instagram brunch pictures. With the choice of indoor or outdoor self-seating, a vast demographic of people can come to the one-of-akind café to enjoy a serene escape from the buzz of downtown. The menu, while still being small and concise, has a wide selection of healthy choices, including sandwiches, salads and more. Cheapside is known for their unique take on sandwiches filled with odd, yet tasty, combinations of ingredients from curried chicken salad and green apples, to grilled cheese with spaghetti squash and roasted tomatoes. Sitting by the windows that cover an entire side of the small building, or the rustic picnic tables in the fenced area outdoors, the kind service of waiters/waitresses wait to bring drinks and dishes to awaiting customers in a minimal 15 minutes. With soft alternative music contributing to the calming aura of the café, Cheapside is the perfect place to hold meetings or get work done without much of a nuisance from loud talking due to the small and compact nature of the spot. For those in need of a filling breakfast, which is served throughout the day, the challah French toast is a great option. The elegant stack of two thick slices of challah bread is served with fresh whipped cream, pecans and maple syrup. With the perfect balance of sweet maple syrup and complimentary bread, the intricate dish can appease anyone. There is only one daily brew of coffee to have prepared to the customer’s liking, as well as tea, which can be prepared iced or hot. Milk can be added to create dainty latte art and almond milk is also available as a vegan friendly option. If you find yourself downtown and in need of a cheap, quick bite to eat, whether a hipster ambience is your forte or not, this café is the perfect spot for a sit-down breakfast or lunch. •

location: 326 E 8th St Cincinnati, OH

hours: Mon-Sun 7:00am-3:00pm price: $$

hours: Mon-Thu

7:00am-10:00 pm Fri-Sat 7:00am-11:00pm Sun 7:00am - 9:00 pm

location: 6752 Cincinnati Dayton Rd, Suite103 Liberty township, Ohio

price: $$

itting just a block away from East’s main campus lies Fireside Cafe, the perfect neighborhood spot to enjoy a scrumptious breakfast before school, a pick me up lunch, or a bite to eat after a Friday night football game. With its large variety of menu choices, this cafe can definitely help celebrate a home game victory with an Italian Stromboli or drown your sorrows in a piece of chocolate cake. traditional lunch cafe on the exterior is really a breakfast-lunch-dinner restaurant on the inside, complete with a small outdoor patio for open air dining on warmer days. The restaurant itself has a cozy aura, with its remodeled rustic touches, such as the bar area. The walls are decorated with photographs of different Cincinnati landmarks, which beams with Hometown pride. The cafe has traditional comfort food, such as lasagna with ricotta and mozzarella cheese and gourmet pizzas. But it also has old school choices like beef liver, which consists of beef liver smothered in caramelized onions, mushrooms, and homemade brown gravy. You could even bring your grandparents! Healthy foodies, don’t be scared away by the sound of these decadent dishes, as there are a plethora of healthy options to choose from, including 10 different salads with grilled meat options and homemade salad dressings. The waitress recommended any of their Strombolis, since they are the best sellers. The most popular Italian Stromboli is a classic, stuffed with Italian meats, a cheese blend, peppers, onions, and sauce. The healthy option of roasted vegetable salad which consisted of oven roasted carrots, squash, zucchini, peppers, onions, and mushrooms over mixed greens topped with marinated chicken was a filler. The fresh vegetables were impressive and all the different flavors melded together to create one perfect simple, yet savory dish. With all of its fiery menu options, Fireside Cafe is a place where even the pickiest of eaters will look forward to every time. •

RESTAURANT REVIEW:

FIRESiDE CAFE

review gabbie behrmann | photography caroline bumgarner & gabbie behrmann November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 51

culture | album reviews

MUSIC REVIEWS F

ive years was not enough time for Kesha to pull together a decent album. Released on August 11, “Rainbow” is a mediocre-at-best album about liberation, long awaited freedom, and indifference. The concept of the album, not giving a darn, is the perfect theme for the long awaited album of a popstar. Kesha told her listeners what emotions she had bottled up during rehab and legal battles over the past few years, but executed it poorly. Rainbow is not pop, it is not country, it is not rock, it is not gospel, but a cluttered mix of many genres that shouldn’t go together. There isn’t enough unity throughout the album to be able to throw indie and soul vibes together Beginning with the song “Bastards”, the album seems to be extremely explicit but carefree. It is positive and uplifting despite its unusual word choice. The most troubling part of this piece is that it’s beautiful, but clouded with obscenities in almost half the lines. By the time the next track, “Let ‘Em Talk” begins, a rock guitar riff comes out of nowhere. It eases into a chorus that is similar to her former pop style.Her most popular track so far, “Praying”, is not as bizarre. It’s an anthem of hope that preaches bravery for everyone who fights demons. While the message that runs through Rainbow is spot-on, Kesha needs to reevaluate what genre she writes and performs. As well, she should work on turning her ideas into songs that are acceptable enough to play in public because I miss being able to turn on the radio and sing along. - Leah Boehner

“I’m proud of who I am. No more monsters, I can breathe again” - “Rainbow”

“You got the best advice but I won’t call / I know I’m grown so I do not need ya’ll” - “Luv is Rage 2”

“Motherless child can you hear me? I will give you a home. You were never alone” - “Wonderful Wonderful”

RAINBOW ARTIST: KESHA GENRE: POP

album reviews | culture

I WONDERFUL WONDERFUL

ARTIST: THE KILLERS GENRE: ALTERNATIVE

nstrumentals. That’s all I could think of as I was listening to The Killers’ new album “Wonderful Wonderful”. I wasn’t paying attention to the powerful vocals or the electronically generated sounds. I was focusing on the cold, hard instrumentals that are the core of any band. “Wonderful Wonderful” features thirteen new songs that all have common vocals and a common vibe, but what differentiates them are the distinct feelings put out by the instruments. The guitar is clean but still blends in. The bass is almost forgotten, but when it’s needed it’s right there. The drums push each song along at a steady yet colorful beat. The piano breathes life into the song putting lyrical feel into the areas with no vocals. Wonderful Wonderful’s downfall, however, is the feeling of repetitiveness throughout the album. It feels as if it’s the same song playing over and over but with different lyrics and a mutation of the previous beat. All in all, the album in its entirety isn’t anything to write home about, and deserves the amount of publicity it has gotten: not much at all. The Killer’s have yet to put out anything substantially different from their current music and thus have not been able to bring in new listeners. I’m a new listener of The Killer, however, I don’t think I’ll be a returning one. I’d say if it’s free through a premium account of Apple Music, Spotify or SoundCloud check it out, but to be blunt “Wonderful Wonderful” isn’t all that wonderful. - Richard Giang

il Uzi Vert (Symere Woods) breaks the mold with a solid follow up album to 2015’s “Luv Is Rage,” “Luv Is Rage 2.” Even after placing in the 2016 XXL Freshman class, and having a United States’ Billboard Hot 100 collaboration with Migos, Woods continues to establish himself as a prolific rapper with playful verses and beats that differentiate him from the rest. With tracks like “Two®,” “444+222” and “Sauce It Up” explaining the downsides on coming up in the rap game. Woods has with verses like “Yeah, the famous life, it’ll eat you up alive. It’s a game and I put my feelings to the side” that illustrate Woods’ struggle and not just economic gain. Something appealing about Woods’ music, and this album is how relatable it is despite the difference between Woods and his fans. Tracks like “The Way Life Goes,” have a positive wisdom to them. Verses like “I know it hurts sometimes but you’ll get over it, you’ll find another life to live”, provide advice that only lifts the listener up without condemning, while many other artists talk down in order to feel better. Woods isn’t afraid to touch on difficulties in relationships, and does it in an appealing way. In “Feelings Mutual” and “XO TOUR Lif3,” Woods talks about his how his troubles with drug addiction affected his ability to move on from his most recent relationship. Woods creatively uses lyrical motifs in verses like “I can’t feel, my body’s numb” to explain not only his addiction, but also how he’s learned to satisfy himself in other ways. Overall, Woods’ latest project is a solid representation of his current state of mind that holds up to the hype of Woods’ recent popularity. Using features like Pharrell Williams, and The Weeknd to expand and improve the composition and style of his music is just the cherry on top considering how Woods focuses on using attitudes that most rappers don’t attempt. - McKenna Lewis

LUV IS RAGE 2

ARTIST: LIL UZI VERT GENRE: RAP

culture | the rua

THE RUA Unraveled story caroline bumgarner photography fair use

The British band The Rua recently dropped their first extended play on Spotify.

eing on stage with bright lights glaring and thousands of eyes staring is intimidating. Opening for major artists isn’t always easy, but years of experience and the presence of siblings can help ease the tension. Between living in Windsor, England and spending time with family in Ireland, Alanna, Roseanne and Jonathan Brown were immersed in the world of music. The Browns are all classically trained pianists, vocalists, and violinists and received theatrical training. “When we were growing up we did a lot of competitions in Ireland called the Feis,” says Alanna. “It would be an individuals, you get up

you play the piano, you get up you sing in front of a big audience and I think that helps a lot [with building stage presence].” In 2013, the three siblings officially formed their band and named it “The Rua”. Their name is derived from the Hebrew word “Ruah” meaning essence and two years later, Field of Dream records took on the band. The Rua released their first album “Essence”, featuring five songs that were all co-written by them. As one of the songwriters and members, Jonathan says he enjoys writing songs for the band. “[Song writing] is kind of like therapy in a way because you just kind of write it and it’s done,” says Jonathan. ”A lot of the songs now have a different meaning now than they did when we wrote them and a lot of the time we don’t like to say what we mean as well because we like people to get their own interpretation.” Alanna feels that many bands have influenced their sound. She says their music a

blend of pop, folk and rock. With inspiration from bands such as the Corrs and Mumford and Sons. “I think a lot as well, people come up to us and they don’t just say you sound like this and you sound like that,” says Jonathan. “I take that as a good thing then because they aren’t pin pointing us to one person that we sound like.”

he Rua came out with a new single this year, “Fire and Lies”, which Alanna says has been their most successful song yet and Jonathan was in full agreement. “Someone messaged us after they heard ‘Fight for What’s Right’ and told us about what they had been through and it was great to see how people connected it to themselves,” says Jonathan. “I was like ‘Oh wow, I’ve heard about that before with other songs and other artists but I never thought it would kind of happen to us.’” •

The Rua members from left to right: Roseanna, Jonathan and Alanna.

SONG REVIEW:

BY: THE RUA

“I’M OKAY”

eatured on Britist pop band The Rua’s debut album, “I’m Okay” opens with a steady drum beat and catchy piano melody. Lead vocalist Rosanna Brown carries a passionate and dreamy tone on this track. The chorus, which says, “I’ll stand on my own, and life will go on and I’m okay where it should be with only me and I’m okay.” encapsulates the message of the song.

54 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

The Rua is professing that even when things seem disarray, you will always be okay when you are able to ground yourself and stand strong. “I’m Okay” is worth adding to a playlist that you may listen to while studying or just to have as background chill noise. It resembles a Mumford & Sons vibe but because The Rua has a female lead vocalist, they do differ in tones. - caroline bumgarner

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diy | culture

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut the fabric so it measures six inches wide and fifteen inches long. 2. Fold the fabric in half length wise (hotdog) with the pattern on the inside and sew together the edge that is not folded, leaving a 1/4 inch seam on the fabric. 3. You should now have a tube shape with the fabric inside out. Iron open the seam that was just sewn so it stays flat on the table. 4. Flip the fabric so the tube is right side out. 5. Center the seam and iron the fabric until itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no longer a tube and stays flat on the table. 6. Cut the hair tie at its seam. 7. Place 3/4 of an inch of one end of the hair tie onto one end of the fabric.. 8. On the same end, fold one corner down so it makes a triangle over the hair tie. Fold the other corner down the same way. 9. Sew down the center of the two flaps, making sure to sew directly over the hair tie in order to trap it inside the end of the headband. 10. Repeat steps six through eight for the other end of the fabric. 11. You are finished!

Fabric 1 Hair tie Scissors Sewing Machine (or Needle with Thread) Pins (Optional) An Iron

November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 55

culture | red metafor

LOCAL LEGENDS

56 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

red metafor | culture

Local band Red Metafor, a combination of East and West students, has come together to produce an EP that has recently made it onto iTunes and Spotify. story kayleigh bearden | photography vivica heidenreich | art tyler bonawitz

uitar riffs can be heard in the background. The tuning of the bass murmurs behind. Drumsticks fall to the floor. The screech of the microphone echoes through the garage. Above it all, a voice sings the alphabet followed by “Ch-checheck. Check. Check. Check. 1...2...3…We’ll start in 5 minutes.” For the members of the band Red Metafor, it’s just a typical Saturday. Red Metafor was created back in 2013 when long time family friends, East junior Bryce Forren and West senior Hayden Redwine started playing music together. “[Hayden] was getting me really into music. He has a very musical family, and he showed me how he could play piano to songs that I like and so I wanted to learn an instrument,” says Forren. “Eventually we both knew how to play an instrument so we decided to start playing

music together.” The band grew to also include West senior and drummer Gage Metz and Redwine’s brother Nolan Redwine, who played bass. But when Nolan moved to the Indianapolis area, the band needed a new bassist. West senior Calvin Proffit filled the position on April 2017. The band’s name is a combination of the last names of the members excluding Proffit; Redwine, Forren, and Metz became Red Metafor. On a rainy day in October 2015, Red Metafor was able to perform together for their first time. “It was me, Gage, Hayden and Nolan all playing in my garage, then it rained. So we put tents [up] for people who sat in my driveway and watched us play in my garage,” says Forren. “It sounded really bad but it was a lot of fun and they all pretended to like it. But our tone and our

November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 57

culture | red metafor timing was weird and we ended up playing a song twice because we ran out of songs.” Since their first performance in Forren’s garage, Red Metafor has come a long way as Forren says he “doesn’t even get nervous before a show.” They frequently play at the venue The Underground in the greater Cincinnati area. Some of their songs were recently placed on Apple’s music platform iTunes, which Forren says was a pretty complicated process. “We had to get certain files from the person who produced our album. Once we got that, we went through a website that allowed us to pay to copyright our songs,” says Forren. “When we had them copyrighted, we were able to distribute them onto iTunes.”

hile it has been a lot of work— with having to produce their songs, copyrighting them, and sorting out the details of getting on iTunes, they haven’t had to do it alone. Hayden and Nolan’s father Jeff Redwine has been supporting Red Metafor since the beginning, due to his experience in the industry. Jeff ’s band Porterhouse had a large audience in the local level so he managed to hook the band up with The Underground.

“He actually helped us write our song ‘Ira’,” says Forren. “He’s helped in the writing process when we got stuck. He does a bit of everything. ” Similar to his son, Jeff works to help out Red Metafor just like Jeff ’s parents did with Porterhouse when he was younger. Through connections and constant tips that once were foreign to Jeff, they now are the guidelines that he uses for Hayden and Nolan. When Jeff was in high school, his parents bought him his first drum set. Two years later, he started playing in a band and the constant support from Jeff ’s parents alleviated the constant commitment to playing an instrument. “I started playing in an original band when I was in college and my dad paid for my band to be recorded at a recording studio,” says Jeff. “I’m 49 and I still play in a band so it’s [been] a great experience. I’m happy to help the boys.” Forren believes having a successful band is all about knowing people “[that] you just have to know people and then know their people.” One of the connections was when Forren met his producer Paul Otten as he played drums and guitar in a band with Jeff in the nineties. Because Otten was a friend of the family, he was willing to produce Red Metafor’s album for a low price in

comparison to other people.

ven though the process of getting produced and placed on iTunes was strenuous, writing songs wasn’t much facile either. As it took a much longer time than originally planned, the process became easier as time went on. Metz says that the songwriting process is when “someone comes in with an idea, like a riff and then feeding off each other. We come up with different parts at first. [When] we come up with the parts, we organize the song by deciding what parts are a verse or the chorus, then apply the lyrics. After that, you got a song.” All the band members of Red Metafor have written all of their original songs that they have played and released. Even though they have written all of their original songs, they also perform covers of popular rock songs at their concerts. Currently, Red Metafor is working on writing new songs with the newest member Proffit. As there are new doors opening for the teenage band, they all are committed into pulling the strings of success and fun that music has in store for them. •

L to R: Proffit, Metz, Forren, and Redwine play infront of a crowd.

hIN

NINE PARKS TO VISIT IN CINCINNATI

KEY:

As the urbanization in Cincinnati grows, so does the popularity of local parks. infographic lexy harrison

2. Winton Woods Park

Picnic area

Dog park

Hiking trails/ scenery

Sports fields/courts

Playground areas

Other attractions

3. French Park

4. Otto Armleder Park

2. 1.

1.Buttercup Valley

7. 9.

6. 5.

9. Smale Riverfront Park

5. California Woods Nature Preservation

8. Washington Park 6. Hyde Park

7.Eden Park

sources cincinnatiusa.com, cincinnatiparks.com

culture | buzzed bull

BUZZED BULL

CREAMERY

A new creamery in downtown Cincinnati is growing in popularity with their unique and rustic approach to the favorite sweet.

story jessica jones photography samadhi marapane

60 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

n a sea of grey buildings lies the colorful community of Over the Rhine near downtown Cincinnati, that is covered in beautiful murals and buildings painted with vibrant colors. Among them is a purple strip that is home to Buzzed Bull Creamery. Up the stoop and beside the massive bull logo lies the door with a “pet friendly” sign. Inside the industrial chic space is refurbished furniture and the “creamiest ice cream in Cincinnati.” Customer’s eyes are easily diverted to the giant tank of liquid nitrogen that help them make their one of a kind ice cream. Buzzed Bull opened their doors to the public in May 2017 with their unique style of mixing ice cream right before customer’s eyes through flash freezing with liquid nitrogen. The creamery is hoping to keep expanding and are looking into getting a location near Liberty Center in the future. Co-owner, Kaitlyn Mounce says that she and her husband and co-owner Shane Mounce would like to see more families coming into their business and that a location near Liberty Township or West Chester would be ideal. “We would have loved to see more families up here during the day in summer, but you’re going to see more families in the suburbs and we realized that,” says Mounce. “However, even though we aren’t getting that specific crowd, we’re hoping to see business spring back up during the day once college season starts.” Mounce and her husband knew they wanted to own a business since they first planned their lives together nine years ago. Even though owning a small business is known for its arduous process, the Mounces were willing to take the chance and try it out. Kaitlyn says that they “didn’t know what we were going to do but we knew we wanted a business.” The idea for Buzzed Bull came to them one night while they were sitting on their couch and eating ice cream while drinking alcohol. “Once we discovered freezing [ice cream] with liquid nitrogen, we started to realize that we can upgrade the liquid and we can change the flavors,”

says Kaitlyn. “We can literally make anything you want behind that counter.” For adults 21 and over, Buzzed Bull has ice cream with some alcoholic infusions that coincide with the creative, non-alcoholic combinations in their pet-friendly establishment. On the business’ opening weekend they ran out of liquid nitrogen. As many customers were coming in out of curiousity of combining liquid nitrogen and ice cream, the total equated to about 1.8 thousand ice creams all served to people of every age that day. Kaitlyn says “we make sure we are known as a creamery first. [We want] to be kid friendly [and] family friendly first.” Buzzed Bull Creamery has four monthly special flavors for that correlates to that current month. Those four flavors are predefined and are the only premade item on the menu, since they are made every morning. Mounce says that as the holiday season rolls around they will begin to have a set theme every month. First time customer Kayla Murphy says that she “really liked [the] mint and peanut butter cups” flavor combination. Also, that fusion of ice cream was “more refreshing than normal ice cream” because of the lighter, yet creamy texture. “I would definitely come back, I just wish it was closer to where I live,” Murphy says. “ But it’s nice and has a good aura around it.” Employee Gabby Hamilton started working at Buzzed Bull Creamery a couple of weeks after the grand opening. Hamilton says that she loves working at the creamery and the atmosphere is “very fun.” However, she can’t actually make the ice cream because she is underage, but she says being moved up to the register from washing dishes is one of her proudest moments. “I think [Buzzed Bull] adds to the upcoming changes of [Over the Rhine],” says Hamilton. “[It’s] because it’s not a bad area anymore and it adds to the new style of the area.” •

BEST PHO IN WEST CHESTER 7844 Kingland Dr. Suite E, West Chester, OH 45069 513-779-8448 www.pho96.com Like us on facebook: facebook/pho96

sports | varsity football

EARLY HAWK GETS THE ROCK The East varsity football team faced many pre-season, mid-season and post-season challenges. story lauren maier I photography richard giang I infographic dustin horter

ast Varsity football ended the season with loss 36-0 to Mason, but despite that adversity, the team looks to build on a near playoff appearance for next year. Prior to this game East had a 6-3 overall record. The team had a good start to their season winning their first three games against Walnut Hills, Kings and Princeton. The highlight of the year was the annual rivalry game against West. East junior and wide receiver Evan Yablonsky was impressed with the team’s win 35-0 victory at West . “Beating West was definitely a high point,” Yablonsky said. “To shut them out for the first time, in their homecoming game, was one of the best parts of the season.” According to Yablonsky the season did come with unexpected issues. Seven varsity players, including four starters were suspended for the final three games due to illicit activities. “It was hard to replace [the suspended players] on the field but our guys really stepped up and took on the challenge,” Yablonsky says. “I think that it inevitably had an effect on our playoff picture looking into weeks nine and ten, but our guys still played hard. Going into their final weeks of the season East had a chance at the playoffs. The top eight teams in the Ohio division one, district four region make it into the playoffs. Coming into week eight of their season East was in ninth place with GMC foes Sycamore and Mason above them. If East would have won against Sycamore (a 40-13 loss) or Mason they would have likely had a spot in the playoffs. The loss of four starters provided many underclassman an opportunity to prove themselves on the varsity field. Assistant Coach Carl Longworth believes that the team did really well throughout the season. He believes the team faced a lot of adversity, and came together as a team. “Sophomores [and freshman] played up on varsity and did a great job competing with some of the upperclassmen,” Yablonsky said. “Overall, our guys stepped up, put the team before themselves and did whatever they needed to do to help our team fill the gaps left by those individuals.” Although the 2017 Football season is over, the players are hopeful for a better 2018 season. According to Yablonsky the team plans to achieve this goal by hard work and dedication. East will start their season offseason workouts and training on Nov. 24.. “We have some holes to fill with the seniors that [will] graduate who

are in leadership goals and starters,” Longworth says. “We’re going to have the younger guys step up and they’re getting ready to start working in the weight room. Coach [Richard] Haynes puts them through a lot of grueling workout during the post and pre season to get them prepared come Aug. 1” According to Longworth, starting training at the earliest time allowed by the Ohio High School Athletic Association is one of many steps to moving on and getting better for the next season. “Our main thing to improve for next year is to fill the gaps that our starters left,” Yablonsky says. “We will be rebuilding our offensive line from scratch, so lifting and getting stronger will be crucial. Working throughout the offseason and replacing our starters with equally strong players is our focus.” East junior and running back Sean Church agrees. Church thinks that the offseason work that the team does contributes directly to how the team plays on the field. If the team works hard during the winter and summer, their efforts will show throughout the season. The off season will provide improvements for the team. Yablonsky and Church both said that if the team works hard in the postseason then the team’s performance will reflect their efforts. Over the post season the Yablonsky wants to strengthen their ties with all of the players on the team. “We can improve as a team physically, mentally and start to gain chemistry for the next season,” Church says. “We will need to work hard i️n the weight room and take other roadblocks out. Just getting to know each other more than football is great for a team.” East junior and wide receiver Evan Yablonsky and his other teammates headed to the weight room on Thanksgiving break to start their football conditioning for the next season. Head football coach Richard Haynes has a set practice schedule for the players throughout the 2017-18 school year. “The players train four days a week in the off season and then the training, we are required by the state of Ohio to take 28 days off after the last game,” Haynes says. “This year we started the day after Thanksgiving and the kids have been lifting four days a week from that point on.” As the post-winter season ends the the next year pre-season begins into the summer. During the pre-season conditioning for Yablonsky and his teammates intensifies.

November 28th, 2016:

May 19th, 2017:

Lifiting begins the day after thanksgiving in preparation for the next season.

Heavy lifting begins along with outdoor running and conditioning.

March 1st 2017: The weather begins to get warmer and as a result, outdoor practices begin with continued lifting.

varsity football | sports

East senior Jeff Garcia runs a play in a game against Oak Hills. “When summer hits, it’s an hour workout of generally lifting weights and then an hour of running,” Yablonsky says. “ [During the school year] it’s real football training.” Summer break acts as a transition period. The football team has a more laid back winter and spring training, which contrasts from the intense summer and fall practice. “Ever since the season got closer we started conditioning [workouts],” Yablonsky says. “We would do running here and there and then when [the season] got closer, [conditioning] got more intense for the running part.” Yablonsky’s hard work and training reflects on the field. He has a 20.3 yard average, placing him first at east and forth for receivers in the GMC. Yablonsky’s plays help East rank third overall in the GMC. Practices throughout the beginning of the school year are a set routine each week. East junior and offensive tackle Sam Florence elaborates on what happens at practice within each week, explaining the difficulty levels. “Our practices are pretty intense,” Florence says. “We practice for a little over two hours everyday. Monday’s and Thursday’s are lighter practices because we wear shorts and shoulder pads instead of our full practice gear.” Haynes says the commitment that the players put in does not go

June 1st, 2017: All players for the upcoming season report as conditioning is at it’s peak. The playbook is also introduced.

unnoticed. College recruiters from the local area and surrounding states come and look at what the East football players have to offer. With this, Haynes says that football commitment comes with a lot of training. “The training makes them a lot stronger and gets them more confident,” Haynes says. “I think honestly it cuts down on injuries so i think it is really, really important.” From coach to athlete, the idea of preseason conditioning helping beyond making the team stronger is evident. With numerous core and muscle building activities, being sore has become a familiar feeling with the team. “To prevent injuries, we train really hard in the offseason,” Florence says. “[We train] so that our bodies are as prepared as possible for playing football.” Prevention of injuries in the preseason is important for the players and the coaches. According to lead athletic trainer Kevin Stokes, there are ways to prevent these injuries. Some of the most common injuries for the team are ankle and shoulder injuries. “I talk to the athlete about the importance of rest, proper nutrition and staying hydrated,” Stokes says. “I talk to [the players] about taking the preseason seriously and making sure they listen to their body.” ...continued on page 75

August 25th, 2017:

October 27th 2017:

All of the preparation contribute to the win put to use in the first game against Walnut Hills.

The training is finally used to it’s fullest potential in the final regular-season game against Mason.

FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE For two of East’s varsity players, their soccer careers are just getting started. story jack parr photography richard giang infographic meredith peters

East junior Kate Larbes fights for possesion of the soccer ball.

or many high school students, choosing a college to attend can be a long and grueling process that goes well into their senior year. The weight of trying to decide where to spend the next four years of a student’s life can make for a stressful final year of high school. For East junior Kate Larbes, the college application process will not be as stressful come senior year. Larbes is a verbal soccer commit for Morehead State University and will only have to work on the college application process after making an early decision. For two of East’s varsity theirsoccer soc-team After being a partplayers, of the varsity cer careers are just getting started. at East since her freshman year, Larbes has already made a substantial impact on the field at east. She was named First Team All Greater Miami Conference (GMC) and All City both her freshman and sophomore year, and accounted for a large portion of the team’s success during last season, scoring seven times and recording four assists . Larbes said that she did not initially intend to commit to a college after her sophomore year, but the combination of help from her coaches and once in a lifetime opportunity caused her to make the decision. “I couldn’t let the opportunity that was presented to me slip by,” Larbes says. “You know when you find the right fit even if it is earlier than expected.” East Women’s Varsity Soccer Coach Tom McEwan praises Larbes for her maturity and professionalism while deciding to commit, saying that she handled the difficult decision very well. “It is truly a grueling process, you can ask anyone who has been through it,” McEwan says. “Kate and her family have devoted a lot of time and effort to the recruiting process and should be complimented on their efforts.” Other athletes around the state and the country have taken after the same trend of deciding as sophomores and juniors. Larbes is part of an increasingly large group of underclassmen who have made early verbal commitments, particularly in soccer. According to topdrawersoccer.com, Ohio has 23 Division I girls soccer commitments for the class of 2019, third in the country trailing only California and Texas. The state of Ohio also accounts for 54 Division I girls soccer 2018 commitments, again ranking third in the nation. Among these underclassmen that have verbally committed to further their athletic careers is Lakota East junior Jenna Kralik. As she is also a member of the East Varsity soccer team, Kralik talked about her decision to commit to Ohio University. “I decided to commit right after sophomore year because teams could be finished with their roster for the 2019 class after early recruiting,” Kralik says. “After touring Ohio [University] I fell in love with the school and I knew I should go there.” In order to make such an impactful decision it is necessary to feel completely comfortable with the

“

underclassmen committing | sports

I am fortunate that Coach McEwan was very active in helping me find the right fit for college soccer. My parents were also very helpful in narrowing down my choices and helped me find the best fit. school that the athlete is choosing to attend. This was the case for both Kralik and Larbes. Larbes who talked about the impression made by Morehead State during her own recruitment process. “Morehead aligned with my academic goals and the location was a good distance for me,” Larbes says. “I feel like I could make an immediate impact on the field as a freshman.” Another factor in the recruitment process for soccer players is the balance between high school soccer and club soccer. For players that are on high-level club teams in the summer, these leagues can often be more intense than the competition at the school level.

his is especially true for Larbes and Kralik, who are teammates on Cincinnati United Premier (CUP), one of the most wellknown and respected programs in the country. While high school soccer is also a factor, the ultimate decision by a university to offer a player stems from the club organization. “The college coaches had the opportunity to see Kate in the club environment which led to her offer,” McEwan says. “There are aspects of each experience that will contribute to her

-East junior Kate Larbes

success in college. An important concept when an underclassman commits to school before the traditional deadline is that the commitment is a non-binding verbal commitment, meaning that the player could change his or her mind and switch schools at any time. The decision does not become official until the athlete signs a national letter of intent, locking them into a university. Rather than spending her senior year worrying about applications and scholarship opportunities, Larbes credits her coach and parents for their support in helping make the commitment process easier. “I am fortunate that Coach McEwan was very active in helping me find the right fit for college soccer,” Larbes says. “My parents were also very helpful in narrowing down my choices and helped me find the best fit.” After making her big announcement, Larbes will continue to strive for success at the high school level while preparing to take the next step. The junior was asked whether the commitment will have an impact on how she plays and prepares during the remainder of her career at East.

“Yes,” Larbes says. “Knowing I have committed will push me to prepare myself for the collegiate level and get better as a player.” ny time that a student-athlete verbally commits to a university as an underclassman, concern about an injury or change of circumstances usually arises. However, McEwan said that the commitment will have no effect on how Larbes is coached and managed throughout her final two seasons in high school. Similarly to the hundreds of high school athletes across the country that have made the decision to commit to school early in the recruitment process, Larbes certainly has a very bright future in soccer ahead of her. For now, she and her coach remain focused on accomplishing more great things as part of East. “While I have no doubt that Kate will have success at the college level, I am simply looking forward to watching her contribution to the Thunderhawk program over the next two years,” McEwan says. “I am not in any hurry to see her leave and we still have a great deal to accomplish.”•

Outside Midfielder

Being recruited into a division one school takes a lot practice and talent in each position.

-Able to attack and defend -Have high speed and endurance

Goal Keeper

Center Midfielder

-Can throw the ball to teammates 35 to 45 yards away -Able to catch anything when it’s possible to get both hands on the ball.

-Always able to get the first touch on the ball -Able to take deep shots

Forward -Able to use both feet equally -Power and accuracy required for scoring source ncsasports.org

Outside Defender -Must make quick decisions on whether to keep the ball or pass -Have strong defense in a oneagainst-one situation

Center Defender -Have high speed -Must vocally communicate with other defenders November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 65

sports | volleyball

GETTING BACK IN THE East senior Ariel Swain is focused on returning to the volleyball team after enduring a back injury. story stephen mckay I photography julianne ford I infographic michael croy

t was her day, her first visit to Indiana Wesleyan University. It was her day to meet her potential coach, tour the campus and facilities. It was her day to prove that she belonged. East senior and varsity volleyball player Ariel Swain verbally committed to Indiana Wesleyan University in July 2017. “[Ariel] went to Indiana Wesleyan University and not only made do with a [volleyball] tryout on a racquetball court for the coach,” Ariel’s mother Jenn Swain says. “[Ariel] also spoke well to the coach and received an offer the same day.” According to Ariel, her volleyball career has not been easy. Just before Ariel’s senior year she suffered a severe injury to her back during practice in the middle of club season and had to sit out for months. “This past summer I broke my back while playing volleyball,” Ariel says. “When I was taking off my shoes and kneepads at practice, I never thought I wouldn’t be putting them back on for months.” Ariel’s experience with her broken back hasn’t been a completely negative event for her. She says that sitting out made her realize that she wanted to continue to play volleyball in college. This also taught her to never take anything for granted. “Life is too precious to take for granted,” Ariel says. “Before my injury, I hated practices and would sometimes just go through the motions to get a drill over with. Now I would give anything to be back in a drill.” While being on the sideline for all of East’s summer volleyball activities, Ariel has become more of a role model for this year’s East’s varsity volleyball team, according to varsity assistant coach Tony Baldrick. During her 2016-17 season, Ariel racked up an average of 1.92 kills per game and ended the season with kill percentage of .340 on her total attempts. With 174 kills over the course of her senior season, Ariel also has put up 17 blocks and 39 digs. “Ariel has worked to become a better leader and will be a good senior leader on this team,” Baldrick says. “During a lot of our offseason activities you would see [Ariel] helping run our younger kids through drills and helping them with their understanding of the game.” Jenn has also seen Ariel grow up and mature

Volleyball Vocabulary: Kill: whenever the volleyball is unreturnable by the opposing and a point is scored. Kills Per Game: the average number of successful kills by a player each game. Game (set): usually played to 25 however the game must be won by a two-point lead. Match: Matches are typically played to the best of three, or, the best of five.

Swain is ranked tenth in the GMC for Kills Per Game with 2.49.

Swain is ranked seventh in the GMC with 189 kills.

Swain led the GMC in games played with 76.

during her time playing volleyball. She also thinks that Ariel has become a better leader for the underclassmen throughout the past four years. “Ariel has always been a team player, but she has become more of a leader over the years. She really tries to keep the team focused and excited for the game,” Jenn says. “Ariel is someone who coaches, bosses, teachers, and friends can always depend on.” The injury has not only help Ariel become a better leader, but according to her club coach Alex Fuellig, it will help Ariel learn more about the concept of the game. Ariel has experienced many ups and downs through the six years as

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a club player. “I think she really used the injury as a learning opportunity and saw a lot from the sidelines. It allowed her to really watch and see things that happen that you may not always see when you are on the court playing,” Fuellig says. “I think Ariel has used the injury to her advantage and has probably come back better than how she was playing before she got hurt.” Despite her recent injury, Ariel said that she cannot wait to be back on the volleyball court and be able to play with her teammates and especially her friend Casey Gundy. Ariel has had many positive experiences with her team throughout the years.

GAME

“My favorite memories are all when I am with my best friend Casey Gundy,” Ariel says. ”I can look at her from across the court and we can both laugh about the smallest things.” Gundy, also a senior and a player on the East varsity volleyball team has been playing on the same volleyball team as Ariel since they were both in third grade at St. Max. Gundy has seen Ariel grow as a player and as a person throughout their friendship. “My favorite thing about playing volleyball with Ariel is that I not only have my best friend on the court with me, but I always have someone to be on the court with,” Gundy says. “We have been so close ever since third grade.” The varsity team has six returning seniors from the 2016-17 team that finished second in the Greater Miami Conference (GMC) and reached the district finals. According to Baldrick, Hawks are looking to make a strong run this year in the regular season and in the postseason state tournament. “My goals for this team are to come in everyday and try to get better,” Baldrick says. “We are dedicated to each other and to the program.This will be a key factor in our contention for a GMC championship and a state title.” Based on early practices and team bonding events, Ariel believes that this team has a stronger connection than in previous year. As a role model for the younger players Ariel strides to set good examples for the rest of the team. “Ariel has a wicked kill on the court that can’t be stopped,” Gundy says. “I’ve never seen anyone hit the ball with so much power, it’s amazing to watch.” However, according to Baldrick there is still some work for Ariel to get back to the level she was playing at during her junior year. Ariel still has to be careful to prevent any other back injuries from altering her senior season. “My biggest goal is for Ariel to get healthy

East senior Ariel Swain spikes against Oak Hills.

and reach the consistent level of play she is capable of,” Baldrick says. “I am excited to see Ariel get to the level she played at [last year] on a daily basis.”

enn is very proud of the way Ariel has handled herself at East on and off the volleyball court. Ariel is very active within the community and the school district. “[Ariel] keeps her grades up, volunteers for Liberty Township West Chester Hospital and various other organizations and also works

Before my injury, I hated practices and would sometimes just go through the motions to get a drill over with. Now I would give anything to be back in a drill. -East senior Ariel Swain

part-time at McAlister’s,” Jenn says. “Ariel is someone who coaches, bosses, teachers and friends can always depend on.” Throughout the years, Fuellig has seen Ariel play under a number of circumstances. But Fuellig believes that Ariel’s competitiveness on the court sets her apart from other players. “One of my favorite things about Ariel is that she is a competitor,” Fuellig says. “She always found a way to win, whether is be one point or a set and you knew she always cared and wanted to win.” With an injury, volleyball season and college coming up Ariel has a whole new group of challenges that are going to come her way. However, now Ariel has made it back onto the volleyball court and is enjoying her last season as a Hawk. “[I want] to make sure I leave it all on the court each game. Each moment is precious and I need to be a good teammate on and off the court,” Ariel says. “This year more than ever we are trying to build a stronger community with the program. I am very excited for this upcoming season.” •

November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 67

SETTING THE PACE story jack parr | photography richard giang East girl’s cross country, led by freshman Carly Spletzer, makes state

deck Danielle lead the girl’s team and placed 17th at districts.

he can hear the crowd cheering as she nears the end of the race. She’s in the home stretch now, sprinting as fast as she can. She takes a quick look back before she crosses the finish the line, victorious once again. For East freshman Carly Spletzer, winning races is already a feeling that she has become accustomed to during her first season as a member of the East Girl’s Varsity Cross Country team. Spletzer has finished within the top two places on East’s team in every race this year, and is already putting up senior-caliber numbers as a freshman. However, there is a dynamic change in the process of making the transition

to high school cross country from junior high. “It’s a big jump to go straight into Varsity running from junior high,” Spletzer says. “There’s definitely a big increase in the mileage at the high school level.” Spletzer has not had much of an issue making the adjustment from running two miles in junior high to 3.1 in high school. East Girls Varsity Cross Country Coach Adam Thomas has recognized Spletzer’s ability to make the transition quickly. “Switching from junior high training to high school training is a pretty big leap,” Thomas says. “But Carly has done everything she can to master that transition.”

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Spletzer’s smooth transition is evident in her early success at East. She is currently ranked second in the Greater Miami Conference (GMC) for best time after running a 18:44 at the Trinity-Valkyrie Invitational. This 18:44 time is also the best on the team this 2017-18 year and is the sixth best time in East’s history. Even though she is a freshman, Spletzer is attracting attention for her success and achievements on the cross country course. She credited her supportive coach and teammates as a reason for her low times. “Having my teammates to push me and having such a good coach has helped me a

lot,” Spletzer says. “The whole team has been incredibly nice to me and it’s a lot of fun to run with them.” n addition to a positive team environment, another aspect that has led to positive results for Spletzer is her work ethic. Thomas says that her dedication and passion for the sport is evident every day. “Carly clearly has some God-given talent for the sport,” Thomas says. “But what makes her an amazing distance runner is her very strong work ethic and desire to get better.” Spletzer is not the only young runner that has made a significant impact on the cross-country team this 2017 fall season. East sophomore Danielle Horter, who is a sister of East’s cross-country and the nation’s second fastest runner Dustin Horter, is also enjoying immense success on the course this season. “It is fun watching Danielle make a name for herself. She has had some ups and some downs with little bumps and bruises along the way, but ultimately she is running extremely well,” Dustin says. “She should definitely be excited about her future in this team.”

anielle is ranked fourth in the GMC for best time on the season, recording a time of 18:49 at the Midwest Meet of Champions. She is aware of the success that she and Spletzer have enjoyed as underclassmen early in their careers.

“It’s a cool feeling to be a sophomore and having Varsity success,” Danielle says. “It’s truly an honor for both of us to be ranked in the top five in the conference.” While Danielle and Spletzer are setting records as underclassmen, they are not the only runners contributing to the cross country teams this year. East juniors Ali Neumeier, Lindsay Isom and Kelsi Harris are also ranked in the top ten in the GMC for their individual performances this season. Accounting for half of the top ten in the conference, the Girls’ Varsity team has had a record-setting season already. The challenge for the athletes and the staff, according to Coach Thomas, is getting everyone to perform at the highest level consistently. “We are still working on getting all seven firing on all cylinders at the same time,” Thomas says. “The girl’s team, when healthy, is one of the top five teams in the state.” According to Spletzer, a main factor in the ability of the group to have positive team results in a sport that largely focuses on individual achievement, is the closeness of the team both on and off the course. “We’re all a big family, we’re all super close, and we all support each other a lot,” Spletzer says. “We all work super hard and want to make it to state one way or another, rather that’s as a team or individually.” ...continue reading on page 71

Despite being injured, Carly Spletzer placed 37th at districts..

HORTER WINS STATE story julianne ford photography caroline bumgarner

Dustin Horter finishes regionals at Voice of America Park with a 43 second lead.

ast senior and cross country runner Dustin Horter reclaimed his title state division one title on Nov. 4 with a time of 15:03.4 in the five kilometer race (5k or 3.1 miles). The race was hosted at National Trailway in Hebron, Ohio and was hard fought for Horter. It wasn’t until the last 20 meters that Horter pulled through, creating a less than one second lead against Middletown junior Conant Smith. Horter also won the 2016 Ohio Division One State Cross Country title as a junior. “The feeling of winning state back to back years is indescribable,” Horter says. “Winning [state] in such close fashion and having to race against the stacked field Ohio usually puts out is not easy, and winning once is even difficult.” Horter set a personal record (PR) during the 2017 season at the Meet of Champions in Hilliard Darby with a time of 14:36.8. This time ranked him as the second fastest high school cross country runner in the country next to Zack Kreft from Buckeye Valley, Ohio. Kreft set his PR at the Meet of Champions with a time of 14:29.95. Zack is a Division two athlete so he was not in Dustin’s division at State. Horter verbally committed to Indiana

University to run track on Oct. 27 through a Twitter livestream and sent out an official tweet. While Horter is excited to start his collegiate career, he still celebrates his high school cross country memories and team accomplishments. “My favorite memory running with the east cross country team has to be the state meets when we brought both boys and girls teams,” Horter says. “In the [2014-15] freshman year, we finished fifth in the state after not even being recognized as a team that could even qualify to state. So proving we could be a team to be reckoned with was huge.” Horter started his running career when he was a second grader at VanGordan elemantary. He said he loved the rush he recieved when he ran. He also loved the competative nature of the the sport. While Horter continues his senior year at East he is setting goals for himself beyond high school. “My next goal beyond high school first and foremost is to become an All-American in Cross Country and Track,” Horter says. “Beyond college, I’d potentially like to go professional and hopefully one day represent team United States at the Olympics.”

November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 69

sports | sibling athletes

SISTER, SISTER East athletic teams have an abundance of sibling athletes playing together.

East junior Riley (left) and her sister, East alumni Alexis Adleta (right) pose in their respective jerseys.

story bea amsalu photography meredith peters

tepping out of their shared Lincoln SUV “Abe”, clad in almost the same outfit of Nike shorts, t-shirts and Birkenstock sandals, there’s no doubt East junior Riley Adleta and her sister East alumna Alexis, are sisters. Standing at six foot and six foot one, the girls share height, eye color, hair color and shoe size. Despite all these physical similarities, Riley and Alexis have just about polar opposite personalities. They listen to different music, watch different TV shows and have different academic interests. But there’s one thing that brings them together—volleyball. After years of attending Alexis’ games, Riley finally decided she want to play too. While playing the same sport is a bonding experience for the sisters, it also brings out a competitiveness in the girls. Alexis and Riley played varsity volleyball for East in the 201617 season. While they shared teammates and coaches, they also shared a unique bond on the court. “We’re a lot more strict on each other than with other people,” Riley says. “[Alexis] pushes me harder than other people do, to do better.” In wake of Alexis receiving a scholarship to the University of Akron this past year, Riley thinks the comparisons between her and her sister have been more prevalent than ever. “Sometimes I feel like, since she got a scholarship, I have to live up to that and that’s sometimes hard,” Riley says. “I also have to remember that we’re different people, and we play different positions, and we’re just different, so [the pressure] isn’t as bad.” As someone who grew up playing the same sports as his siblings, head volleyball coach Grady Rogers agrees with the younger Adleta sister and believes this comparison can hurt a player’s performance. “It is not my coaching style to verbally compare the two siblings in order to help push [an athlete] as I don’t see that as effective,”

Rogers says. “[A player] knows her sister better than I do and she doesn’t need anyone to compare them in a coaching situation.” Siblings that play the same sport are common at East, head out to the turf where the women’s soccer team practice and find four sister duos in the program. Head coach Tom McEwan loves the uniqueness of having so many siblings on his teams. “In my tenure here at East, or even in my coaching career that I’ve ever dealt with this many sets of sisters,” McEwan says. “That in and of itself is pretty unique. We’ve had siblings before but never this many, that’s for sure.”

ophomore Daisy Mijangos and freshman Reyna are one of the four soccer sister duos. The sisters have played together during their recreational (SAY) soccer days growing up and have guest played for each others club teams before playing together on East’s varsity squad. The sisters agree that sharing the field helps them bond off of it. “I think [playing together] gives us a better relationship off of the field,” Daisy says. “If we’re playing on the same side [of the field], we have good chemistry.” Both Daisy and Reyna agree that playing with each other has helped them develop a stronger relationship on and off the field. The Mijangos are excited to spend their high

school soccer careers playing alongside each other. “When she guest played with my club team we both played [the same position] and we played really good together,” Reyna says. “I think the bond that we have outside of the field transfers onto the field.” McEwan thinks playing with a sibling increases competitiveness and helps drive players to do better. With four sets of sisters on the soccer team, he watches how the sisters interact with each other, on and off the field. “I think the natural inclination is ‘How can I do better and how can I push [my sister]?” said McEwan. “I have to imagine at one point they would look up and say ‘Well, I could replace her.’ They’re competitive on the field, but they’re all very very close off the field.” The number of siblings playing sports together at East is prevalent, but Rogers believes in the individual success of his players. He focuses on the individual players, rather than the sibling standing next to them. “It is not easy to deal with the pressures of following in the footsteps of a successful older sibling,” Rogers says. “If there is too much pressure on the younger athlete it can become confusing figuring out their own individuality. I want my athletes to figure out who they are as an individual and not because of who they are related to.” •

It is not my coaching style to verbally compare the two siblings in order to help push [an athlete] as I don’t see that as effective. [A player] knows her sister better than I do and she doesn’t need anyone to compare them in a coaching situation.

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-Head volleyball coach Grady Rogers

OPERATION POST-VIETNAM ...Continued from page 21

espite this, Don heavily relied on his fellow soldiers in his infantry as “some grow to you and become closer to you than family.” One of the hardest parts of having tight relationships with his friends in war was never knowing when it’d be the last time to see each other. “The saddest part about the whole war was always wondering and worrying if your friends would come back,” says Don. “We were all so tight that we all had nicknames for each other [and] everybody took care of each other as we knew almost every aspect of each other.” Don’s nickname varied between Duck, D-Dog and Donald. No one in the infantry used actual first and last names, even the section leaders and generals—unless someone was in trouble. “We, soldiers, had to resort to using nicknames because it was a way for us to get our minds off of what was really going on around us,” says Don. “Combat really does change your life and there was so much exposure [gore]. I can remember everything verbatim from beginning to end. That’s how rooted it has been for me since it’s so impactful.” Now that Don is an active member of VFW with Smith, he is fortunate that his life after being a commission officer in Vietnam has had many positives. The lifestyle that Don and Smith had has allowed them to be humble with what they experienced overseas. “People need to realize that there are other forms and shapes of other people walking on this Earth, who might not share the same beliefs and views as yourself,” says Don. “But they help make the world as it is, which is what makes us all humane.” •

REACHING OUT TO REFUGEES ...Continued from page 27

found myself bonding with these children as well, and experiencing the sadness of leaving them over and over again when we had to depart at the end of the day. Each day a group cried, and I grievously told them I could not return. •

SETTING THE PACE ...Continued from page 69

he team has recognized the level of achievement that the players have already reached during this season, but that doesn’t mean they are satisfied. Both runners say that the goal for every season at East, which is to make it is far as they can go. “Our goal is to make it to state as a team this season,” Spletzer says. “I definitely think it is possible as long as we continue to work hard

and stay healthy.” Coming into this 2017-18 school year, the East cross country coaches were optimistic about the freshman class with what they had coming in to help the team improve. Spletzer has not only contributed, but has exceeded her coach’s expectations both during meets and in daily practices. “Carly is very quiet right now but you cannot deny that she is a major leader by example through her hard work and dedication,” Thomas says. “Off the field, she is very easy to get along with, is a team player, and is willing and able to do anything the coaching staff or team asks of her.” As she is only 14-years-old, Spletzer is already very dedicated to the sport and willing to put in the effort that cross country requires. She is glad that she made the decision to try running after nine years of gymnastics during her childhood. She truly loves the sport and described the reason she enjoys long-distance running. “Running a race is an incredible feeling,” Spletzer says. “I get nervous at the beginning of every race but once I finish and am successful, it’s a lot of fun.” Spletzer realizes that she has surpassed many of her peer’s expectations and draws a lot of attention from observers and college scouts if she continues to perform at a similar pace. Her achievement has not gone to her head as she remains humble and focused on improving her times and enjoying herself. “Cross country is very important to me and is a big part of my life,” Spletzer says. “My goal for the next three years is to keep getting better with my teammates and to make it to state every year.”

s the season draws nearer to a close, Spletzer has had to fight through adversity after suffering a leg injury. After being diagnosed with a stress fracture in her fibula, Spletzer was forced to wear a walking boot for two weeks and had to miss the GMC Championships. Spletzer was still able to participate in the District Championship meet at Voice of America park after the injury, but she experienced a significant drop in production compared to her season pace and was not satisfied with her time. Her injury is a significant blow to the team, who can no longer rely on the same performance from their “best runner.” Despite this setback, Spletzer’s attitude remains strong and she is still focused on achieving goals as a team. “We all know that if we still want to get to state then we are going to have to work harder than ever to get there,” Spletzer says. “It is definitely disappointing that this happened, but we are not giving up on our goal.” As she recovers from the injury and looks

forward to her sophomore year, Spletzer will have more chances to break more school records throughout her high school career and wants to continue running after high school if she is able to do so. “Carly has the potential to be a very special runner,” Thomas says. “Barring any major setbacks, I can definitely see Carly being a four-time state Cross Country qualifier and potentially All-State all four years as well. •

EARLY HAWK GETS THE ROCK ...Continued from page 63

tokes says that for the preseason training, most of the injuries are caused by improper training in the weight room. He said the players need to maintain proper form and keep their bodies healthy. Stokes believes their preseason preparations and efforts will pays off in the end. Prevention of injuries is on most player’s minds, according to Florence. Many of the upperclassmen players tend to wear ankle or shoulder braces to prevent injuries they have had in the past. Yablonsky said he is confident in the training staff that East provides. “We have a really good training and injury prevention staff for whoever needs it,” Yablonsky says. “We have people who are dedicated and making sure the athletes are ready to play and not jumping into it.” Florence is one of the number of players that tapes up, saying that he tapes up his wrists and ankles to help prevent pulling muscles during his games and practices. The preparation and commitment that the East Varsity football team puts forward doesn’t go unnoticed by Haynes or by the college recruiters near by. “Our [football] kids work really hard in the weight room,” Haynes says. “I’ve had college coaches come in recrute our kids. They tell me how hard our kids work so, but you know we hope that’s accurate and true.” •

HEAD TO HEAD ...Continued from page 79 aware of our position to handle warfare at the level that North Korea is threatening.

herefore, it’s time for America to become a diplomat. Yup. Let’s extend the olive branch, preferably carried in the beak of a bald eagle instead of a dove. In the same manner of “innocent until proven guilty”, this situation absolutely should be treated as the potential to become something deadly until it is proven that it is not. Instead of leaning back on the idea that a catastrophic war might not happen, let’s focus on how there is an active possibility that there could be one. So America, it’s time to be a better next door neighbor, before we learn our lesson the hard way. •

November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 71

sports | varsity golf

DRIVING IT TO STATE

story stone shields I photography used with permission Both East boys and girls varsity golf team made it to state during the 2017 season.

heir hearts were thumping furiously in their chests as they looked around, taking in their surroundings. They weren’t on the first tee staring down a tight fairway, guarded by water on the right and out of bounds on the left. The team was simply standing outside of the cafeteria at East preparing to strut down main street with roughly 2,500 of their closest friends cheering them on. They had never done this before, these were uncharted waters. They just wanted to play golf, that was the easy part for them. The East Girls Golf Team consisted of a special group of young women. With second year coach and Professional Golf Association (PGA) professional Gene Powell‘s leadership, the Lady Hawks cruised to a Greater Miami Conference (GMC) championship. The Hawks fired a 659 at the two day event, defeating conference rival Mason by six shots. The girls team has a much different makeup compared to the boys team. The boys are strictly lead be East junior Kyle Schmidt; whereas, the girls team has much more balance.

Despire these differences, both East golf teams performed well during the 2017 fall season. At the conference tournament, the ladies were led by East sophomore Grace Honigford, who finished second individually and East junior Bree Wilson who finished fourth. These two both had remarkable seasons as both finished top five in GMC scoring average, Wilson finished second averaging a blistering 41.00 per nine holes. This 2017-18 GMC conference title was a huge accomplishment for the Lady Hawks. Hoisting the GMC trophy had been their goal the entire year. “We finished fourth at the GMC Tournament in 2016,” says Powell. “As we sat at the table, watching the teams ahead of us celebrate, we stated our 2017 team goal: be the 2017 GMC Champions.” Even after this achievement, their season was far from over. They still had the Sectional, District and State tournaments in sight. At Sectionals, the Hawks finished second at Walden Ponds Golf Course, securing their bid for Districts. After a solid week of preparation they were ready for the District tournament where they tallied another second place finish, punching their ticket to State. “Going to State this year for the first time ever was such an amazing experience,” says Grace Honigford. “I look forward to us working our way back next season.” Last year, the boy’s team faced brutal conditions at their state competition. The weather on day one of the tournament caused play to be canceled and the traditional two day tournament had to be altered to a one day event. This was not at all like this year. Temperatures stayed in the high 60s with little to no wind. Otherwise known as ideal golfing conditions. The girls played on the Alister MacKenzie designed Gray course at the Ohio State Golf Club, which consists of 5,800 yards of terrain for players to navigate where accuracy and precision is vital in order to stay out of trouble.

ot only did the Lady Hawks face an immaculate physical challenge performing on a course of such high caliber, they had to do it up against some of the most talented female golfers in the country. These noteworthy players include Kings

East junior Kyle Schmidt knocking it close on par three.

High School senior Alex Swayne and Walnut Hills High School senior Katie Hallinan, who are committed to Clemson University and the University of Illinois respectively. The Hawks stayed poised, consistent and were able to grind out a seventh place finish. Just getting to State was a huge accomplishment and next year they look to defend their GMC title and put on an even better showing at State. In addition, the boys team made it back to State for their second consecutive year. They backed their 2016 seventh place with a sixth place finish this year. “We would have liked to finish in the top 3 at State so sixth is slightly disappointing but I’m very proud of how we played in all of our other events,” says Kyle Schmidt. “We had yet another great season and I can’t wait to do it all again next year and hopefully then we can roll into Columbus playing our best golf and compete with the best teams in Ohio.”

he boys team will have four of their top six players returning along with head coach Jeff Combs. Schmidt and his teammates and determined to keep rewriting the East Golf record books. This year the Lady Hawks were without member and East junior Lauren Michael. Michael had a stress fracture in her back and this sidelined her for the entirety of the 2017 season. “It was really sad to watch everything go on and no be involved as much as I wish I could,” says Michael. “However I still loved supporting my team as best I could and watching them grow throughout the season.” With the upcoming 2018 fall season, the Lady Hawks are preparing and have a positive outlook on the future. They also have four of their top six players returning, as well as Michael coming back from injury. Powell will be returning as head coach who recently was named the Golf Digest’s best teacher by state for the state of Ohio. “I think the ladies are seeing that the offseason work and summer tournaments make a big difference in taking the next step,” says Powell. “They have proven they are good, with a renewed focus and commitment they have the opportunity next season to become a powerhouse.” •

“

varsity golf | sports

“Going to State this year for the first time ever was such an amazing experience. I look forward to us working our way back next season.” -East sophomore Grace Honigford

East sophomore Grace Honigford chipping up to the green.

November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 73

opinion | column

74 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

THE

RIGHT TO DIE

column | opinion

KAYLEIGH BEARDEN art tyler bonawitz

hey’re having a weekly chat with their doctor, not really paying attention until he says “I know that as your illness progresses, you have been finding it harder and harder to concentrate, but now is when I really need you to listen. I don’t know how else to say this but I’m afraid that it is unlikely that you will live for more than six months.” Sometimes they wish the family could get together one last time to say their goodbyes, and just be done. They wish there were a way to know when everything will finally be over. It’s so tiring to try all the treatments that never work. But most of all, They’re tired of being in so much excruciating pain. But then again, nobody ever said terminal illnesses were comfortable. “When my suffering becomes too great, I can say to all those I love, ‘I love you; come be by my side, and come say goodbye as I pass into whatever is next,’” said Brittany Maynard, a 29-year-old woman who was living in Portland, Oregon with terminal brain cancer until she decided to end her own life in 2015, taking advantage of her right to physician assisted suicide (PAS). “I will die upstairs in my bedroom with my husband, mother, stepfather

who proposed that the terminally ill be allowed to decide whether they should be put on life support systems. Although the bill, and all of Sackett’s other efforts to legalize PAS failed, the idea still lingered and since then has had a heavy legal presence, starting in 2009. Death with Dignity, a national organization that advocates for Death with Dignity laws, has confirmed that as of August 2017, six states have legalized PAS. Washington and Oregon became the first states to pass legislation legalizing PAS in 2009 and over the course of eight years, states such as Montana, Colorado, California and Vermont have followed as well as the District of Columbia. Now don’t misunderstand, this isn’t a decision that is made lightly. Assisted suicide is a very controlled and closely monitored process and all six states have the same non-negotiable system regarding it. This system was put in place so people can’t enlist a doctor to help them commit suicide on a whim. First, they must have a medical reason and be in significant pain in order to gain assistance from a licensed physician. In the aforementioned states, in order for a person

Considering the alternative, which is lying in a hospital bed with nothing but the “get well soon” balloons for company, cutting a few months off of a life expectancy seems like a small price to pay to die in less pain and with dignity. and best friend by my side and pass peacefully. I can’t imagine trying to rob anyone else of that choice.” Although her decision to end her own life has since been seen as controversial, the debate over PAS, which sometimes is known by it’s more chilling name, mercy death, has been around since 1967. The first right-to-die bill was introduced in Florida by Dr. Walter Sackett,

to get a physician’s assistance in their passing, they have to be expected to live for less than six months, be above the age of 18, and they have to ask their physician verbally. Then at least fifteen days after the verbal request they must submit a signed, written request, and then fifteen days after the written request, they have to verbally ask the physician for the third time. Considering the alternative, which is lying

in a hospital bed with nothing but the “get well soon” balloons for company, cutting a few months off of a life expectancy seems like a small price to pay to die in less pain and with dignity. The people that are making the decisions to take control of the end of their lives aren’t people that are uncertain. They are people who are tired of feeling like they aren’t in control of their own lives anymore. They are people who have been told they have less than six months to live. They are people like Brittany Maynard. According to CNN, there have been 2,097 cases of successful PAS as of 2017. That means 2,097 people who were able to end their life on their own terms, like Maynard. Mary Uyeda, a strong advocate for PAS, has been a nurse in Hawaii for 30 years. She believes that, as a healthcare provider, she must do what the patients want. “In 30 years of working as a nurse at a local hospital, I’ve witnessed all kinds of deaths, including extreme ones. Many people suffer by being tortured with life that’s prolonged beyond reasonable length. Too many wait until the end to make plans and arrangements for their deaths.” There is a big difference between suicide and PAS. PAS can really help people. It can help people feel at ease. It can help people feel loved and supported when they need it the most. And it can make people feel like they finally have their life back. They have the ability to conquer their debilitating disease and decide for themselves when it stops. When someone makes the decision to go through with physician assisted suicide, they are basically asking to be euthanized. They are asking to be killed with a series of chemicals to put an end to their unstoppable suffering. Unstoppable suffering isn’t like having the flu or getting chicken pox. Unstoppable suffering is unrelenting pain that never goes away. In the morning it’s there. At lunch it’s there. At night it’s still there. Is that a life that’s worth living? •

November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 75

opinion | columns

TO DREAM A DAYDREAM REBECCA HOLST art mckenna lewis

just looked like a typical kid, but no one knew about the adventures that went on in my brain. From flying through space in a police box, assisting some noble hero in defeating a terrifying dragon, or solving crimes at 221B, I was always somewhere else. For as long as I can remember, daydreaming about all the lovely fictional worlds hidden between cardboard binding has always been one of my favorite things to do. Being able to do this has allowed me to see the world in a whole new light through the eyes of the characters. A break from the real world is something that everyone could use every now and again. Daydreaming, which is defined as a series of pleasant thoughts that distract one’s attention from the present, makes it possible to explore the impossible. This not only creates a safe break from reality but it also creates health benefits such as positive dreams at night, better sleep, and improved mental health. “For most of us, daydreaming is a virtual world where we can rehearse the future, explore fearful scenarios or imagine new adventures without risk,” Josie Glausiusz said in her Scientific American article “Living in an Imaginary World”. “It can help us devise creative solutions to problems or prompt us, while immersed in one task, with reminders of other important goals.”

aydreaming can be useful in everyday life because many people have trouble sleeping. Whether it’s wild thoughts about the terrifying monsters under the bed or that annoying creak in the house, falling asleep can be a difficult task. By thinking of what may happen the next day or thinking of what happened just hours before, daydreaming before bed correlates with the dreams that one would have at night and this can help with sleeping issues related to thoughts. “People daydream very elaborately before they go to sleep,” Yale University psychology Professor Emeritus Jerome Singer said. “[And] our night dreams are simply continuations

of the daytime fantasy, except that the night dreams, because you’re not having to process input from the outside world, are a little more strange and bizarre.” Daydreams can help someone think of more vivid, happier dreams at night by simply imagining happy things before bed. This isn’t always the case though, because we can all go through nightmares no matter how wonderful our visions were early in the day; however, it is a nice perk that happy fantasies can reflect happy dreams, mostly.

ccording to Smithsonian’s Joseph Stromberg, the part of the brain that retains memory is strengthened when daydreams occur. It is as if the part of the brain responsible for retaining and recalling old memories is exercising because it is remembering information through daydreams even when a difficult task is at hand. “A wandering mind correlates with higher

to an unhealthy extreme. According to clinical psychiatrist Ethel S. Person, “If you’re flooded with fantasies, there’s no reality. You need fantasy, but there has to be a way to put the brakes on.”

e as a society should not feel guilty or childish for indulging in daydreams as a way to keep our minds busy. The media should not be treating every case of daydreaming like it is an extreme escapism technique and the person taking part is slipping from reality. “Instead of venting your negative emotions, sometimes it is better to just shift your awareness toward something completely different that makes you forget about your troubles,” said Emotion Machine writer Steven Handel in “Healthy Escapism: The Emotional Intelligence Behind Fantasy and Distraction”. By immersing myself in these wondrous daydreams, I allow myself access to many

We as a society should not feel guilty or childish for indulging in daydreams as a way to keep our minds busy. The media should not be treating every case of daydreaming like it is an extreme escapism technique and the person taking part is slipping from reality. degree of what is referred to as working memory,” Stromberg said in his article, “The Benefits of Daydreaming”. “Cognitive scientists define this type of memory as the brain’s ability to retain and recall information in the face of distractions.” Even with all the positive benefits that have been discovered, a lot of media that we consume portrays daydreaming as a negative trait. It is seen as childish and that the character portraying the trait is aloof. While it can be bad to show it in this light, it does help us keep in mind that daydreaming can be taken

76 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

different benefits. From calming down to good dreams at night, daydreams aid me in my day to day life. Even from an entertainment point of view, daydreams allow me to see a fictional life where I can get out all my jitters and fulfill my biggest dreams for just a little while. Daydreaming allows me to be who I want and see what I want by just closing my eyes and letting go. Whether it is fighting as a vigilante, or practicing magic, immersion in a fictional life can assist in pretending that a fake life truly does exist. There might be some skepticism along the way, but keep dreaming. •

columns | opinion

THE HEIGHT OF HAPPINESS RILEY ADLETA art mckenna lewis

efore you even think about saying “you probably hear this a lot,” stop right there. The answer is yes, I do. In fact why don’t I clear up some of the confusion about being tall right now. “How’s the weather up there?” If I had a dollar for every time someone has asked me that, I would have enough money to buy them an actual weather radar so they could check for themselves. “Could you reach up and grab that for me?” Heck yeah I can! “Dang girl how tall are you, 6 feet??” 6 foot and a quarter actually! Questions like these used to bug me when asked on a regular basis. But now I love it. Tall girls are usually pretty self conscious people, but they shouldn’t be. Being tall has many advantages to it, you just have to know how to do use them. “Are you actually going to wear those heels to homecoming… Your date is barely the same height as you...” First of all if anyone questions if you’re going to wear heels to homecoming, you should just turn around and walk away. Just because you’re slightly taller than your date doesn’t mean you should exchange those really cute heels you bought for some flats. If your date feels even slightly inferior to you because you’re a couple inches taller, you can just go ahead and say goodbye to him on the spot. If you want to be more comfortable though, then I suggest finding some shorter type heels that don’t make you significantly taller, and that don’t make you feel like you’re risking breaking your ankles each time you take a step. So what if you’re taller though? Being tall doesn’t mean you should have to sacrifice what you want to wear. Go out, buy those heels you’ve been dying to have, and walk into to homecoming strutting in them like you were born to wear them. “Those jeans look too short on you.” Not a problem at all. Growing up, I’ve come across some small solutions that seem to help out when those pants are “too short”. Cuff up

GUEST COLUMN the bottoms so that they have more of a cropped look to them. Finding pants long enough when you’re as tall as a building seems to be quite a challenge for most tall people. Leggings are too short? Throw on some high socks and boots and you’re set. “If you bend over with that skirt on you’re going to be able to see a lot more than you should…” Maxi dresses and skirts are key. They are always cute when you want to go out and if you aren’t feeling wearing that really short dress you’ve had for a long time, put on that cute maxi dress and rock it.

nee boots are also always a good choice because unlike short people, you can actually wear them and not have them swallow your legs. The same can work for a shirt with sleeves that are just a little bit too short. It’s not a problem, just roll them up! Give

through the halls when you’re taller gives you a bird’s eye view. You can just push over all of those slow, self-absorbed, always on their phone people! Being in the student section or at a concert is even better. No matter where you are standing you can still see everything better than everyone. So, stand tall and look down on everyone. Being tall allows you to walk about three times as fast as everyone else as well, use your long strides to your advantage and get where you need to go. Going to be late to class? Sike! Stretch those legs and walk fast! If anyone ever says something snarky about you being tall, just fire back at them with some good ole “short” jokes. Fight fire with fire. There is no need for you to turn away and be the “bigger person” because no matter what, height wise, you’re always going to be the actual bigger person. Everyone knows being tall is much better than being short anyways.

o, in case you were wondering, the weather is fine up here; yes I am going to wear heels thanks for asking; and of course I’ll grab that off the tallest shelf for you. Being tall may not always be easy. Sometimes I feel out of

If anyone ever says something snarky about you being tall, just fire back at them with some good ole “short” jokes. Fight fire with fire. There is no need for you to turn away and be the “bigger person” because no matter what, height wise, you’re always going to be the actual bigger person. your arms some air and look good while doing it. And lastly. Walk. With. Confidence. Don’t slouch just to look shorter, stand up and use your height to your advantage. Walking

place and I hate being tall. Learning to accept yourself for who you are is one of the most important things you can do. Never be afraid to be who you are. Because, being tall is pretty freaking cool if you ask me. •

November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 77

HEAD TO HEAD L et’s talk about grandparents for a quick second. Most people have some and when they were youngins, the cold war was either impending or it was in full swing. Now during this time, of course, they had to hide under their school desks for air raid drills and they treated these drills in a way that a fire drill is treated today. Now that we are in this modern year of 2017, almost 70 years later, we are seeing the same threats of nuclear war, just from a different source. Don’t look for us wasting the time to start hiding under desks for an attack that will never come. For years now North Korea has been posing a threat to the United States through their collection of nuclear weapons and their subsequent claims of attack. For example, back in 2013, North Korea’s National Defense Commission said their tests for intercontinental ballistic missiles would feed into an “upcoming all-out action” that would target the United States. This statement was followed b y

many young people took to making memes about North Korea trying to attack the United States. These memes just added to the fact that many take these threats with a grain of salt because they usually just turn out to be a war of words. Based on previous actions and the words of President Donald Trump, if North Korea were to strike the United States, the amount of retaliation would be astronomical. Trump has said that if North Korea endangers the United States that they would unleash “fire and fury.” Congress may have a lot of authority in the United States, but they actually cannot do much to stop Trump from keeping “all options on the table” with weaponry and war. Knowing how the president acts, this means he would approve the use of world-splitting nuclear weapons. “The Constitution gives tremendous authority for the President of United States to act on his own,” said Roger Zakheim, a former House Armed Services Committee aide.” As seen in World War II, nuclear weapons cause mass destruction wherever they strike and the areas surrounding it. The bombs America dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima left those Japanese cities and the areas around them in desolation and they are still feeling the affects of the nuclear fall out. If the United States were to strike the 46,541 square mileage of North Korea with nuclear missiles, it would destroy the peninsula.

n anonymous senior US defense official that has worked in nuclear deterrence said that “[North Korea’s] primary concern is regime survival.” If regime survival is the number one concern for them then they wouldn’t want to attack the United States because one blow to their country could prove fatal for the regime. North Korea attacking the United States would be comparable to a small nerd trying to physically retaliate to a bully twice their size. In this scenario the nerd has been preparing for months to get ready for this attack. Then he thinks he’s ready and he finally sends his best punch.

NORTH KOREA CONFLICT As expected the bully might have a small bruise, but it didn’t send him to the emergency room or anything. However, then the bully sends his fist into the small weakling and sends them to next Tuesday. The attack just won’t work out because there isn’t enough firepower from one side.

ven though leader of North Korea Kim Jong-un’s mental stability is questionable, he should realize that the act of nuking the United States is illogical and insane. Not to mention that since North Korea is still a developing country, they wouldn’t have enough firepower or stamina to wage war against one of the most developed and modern countries in the world. According to data from Hans Kristensen and Robert Norris at the Federation of American Scientists, the United States is estimated to have about 4,000 nuclear warheads stockpiled. Just to make it clear, that is almost 2 warheads per student at Lakota East Main Campus. Of course there isn’t that much clear data for how many North Korea may have stockpiled because it is such a private country, but experts have estimated that the country has anywhere from 13 to 60 nuclear warheads. This wouldn’t be a war at all because the United States has such an extensive stockpile of warheads compared to North Korea. The youngins today just like the youngins of yesteryear are facing threats of nuclear war. However, maybe we should take our elder’s advice, just this once, and learn from history. Nothing happened back then and it is very likely nothing will happen this time either. North Korea will let out their steam against the United States by making meaningless threats. While they do that let’s just take a chill pill and look at the past events and then understand the likelihood that a nuclear attack will actually happen. It just isn’t likely based on past events.•

Since North Korea is still a developing country, they wouldn’t have enough firepower or stamina to wage war against one of the most developed and modern countries in the world.

As tensions between North Korea and the United States rise and the threat of nuclear warfare continues, some argue that the situation will resolve without conflict while others think that an altercation is inevitable. columns jessica jones and vivian kolks art tyler bonawitz

o one could have guessed that Pyongyang, an Elton John song and Donald Trump could have so much in common, least of all myself. I can almost see the Ray Bradbury book now. Fahrenheit 2017, or the story of how social media’s oversharing combined with one very volatile communist nation created an unprecedented nuclear standoff, punctuated by the President of the United States calling the Dictator of North Korea “rocket man.” Sorry President Trump, I think you might have to check copyrights on that insult. Turns out that western media outlets aren’t the only ones concerned with Trump’s agenda with North Korea, although I doubt that our president has the authority to call this source “fake news”. A better name might be “propaganda”. “The Trump group’s declaration of the reckless nuclear war exercises against the DPRK ... is a reckless behavior driving the situation into the uncontrollable phase of a nuclear war,” North Korean state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun said. The DPRK is referring to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name. With charming journalistic integrity, the article went on to assure the American people that it could target the United States “anytime” and “neither Guam, Hawaii nor the US mainland can “dodge the merciless strike.”

ccording to the same newspaper, North Korea conducted successful Intercontinental Ballistic Missile tests, a guided ballistic missile with a range of 3,400 miles. Believe it or not, the solution isn’t to just strike before North Korea can make the first move. In fact, that’s a dangerous assumption to make according to the good old Fox News of communist North Korea, Rodong Sinmun which promises that any move that America takes to protect itself will be carefully watched.

The level of communication that nations are able to establish today could mean that the outcome could become very different than the Cold War of the 20th century.

“The Korean People’s Army is keeping a high alert, fully ready to contain the enemies. It will take resolute steps the moment even a slight sign of the preventive war is spotted,” the paper said. The “preventative war” situation has grown even more tense now that the United States has begun running practice military procedures with South Korea. If the paranoid statements released by North Korea say anything, they warn that suspicious activities like this are a bad, bad idea. To the untrained civilian eye, aka, the force driving my pen, it looks an awful lot like America is indulging in something that our parents taught us never to do. Sticking our nose where it doesn’t belong. Picture a game of Battleship between South Korea and the United States, everything’s fun and games, they’re only playing for fun. Then North Korea, the ugly stepchild who is more than fed up with their antics and being left out throws a pillow into the board game. Pieces fly everywhere, everybody’s crying and generally no one in the immediate area has a very good time.

he situation is almost creepily reminiscent of the nuclear standoff between the Soviet Union and the United States during the Cold War. Yes, that conflict was very tense for a while, a tone similar to what the world is observing today. Yes, it was democracy versus communism. But there is one major difference. During the Cold War era of the 1950’s through the 1980’s the Presidents that led America through that difficult time had no social media at their fingertips. Today, with one tap of a finger, anyone can send a direct message to the social media account of any world nation. The level of communication that nations are able to establish today could mean that the outcome could

become very different than the Cold War of the 20th century.

hink about it this way, on one hand, we have a controversial president threatening nuclear war in under 140 characters over a social media platform and on the other we have an unstable nation with nuclear capabilities promising the same thing with very little ability to handle the fallout that a nuclear war would entail. North Korea may be a small country on a tiny peninsula, but that doesn’t mean that we should dismiss the possibility that America may be headed for conflicts far beyond their control. In times such as these, it is crucial to remain painfully ...continued on page 71

opinion | editorial cartoon and east speaks out

“The Square Peg and the Round Hole” - Alexandra Fernholz

EAST SPEAKS OUT Should America Fear North Korea?

interviews and photography caroline bumgarner and katey kruback

YES

We should take their threat into account because looking at history it is not wise to underestimate a possible enemy.

-Kyra Johnson

NO North Korea is admittedly threatening and scary, but it’s also across an ocean. There has been no actual force used yet.

-Liza Gildemeister

80 lakotaeastsparkonline.com November 2017

YES

We should keep them in mind even if they aren’t an immediate threat because they could become a threat in -Dominic Satullo the unforeseeable future.

There’s really nothing to fear from a Peninsula in Eastern Asia.

-Connor Richman

editorial cartoon | opinion

“GOP Tax Plan” - Bryce Forren

November 2017 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 81

GROW A PAIR, AMERICA SIDNEY LI

photography richard giang

he titles of “valedictorian” and “salutatorian” have been customary to high school traditions. Students compete in order to be the best of their classes with their academic courses and extracurriculars. Their seemingly “perfect student” identities are comprised of their recognitions that they tried so hard to have under their belt. Striving to achieve the 4.0 unweighted grade point average has became the norm. But that glistening title of “valedictorian” has lost its luster; with various high schools across the country, such as Elyria High School in Cleveland, Ohio are considering dropping the name of “valedictorian” because “there were a lot of great kids that were achieving high success that weren’t getting recognized,” according to Elyria High School principal Tim Brown. Not only this, but with awards for participation and honorable mentions, physical metallic trophies and achievements have lost their value. Children are taught to have a mentality that “everyone’s a winner.” But, that is not always the case. There are losses, but most importantly, there are wins. While at a summer camp for journalism, middle and high school students partook in one class of their choosing for the week. When it came to the end, my instructor hands every student in our class a participation award for not only attending the camp, but the class too. The white sheet of paper described my “award” and “activeness in class,” which was not the case for every student. Some did not participate and others simply did not try. The imbalance between everyone was clear; yet we were all awarded at the same level. Not only that, the award ceremony on the last day gave the instructors a chance to hand out more awards to students. Listening to my peer’s names being called out for winning specific awards, such as “edgy but easy manual” or “queen of news” struck a chord with me on their “feel good” awards. After the specifically-made awards for students, one student got the “Sparty” award with their “top of the class” achievement. Those students made headway in their classes and were the real winners. However, their award is swamped with the mix of others that it did not faze anyone of how honorable the Sparty truly is. The single green foiled, framed award highly differed from the various, nicely printed out awards but it weighed the same in value. The hoots and hollers were not prominently louder for the Sparty awards. Not a lot of time is given to let students comprehend the names and Sparty achievements—for the sake of shortening the length of the ceremony. But awarding only the top Sparty will have saved more time. It may possibly break hearts of some and drop the self-esteem of others, but at the end of the day, that is true competition. The morale of being able to accept wins and losses elicits maturity and competence among us. At the collegiate level, about 43 percent of all letter grades given were A’s, which has increased from the 15 percent in 1960, according to a 2010 study by researchers Stuart Rojstaczer and Christopher Healy. As A’s have increased, C’s, D’s, and F’s have decreased with 10 percent of grades being at D’s and F’s now. Our softness and sympathy for others has provoked these participation awards that are unnecessary and meaningless in the long run. Awarding only the top is now considered “bad sportsmanship.” People will get hurt but if they truly understand, they will muster it and get back up. •

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