Issue #178 (Issue 2 2017-2018) by Lakota East Spark

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

EASTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S 20TH ANNIVERSARY

East highlighted 20 students and staff from 1998

POOLING FOR TALENT East senior Alec Gayer returns to the pool seeking state qualifications and a record-setting season.

3-2 VOTE

Transgender policy gets proposed in controversial Lakota School Board vote

Contents January 2018 | Issue #178

National merit semifinalists East seniors Ryan Ackerman, Alex Dunaway and Weston Lindner are named National Merit Semifinalists.

Cleaning it up East custodian Josh Crouch is a friendly face that embraces the students and staff members at the the main campus.

20 years later East celebrates its 20th anniversary with stories from students and faculty from the 1997-98 school year.

streaming wars As music streaming services become more popular, the debate over which is the best continues.

heart of a champion East Track and Cross Country senior Dustin Horter has made numerous strides across the state and country.

not my milkman East junior McKenna Lewis shares her opinion on cutting milk of out her diet entirely.

art bryce forren, mckenna lewis and alex fernholz

opinion | letter to the editor

Spark 2017-2018 STAFF

Editor in Chiefs

Art Department Manager Writing Managers

Business Team Manager Marketing Coordinator Public Relations Directors Subscription Coordinator

Julianne Ford Lexy Harrison Vivian Kolks Sidney Li Michael Croy Julianne Ford Lexy Harrison Sidney Li Vivian Kolks Rachel Vogelsang Landon Meador Lauren Maier Leah Boehner

Design Coordinator

Richard Giang

Photography Editor

Meredith Niemann

Online Editors

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

Tyler Bonawitz McKenna Lewis

Graphics Editors

Michael Croy Meredith Peters

Survey Coordinator

Advisor

Sidney Li Dean Hume

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Spark, From time to time I like to flip through other high school publications looking for inspiration ideas to share with my staff. A recent perusal of The Spark archives brought a smile to my face. I’ve had the privilege of working with Spark staff for years at the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association Summer Workshop so I know how strong your staff is, both in terms of fundamentals and also a sense of purpose. It’s a group of people committed to doing things the right way, pushing the boundaries of what strong journalism can be and doing so in a way that both challenges and engages your audience. For this, you deserve to be quite proud. However, this doesn’t give you a license to become complacent. We’re living in tricky times in which we’re dealing with unprecedented changes social, cultural, technological and, perhaps, political changes. More than ever, we need ambitious, civic-minded young people willing to tackle big issues without prejudice and committed to helping their audience understand the world around them. Given the current glut of “fake news”, lazy news, fast-food media and info-tainment, it’s harder than ever to engage an audience. Given the way certain parties are also breeding skepticism toward the legitimacy of journalism as a source of information, your job is made tougher yet. And yet, I also think that makes you more important than you’ve ever been. By continuing your tradition of doing things the right way, you can not only make a difference in your community’s here and now. You can also create a ripple effect. I’m certain that the majority of your staff will not go into professional journalism, but those that do, I challenge you to continue pushing the values the Spark has instilled in you. It’s a scary time to be a guy who cares about journalism. That said, every time I see examples of student media like the Spark, I can’t help but have optimism about the road ahead. Keep on keeping on and as you do, never lose sight of the importance of your work or the impact it can have. Sincerely, C.E. Sikkenga Advisor The Bucs’ Blade. 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.

ON THE COVER Spark Lakota East High School lakotaeastsparkonline.com Jan 2018 $5 Newsstand

In this issue, Spark features East senior and Varsity Swimmer Alex Gayer swimming butterfly in the first 25 of the 200 yard individual medley at the Princeton Invitational on Jan. 6, 2018. In issue 177, our Spark staff flipped the cover photo in order to fit our design.

EAST’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY

This year marks the 20th anniversary of East’s opening. The Spark highlighted 20 people from that year.

SWIMMING TO STATE East senior Alec Gayer returns to the pool seeking out state qualifications and a record-setting season.

3-2 VOTE Transgender policy gets rejected in controversial Lakota school Board vote

TRAGIC HERO JULIANNE FORD photography richard giang

spent a great deal of time this past fall researching, contacting and questioning the six candidates for the Lakota Local School Board. I attended the West Chester and Liberty Chamber Alliance candidate night on Oct. 18 and my staff hosted a Spark candidate night Oct. 24 in order to educate the community with issues about the school board. In fact, over the years many candidates have stated that the Spark candidate night is both and enjoyable -- because they love dealing with the students, and difficult -because they say the questions are difficult but fair. Bottom line, I know way more than I should about the school board than an average senior in high school. But I did it for a reason: this was the first year I was allowed to vote in an election. I wanted to make sure I voted for the right candidates that would make the best decisions regarding the district because my younger sisters will continue their academic careers in Lakota. While all school board candidates are dedicated and can speak to the benefit of students, I still had my choices. As an editor I must be and my stuff must be objective, patient and willing to find all facts. But as a voter, I can vote with a conscious. I was so excited on Election Day, I was confident that my three favorite candidates would win the election. That night I constantly checked the polls, hoping my favorites would be on top. The next morning my excitement faded into disappointment. A favorite candidate of mine, incumbent Ray Murray, lost the third spot by 226 votes. Murray was an amazing board member throughout his time in Lakota. He had been on the board since 2010. His dedication to our students and their growth is undeniable. His love for the district is unmatched. If Spark reporters ever needed a quote, he was always eager to talk and would come to the Spark Lab whenever we needed him. He never politicized his comments, they were always straightforward and truthful. He would always allow student voices to be heard, you could always tell he was content and happy to spend time with the students. Murray is active with the Lakota Optimist Club, co-founded Children’s Performing Arts of Lakota, and is an active supporter of the arts in the Lakota community. Before his time in Lakota he was a police officer in Illinois and a Special Agent for the United States Drug Enforcement Agency. Murray focuses on the students and their growth rather than the districts growth on paper. He is extremely active in the schools and always has a personal anecdote he could tell you about an experience he had in the district, whether it’s through his work with the Optimist Club or his dedication through Butler Tech. He was always ready to hear student voices at a time that students feel their voice wouldn’t be heard. During my second year of journalism, Murray won an Above-the-Fold distinction. This award is voted on by the Spark Editorial Board at the end of the school year and is given to members in the community who go above and beyond to help Spark maintain its journalistic mission. School board members are important in this regard, because they can comment directly on policy and community concerns. The winner receives their award at the infamous annual Spark banquet. Murray has been a major supporter of student journalists and the Spark in general. He was instrumental in former Spark Editor-in-Chief Emma Stiefel’s awarding winning piece “Transgender Transparency” and “The New Normal” along with many other in-depth Spark stories. Murray’s interview with her resulted in multiple page transcriptions. Now that Lakota is losing him come Jan. 1, it’s time to both reflect on the past and look forward to the future. I am excited to see what the recently elected school board members will accomplish within the next two years. Armed with a new superintendent who has already empowered administrators To think creatively and act progressively. The future is bright for the district and my two sisters. Meanwhile Murray’s dedication, passion and loyalty to Lakota will forever be remembered by the Spark and certainly all the students he has impacted over his tenure in Lakota. •

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(Right to left) East seniors Alex Dunaway, Ryan Ackerman and Weston Lindner all are National Merit Semifinalists.

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THREE NATIONAL MERIT SEMIFINALISTS Three East and three West seniors have been awarded the title of 2017 National Merit Semifinalists. story reece burchfield | photography meredith niemann

hree East seniors and three West seniors were announced as 2017 National Merit Semifinalists. The East seniors include Ryan Ackerman, Alex Dunaway and Weston Linder. While the West seniors included Megan Merk, Jacob Moore and Steven Sweeney. “I was surprised, I heard they were raising the threshold to become a semifinalist and was worried I wouldn’t get it,” Ackerman said. “It means I have a better chance of getting into the colleges I want and improving my future.” To qualify for this program, these seniors took to Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) during the fall of 2016 along with approximately 1.6 million other juniors nationwide. About 16,000 seniors have been announced as 2017 semifinalists. “At the end of the day, the NMSQT is a test; my score is a number,” Linder said. “I sat down on one Saturday in October 2016 to fill in some bubbles, and a score resulted. It is certainly gratifying to know that I will have access to more scholarship opportunities.” East Principal Suzanna Davis is excited to have students qualify for this program. She also is proud of the nine commended students. These students received Letters of Commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). The nine students include Hannah Ackerman, Amanda Bilkasley, Zachary

Dendler, Joel Mathew, Sofia Seppi, Alexander Smith, Logan Steele, Logan Stumpf and Elaine Suer. “We always take so much pride in students that are named semifinalists,” Davis said. “It opens so many doors for those students. Just the very nature of them being named as a semifinalist opens the students up to so many scholarships opportunities.”

ccording to National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), semifinalists are picked from the 50,000 Selection Index scorers qualifying for recognition of the NMSC using a state-representational basis of the top scores of each state, in order to get a variety of semifinalists across the country. The semifinalists fill out an application and have to have academic requirements to apply to potentially become one of the 7,500 National Merit Scholarship winners. “[The application was] fairly straightforward,

and fortunately I have encountered no hiccups,” Linder said. “I had to submit my Scholastic Aptitude test (SAT) score, ask the school to send a transcript, and fill out the boxes of the application. Now I await the board's decision.” According to the NMSC, winners of the National Merit Scholarship are chosen based on academic record, the schools grading system, two sets of test scores, a written recommendation, information on the finalists leadership and activities, and the finalists essay.

he scholarship money of approximately $32,000,000 is distributed to 7,500 Scholarship winners, and each winner can get this money from different types of scholarships that the NMSC offers. “[Winning this award] means that I have better opportunity to get into the schools and programs that I have dreamed of,” Ryan said. “[It will help] me achieve my goals in the long run.” •

It opens so many doors for those students. Just the very nature of them being named as a semifinalist opens the students up to so many scholarships opportunities - Suzanna Davis, East Principal January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 5

FOOD WARS

news | reach out lakota

East and West worked together to “Stuff the Bus” for Reach Out Lakota. story amy bohorfousch | photography and infographic lucy hartmann

n the Lakota Local School District, the rivalry between East and West side schools has been prevalent ever since Lakota High School split into two schools in 1997. Now, however, East and West have formed a temporary union to engage in a very charitable match with Mason and Hamilton high schools: a food drive. The food was collected during the East vs. West football game on October 27. There were a number of factors determining the change to the way the Lakota district normally handles their annual food drive, including the change to the football schedule. The biggest influence, however, was “simply human kindness” according National Honor Society (NHS) president Adam Johantages. “Whenever you bring a community together,

it’s beneficial for everyone in the community” Though a winner of the Stuff the Bus food drive hasn’t been announced, the emphasis of the drive shouldn’t be on winning, according to West Principal Gary Card. “Your main focus should be helping people, I stress that to the students,” Card said. “However, I made sure they know that with something like this, rewards doesn’t matter as much as just doing good for the community.” The Lakota Local Schools worked with Reach Out Lakota to make this challenge to feed the community a success. Tim Harmon, the food pantry coordinator for the local charity, reports that the organization itself was “not involved in the decision” to create the collection contest. However, Harmon has been

apprised of the rules of the innovated game. “Lakota Local Schools have challenged Mason and Hamilton schools to each pack a school bus with more canned goods and other supplies than the other two school districts,” Harmon said. “The final collection was on October 27 at the last home games of the year.”

wo school buses made their way throughout the district all throughout October, making a stop at each school to “stuff the bus” with donations. The combined food drive is mainly the idea of Chris Passarge, the Chief Operations Officer of Lakota Local Schools. “We still wanted to support Reach Out Lakota but also wanted to capitalize on the concept of West and East coming together

Reach out Lakota gains large amounts of donations through drives like stuff the bus and builds up a large amount of supplies to be given out to the district.

4,000 pounds of personal care and paper products donated each month

1,000 tops and bottoms donated monthly

18,000 pounds of

27,000 pounds of

food donations on average per month

food donations at stuff the bus 2017

FOOD

STOP

Reach Out Lakota as an Organization: Stuff the Bus 2017: 6 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

source reachoutlakota.org

The bus filled with donations at the East vs. West football game.

as part of the #WEareLakota,” Passarge said. “[Mason and Hamilton schools] liked the idea and agreed to participate since the drive would also support their local communities.” Passarge’s excitement for the project’s potential is reciprocated by principal of East Suzanna Davis. “You’re seeing a cultural shift,” Davis said. “Not only are we pulling ourselves together, but in essence we’re pulling neighbors together to help our communities.”

ard strongly agreed with Davis and was able to provide further insight about the effects of the campaign that he observed throughout the district. “The district seems more focused, more energetic, more involved.” Card said. “I’ve also noticed that that people are more active on social media about sharing what kids in the district are doing.”

On average, Reach Out Lakota distributes 18,000 pounds of food donations per month, along with 4,000 pounds of personal care and paper products to those in need around the West Chester and Libery Township area. According to Chris Passarge, however, “this food drive is typically the largest drive that Reach Out Lakota has all year long. Over the past 10 years, the drive has been focused on the last football game between East and West.” Harmon was thrilled with the amount of donations Reach Out Lakota received. The drive was an experiment, and Harmon felt that it yielded very auspicious results. The community food and clothing pantry estimates that the drive collected around 27,000 pounds of non-perishable items, enough to stock Reach Out Lakota shelves until February 2018. Around 10,000 items more than an average month. Johantages’ satisfaction with the food drive

was also evident. He attributed its success to the ability of NHS and other volunteers involved to work with each other for the common good and their drive to do tasks well. “One of the keys to NHS success is the variety of clubs and activities represented.” Johantages said. We had to work around sporting events and classroom schedules, but at each collection spot there was always between five and ten people to help.”

he district is proud of the support and dedication that the community has put up during the drive. Bringing the East and West schools together has shown to growth in “We are Lakota” movement according to Davis. “[The drive] is obviously a great way for our school to partner with the community,” Davis said. “I can’t imagine that we would see a departure from that kind of partnership.” •

You’re seeing a cultural shift. Not only are we pulling ourselves together, but in essence we’re pulling neighbors together to help our communities. - Suzanna Davis, East Principal January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 7

transgender policy | news district and he believes that “the policy comes from the standpoint that the relationship between the student and the district is paramount and so all language is based on what the student wants.” “We had to create a policy that gave them guidance and teachers support. I don’t care if there are no transgender students. It’s just the right thing to do,” Denison said. “Our lawyer did say there is not a lot of case law on this, especially in Ohio. We knew we were doing something that was not yet proven but we felt it was the right thing.” Supporters for Lakota’s proposed Gender Identity and Expression policy came in wearing white attire for transgender people. In a recent Spark survey, 88 percent of the 325 East students said they would support a policy that protects transgender students. “In a typical school day I use the restroom twice. That’s two times I walk into an area and assume I will be safe and protected,” East senior and Gay-Straight Alliance member Charis Williams said. “It’s heartbreaking to see our friends and fellow students [who are transgender people] question their safety in such a simple task as going to the bathroom.”

(Right to left) Kelley Casper, Brad Lovell, Julie Schaffer, Todd Parnell and Lynda O’Connor. At the Jan. 9, 2018 Board Meeting Casper and Lovell were sworn into office. Lovell is now on the policy committee and expresses support for the transgender policy through the election season.

3-2 FAILED TRANSGENDER POLICY The Lakota Board of Education vetoed the Proposed Board Policy 5000 on Gender Identity and Expression. story sidney li | photography julianne ford

fter the December meeting, the Lakota Board of Education decided to not codify the gender identity and expression policy with a 3-2 vote. With the opinions from Lakota’s legal team, the Lakota board plans to further discuss the proposed policy in their January agenda meeting. Board president Ben Dibble, board member Lynda O’Connor and board vice president Todd Parnell cast the majority votes of not making the proposed Gender Identity and Expression policy formalized. Board member Julie Shaffer and now former board member Ray Murray comprised of the pro votes “It is important that we do support every one of the students,” Dibble said. “Every student needs to be valued and feel safe in our schools, but I am not sure if this policy is the

8 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

TRANSGENDER POLICY right answer.” After consulting with transgender students and their parents in this district, and the Dec. 2014 suicide of Kings Mills transgender student Leelah Alcorn, Murray was inspired to create his proposed Lakota board policy.

urray based Lakota’s Proposed Board Policy 5000 off of an official board policy from a district outside of Columbus, Bexley. He says that he based his proposed policy off of Bexley’s “word for word that I plagiarized as it was legally sound until I put Lakota’s name on it.”

“While working with Ray, I do see that we should consider a policy,” Parnell said. “When you do have a policy, we have to do it right and with a legal voice, we were told that we aren’t [as] ready as it needs to be right.” During the board meeting, there was a motion to vote on the amended version of Proposed Board Policy 5000, which was created at the prior board meeting on Nov. 20 with word changes in order to clarify the policy. “My concern for policy is to create consistency between building to building and administrator to administrator,” Shaffer said. “If we can amend the amended motion of [Proposed Board Policy 5000] as it is a roadblock then let’s strike it out and move forward.” O’Connor feels that further work is needed

for the policy in the upcoming year with the new board members included. “There are areas that aren’t enforceable and need to be addressed for our over 16 thousand students,” O’Connor said. “In the long run, we are setting a precedent that we will need to make a policy for every minority.”

he amended version of Proposed Board Policy 5000 had the locker room section stroke through, which created the newly re-amended Proposed

Board Policy 5000 on Gender Identity and Expression. Despite the section pertaining to the locker room being removed from the proposed board policy, Parnell said that “it’s poorly written policy, it does not have legal support [and] it’s a completely rushed and [a] haphazard process coming up with this thing. We need to rewrite the thing and do it right.” Bexley School Board Vice President Mike Denison was one of the members that voted on Bexley’s gender identity policy for Bexley’s

88%

ew board members Bradley Lovell and Kelly Casper have joined the Lakota board with incumbent member Parnell. Lovell and Casper said they were in favor for the proposed policy at Spark’s Nov. Candidate Night and the Oct. Candidate Chamber Night. “As a mother, I have a dream that my child will not be judged by his face but his character,” Lakota parent Lisa Phair said. “A yes vote will provide a safer and inclusive setting not just for transgender kids but everyone involved.” The Dec. 11, 2017 meeting was Murray’s last meeting before his contract ends for the 2018 year. But Murray has promised his endeavors onto making this policy official for Lakota. “We, as a district, are currently working with kids that are [gender] transitioning,” Murray said. “But we need to have clear and consistent guidelines to help our kids go through this difficult point in their life.” •

of 325 East students surveyed said that the district should have a Gender Identity and Expression policy for its students

momentum award | news

news | bathroom message

THE POWER OF EMPOWERING Plains Junior High School recently redecorated their girls bathrooms with a unique message. story bea amsalu | photography julianne ford

GAINING MOMENTUM Six individual Lakota schools were awarded the Ohio Department of Education’s Momentum award this year. story caroline bumgarner | photography meredith niemann | art mckenna lewis

L The redecorated bathroom at Plains Junior School.

he halls of Plains Junior School are decorated with “Firebird Pride” posters; lockers are plastered with sports signs and birthday posters, and classroom doors are covered with students’ work. The most unique display at the school, though, is in a little bit of an odd place-- the bathroom. Thanks to Plains special education instructional aide Megan Huss, child nutritionist Terri Ogg and English teacher Lisa Silverglade, empowering quotes are stenciled onto the walls and stall doors of the girls’ bathrooms, making the spaces an array of colors and sparkles rather than just cinderblock and sinks. After personal experiences and realizing the power of quotes the staff decided that this would be the best way to help empower and support their students through middle school. “When I was in high school, I came across a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt its ‘no one can make you feel inferior without your consent’ and that changed my whole outlook on everything,” Ogg said. “Because if people were saying mean things or something like that I’m like ‘your comments don’t matter to me’ so from that day on it changed my attitude.” Huss got the idea for the project after seeing a post on Facebook about a school in Alabama that did a similar project. She thought is was a good project to test out at Plains. “I just shared [the post] and was like ‘this would be so much fun to do at school’.” Huss said. “[Silverglade] ended up asking the principal if we could do it, and she said yes.” The three staffers first placed decals of

10 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

the quotes, that included “beautiful girl, you can do amazing things,” and “be the best version of you”, but later painted the quotes for permanence. Now every stall door has an empowering quote on it. The highlight of the bathroom is the main wall that has the quote of “YOU are BEAUTIFUL” painted in a deep pink. “We worked really hard those three work days before school started. We worked during the day, then stayed after to do them because we wanted the girls to walk into it on the first day.” Silverglade said. “We traced [the decals] before we peeled them off, and then we went back and we stayed after more days and painted. It took like three coats on each one and it’s been a pretty big undertaking.”

n the first day of school Plains eighth grader Paige Striley walked into the bathroom, her face lit up with happiness when she read the colorful wall. “I really love all the messages, but my favorite says ‘You Are Beautiful’,” Striley said. “It is the first thing you see when you walk in and it is very big and it always leaves a smile on people’s faces. The messages have really impacted the girls from my school.” The staff members at Plains have posted about their project on Facebook, where other teachers have been inspired to make plans of their own to revamp and empower the bathrooms at their own respective schools. Teachers at Hopewell Elementary and Liberty Junior have asked for the statements

the Plains teachers stenciled in the bathrooms, in addition to a teacher in Massachusetts who reached out to the teachers for help with her project. “I have some friends on my Facebook who teach at Middletown, some that teach at Edgewood and some that teach at Monroe,” Silverglade said. “They have all asked [to do the project].”

he teachers were quick to get behind the project because in their years of teaching at Plains Junior, they have first hand experience with how hard middle school can be. “We all do believe that it’s the junior high years that are the hardest. They’re just so tough and everybody wants to be a cookie cutout of the next person and they think that if they look different and they don’t fit in that they think there’s something wrong with them.” Silverglade said. “Uniqueness we stand for. If you look at the people who make it in the world, they’re always the 2 percent that were different. The ones that are the same, we don’t make it.” Striley loves walking into the decorated bathroom now, she is constantly reminded of her worth through the messages on the wall. “These messages have helped my friends stay positive and keep their head up when there is drama,” Striley said. “It helps all girls [at Plains] think about how they should be treating others. The messages keep a positive environment going.” •

akota East High School was one of the 217 Ohio schools that were awarded the Momentum Award from the Ohio’s State Board of Education. In addition to East, other Lakota schools that received the award were Endeavor Elementary, Hopewell Elementary, Freedom Elementary, Lakota Plains Junior School and Lakota West High School. Other Greater Miami Conference (GMC) districts that were also awarded the Momentum Award, including Fairfield, Sycamore and Oak Hills. This was a result of the 2016-17 school year on American Institute for Research (AIR) tests in the categories of gifted, students with disabilities, and lowest 20 percent in achievement. Lakota Local schools received the Momentum Award in 2015-16 but this year, the state gave the award to the six individual schools who had straight A’s in the progress category on their state report cards. This was the first year individual schools recieved these awards. Lakota Superintendent Matthew Miller says that the Momentum Award “is based on value, so it looks at different subcategories to see what students’ progress has been year[ly].” “[It’s]not so much what the final score was but whether or not the students made a years worth of growth over time,” Miller said. “You

Kindergarten through sixth grade Curriculum and Instruction, said Response To Intervention (RTI) was created two years ago to have conversations about how to respond to data collected. “We gathered a bunch of data on students and then determined who needs intervention. We changed that practice and used the data that we had [then] assumed that the [students] are still at that same level,” Owens said. “We still continue to collect data, but we were providing intervention.We could change their intervention groups because it isn’t going to hurt anyone to get intervention that doesn’t need it.”

could have a student that got a 60 percent but if they made one year’s growth, then that’s a value add. Though the student may not have passed the test, we see an increase in their ability.”

ne of the areas that Lakota saw the need for improvement was kindergarten through third grade English, which was an F in 2015-2016. Erin Owens the Director of

ast principal Suzanna Davis says that there is no bell curve for students as everyone needs to be achieving and growing with their academics. “You see Lakota East doing so well on value add data, it is because the intense focus on the individual student; there is no one size fits all education,” Davis said. “I think we have absolutely amazing educators who take [teaching] very personally that translates into the data with value add because as we show more of an emphasis on individual students then their individual growth excels.” •

East junior Steven Voss working during chemistry class.

January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 11

news | v.o.a

A WALK IN THE PARK

Voice of America Park is currently under construction with help from the University of Cincinnati Health West Chester Hospital. story amy bohorfousch | photography julianne ford | infographic and art alexandra fernholz

e sighed as he pulled up by the Voice of America (VOA) Park boathouse. The parking lot was packed, again. He turned his car around, as there was no point in trying to have a pleasant walk around the lake today. Longtime VOA visitor, Ron Mohr would have to settle with walking his dog through his neighborhood. “I’ve been coming to VOA since it opened, and I think it’s getting too commercial now,” Mohr said. “There are so many big events on every Saturday now, and I’ve seen license plates from as far away as New Mexico. That seems really far to go for a track meet.” Mohr’s believes his concerns are very well

within reason. MetroParks officials are actively working to attract regional competitions to the local park. According to a press release from MetroParks of Butler County to the public on June 22, 2016, the ground was first broken for the $3.1 million University of Cincinnati (UC) Health Fieldhouse on June 23, 2016 and is expected to be finished late 2017 or early 2018.

he State of Ohio provided a $500,000 capital grant for the project, which was scheduled to open in fall 2017. The rest of the bill is covered by partnerships MetroParks and other businesses and organizations ranging from the United States Department of the

Interior to the Butler County Visitors Bureau. The main community partnership that MetroParks formed to finance the project was with UC Health West Chester Hospital. They have agreed to sponsor a field house being built by VOA’s soccer fields through for a 12-year naming rights contract. UC Health West Chester Hospital’s marketing and communications director Grant Wenzel explains the terms of the contract. “We decided to grant the Metroparks a total of one million over 12 years to help fund the new field house and turf fields they wanted to build,” Grant said. “In return for permission to place athletic trainers and first aid workers that

The new UC Fieldhouse at Voice of America park will be a 3,400 square-foot building with many different utilities and will cost $3.1 million to build

The field house will include restrooms among other facilities

A trainer’s room and office will also be included

A press box will be included in the field house

The field house will have it’s own concession stand

we train at the complex [built].” The 3,400-square foot building will include restrooms, concessions, UC Health trainer’s room, UC Health trainer’s office and a press box. The site will feature a one-acre great lawn, a 3,500 square-foot outdoor viewing terrace, and more than 400 new parking spaces as well.

S A map at the Voice of America park showing the athletic complex which includes the new fieldhouse and sponsors .

source: Hamilton Journal-News

enior manager of Community Relations at Butler County MetroParks Kelly Barkley used her experiences to shed some light through the construction dust about the impact the field house was expected to have on the community. “I would anticipate that having the Fieldhouse as part of the athletic complex would increase the number of tournaments that are attracted to the facility,” Barkley said. “More tournaments in turn would result in higher visitation occurrences for that particular

portion of VOA Park.” Mohr has observed several of these tournaments at VOA already. He expressed some concerns about what they will mean for the people who visit the park simply for recreation.

enzel justified the commercialization of the park with predictions of the impact the people visiting VOA for the tournaments would make on the surrounding community. “We decided to form this sponsorship so we could give back to the community,” Wenzel said. “We’ll be able to share our medical expertise addressing needs that arise in the park, and the out-of-state tournaments will bring more business to hotels and restaurants.” Wenzel’s optimistic outlook on the project was reinforced by data provided by Barkley.

“In the two years since the complex has been open, MetroParks has contributed a positive incremental impact of $12 million annually to the region,” Barkley said. “MetroParks has a master concept plan for VOA Metropark that was conceived with a significant amount of public and stakeholder input over a period of time.“

ith or without the addition of the fieldhouse, Mohr’s friend Ginger Sawver is grateful for the space VOA provides for her to walk her dog. She says that she will continue to use the park despite of the changes. “I think it’s wonderful they offer this to the community,” Sawver said. “People from Mason come here and say Mason doesn’t have anything like it [despite it being as] beautiful as it is there.” • January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 13

teacher | feature

East Algebra II teacher Nicole Bruce helping one of her students, sophomore Keidward Pichardo

Lakota East Main Campus and was later hired. “My patience level and my interest match more so the behaviors of an older teenaeer and I enjoy things like homecoming and college applications and the things going on in a high schooler’s life,” says Bruce. “I like the math curriculum better and I just like more challenging math.” A big influence in Bruce’s life that helped her get adjusted into her new job at East are her fellow teachers. To Bruce, the ladies she works with “embraced her and took her under their wing,” along with the other math teachers in the building. If it wasn’t for the overflowing support and love she received, the transition wouldn’t have been as easy.

ast College Prep Government and Economics teacher Ariana Sanders is a close friend of Bruce who encouraged her to work at the main campus. Last spring, Sanders invited Bruce and her family to East basketball and baseball games in hopes of persuading her to come to East With Sanders also coming from the Hopewell Junior

Overcoming Adversity S itting in the back of an Algebra II class, a young student listened to her teacher ramble on about formulas and equations. At the end of the lesson, the teacher passed out notecards and asked her students to write down what they wanted to be when they grew up. Knowing immediately her choice, she furiously scribbled down “math teacher” and turned in her card. Reading her choice, the teacher met this girl’s dreams with dismay and said she wasn’t good enough. Then 16-year-old Nichole Bruce was told by her 10th grade teacher that she was not good enough to ever be a math teacher. Being told

14 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

“you are not strong enough” in a subject by a teacher would usually result in the student giving up the dream. Bruce did not. “When my teacher told me that, I made the decision right then and there to use it as my motivation to become a math teacher and from that day on I told myself I was going to do it. And I did,” says East Algebra II teacher Nichole Bruce. “I made it my personal goal. I wanted this [career] since I was little and there was no way I was going to let that stop me.” Bruce’s love for teaching first came to light when she was a child and she fondly remembers early memories of playing school with her neighbors and forcing them to be the students

building, she understands the pull to work with high school kids, and the two share an incredible friendship in and out of work. “As a teacher, she is really innovative,” says Sanders. “She does a lot of work with computers to make math very active, rather than having the students sit and listen to her while she’s standing at the board. She is so bubbly and makes learning fun for her kids.” East junior Ally Hamilton is a current student of Bruce and credits her newfound appreciation for math due to Bruce’s ability to make learning enjoyable. Being able to crack jokes to keep her smiling and explaining the concepts thoroughly are a few of the ways that Bruce has become one of Hamilton’s favorite teachers. “[Bruce] is able to break down the steps and will walk me through it so I understand it better,” says Hamilton. “Throughout the first semester she has helped me keep my grade up. Before the year started, I thought that I was just going to have another year of not understanding math, but with her it has been going super well.”

Among friendships with teachers and current students, Bruce has also created lasting friendships with her former kids. East junior Brooke Miller had Bruce when she taught at Hopewell Junior and continues to babysit Bruce’s three young boys. “She fits in with the high school much more and you can tell it’s easier for her to connect with the students at the high school age more than at the junior high,” says Miller. “I think this makes her class more fun for people because she has fun teaching at this age more. You can really tell how much she loves it.”

lthough she stays busy, Bruce finds her work very fulfilling. “For the students and the [students] who don’t love school, I try and give them a place to laugh or connect,” says Bruce. “I understand that not every student will love math and that’s okay. Even though they don’t love the subject, they can have a class that they look forward to or that they don’t have to dread and maybe during that I can teach them that math can be fun too.” •

Overcoming a past obstacle in her life as her motivation, East Algebra II teacher Nichole Bruce fulfills her lifelong passion of teaching. story and photography meredith niemann

and her always being the teacher. Having an understanding of how important children’s dreams are and having young children in the district herself, she ties in her knowledge of math with her knowledge of kids into her teaching.

fter teaching Algebra I at Revere High School in 2013, Bruce took a position at Hopewell Junior School where she taught Pre-Algebra and Algebra I to eighth graders. Although she adored the staff members there, she felt like high school was her calling and over the summer of 2016 she applied for a position at

111 Reading Rd, Mason, OH 45040

(513) 398-2020

today. 2008 GMC Player of the Year and a First Team All-State Selection, Aiden Javed was the second individual golfer from East to qualify for state who still keeps in touch with his former coach. “I still live and work in the area, so I still see Coach [Combs] regularly,” says former East student and golfer Aiden Javed. “When I started playing for him he was just my coach, but [after the] first year I got to spend time with him and he not only [became] my coach but a friend and a role model.”

East golf coach and special education teacher Jeff Combs teaching one of his classes.

grand slam East golf coach and special education teacher Jeff Combs has connected with many students, athletes and staff members during his 20 years at East, he has been through the dark and bright times of East athletics. story stephen mckay | photography michael croy

he East golf team hasn’t always been at the top of the Greater Miami Conference (GMC). There was even a time when the team was consistently at the bottom of the conference and it was a struggle to get enough players to play, however, it hasn’t always been like this. With Jeff Combs as head coach, the East golf team qualified for state this year for the second consecutive and won the GMC for the fourth time in four years. Combs has been at the helm of the golf team since East was first established 20 years ago. Combs also teaches in the special education department at East and is the head of the Student-Athlete Leadership Team (SALT).

16 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

At one point during his time at East, Combs coached golf, basketball and track and field all during one year because of the lack of coaches and success in the East athletics program when the school was first built. “When we split, our football coach came here, but outside of that East was known as the academic school and West was the athletic school,” says Combs. “[West] had most of the good sports teams definitely for the first 10 years and it was really hard for East to compete with West athletically.” Combs has created many close connections with a lot of the golfers, players and runners he has coached with throughout the years and he still meets with and talks to his former players

nother player that he developed a close relationship was Will Schmidt, who played for Combs from 2013 to 2016 and helped lead the team to state last year. “My favorite memory is playing in tryouts with him as a sophomore, being crazy nervous, I was a scared kid, and just trying to make our top team,” says 2015 GMC Player of the Year Schmidt. “I was never the most skilled guy early on and I wasn’t a highly talked about player until later on. [Combs] gave me a shot and I think it ended up paying off.” According to Mason golf coach Tim Lambert, Combs is a big reason that the East golf team has become such a powerhouse, not only in the conference, but the state. “[Combs] has been the heart-beat of Lakota East Boys Golf for decades,” says Lambert. “He sacrifices his personal and family time to help mold his team into a competitive unit. And more importantly, he influences each team member’s individual development as young men and students.” However, the road to the top hasn’t been easy for Combs, from placing last in the GMC to struggling to find golfers, Combs has fought through the struggles. “We were not very good [for the first few years]. I was actually just trying to find golfers to play,” says Combs. “If you shot a 90 you were on Varsity and if you broke 100 you were in the running. I actually had to go in the summer and organize trips where I would go to the kids’ houses and take them to tournaments.”

ow the East golf team not only has a Varsity and Junior Varsity (JV) team, but they have enough players for a varsity A and B team. East College Prep Government and United States History teacher and former varsity baseball coach at two different schools Pete Maus has seen the success that Combs has had with the golf team. “[Combs] always makes whatever situation you’re in better,” says Maus. “I’ve talked to some golfers and even after a bad hole, he always pumps them up.” Maus was the East JV basketball coach while Combs coached the sophomore team and ...continued on page 76

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7696 in West Chester, one of many posts.

Vitalizing For warriors

Local veterans share their stories on how the wars they partook in not only changed their lives but them as well. story megan finke | photography meredith niemann

xperiences such as running through trenches, navigating through dense jungles or riding a naval ship across the Atlantic Ocean will always lurk in many veterans’ minds. Most of these scenarios would not be an everyday task for the average American; however for a veteran, the past could never really stay in the past. In West Chester, Ohio, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 7696, one of many posts, sits veterans who have served and are eligible under many requirements, like wars in which they fought. Besides occupational duty, the veterans served in World War II, the Korean, Persian Gulf, Vietnam and Iraq Wars, Panama, Lebanon, Grenada, Afghanistan and other expeditionary campaigns, according to the VFW website. Veterans of the West Chester location bring many different experiences and memories from different wars in several locations overseas. One of the oldest participating veterans in the VFW is 95-year-old World War II veteran Byron Sales. As a naval sailor, he learned lessons that no one else could learn, such as the

importance of working hard and the ability to adapt to unexpected surroundings. Besides these valuable life lessons, the good and bad memories will never slip his mind. Things like eating different foods, listening to intense commands and getting to know his fellow sailors from a nearby ship over a movie night. There will always be a new story for Sales to tell. “I didn’t like [the food], but I had no choice,” Sales says. “When you go out to sea, you get a lot of nice food but sometimes it gets exhausting [sick] and we wouldn’t be able to meet a destroyer-tender [an auxiliary ship designed to support other warships and destroyers], which carries a lot of extra things [like] milk which is very important. Then we used water and got powder milk and eventually you [learn] to like it.” He is able to pass these special recollections on to his fellow VFW members, especially his close friend and B-52 gunner Mike Barker. Barker flew in Operation Desert Shield/ Persian Gulf War and the Cold War with family ties to the armed forces. His love for flying developed while he was in high school and he pursued into the United States (U.S.) Air Force because all he wanted to do is fly. Throughout the journeys he embarked on, he not only met

HIGHLIGHTING THE

VETS

the love of his life but he made unforgettable memories. “So, I wanted to be in the U.S. Air Force and I wanted to fly. ” Barker says. “My father flew in the U.S. Navy [during] the Korean War, my uncle was in the Vietnam War and so there is just a sense of service.” With an impression of patriotism in his blood, making the decision to fly came to Barker naturally; therefore, serving in multiple foreign wars for the U.S. not only created a proud country but also lets Barker get more time in the air. Friends and fellow veterans Don Carter and Dave Smith both fought in the Vietnam War and served for their country in as many ways as possible. Not only will they never forget memories made, but lessons were learned that could only be retrieved in the terrain of Vietnam. “Being in the war has taught me bravery, courage [and] appreciation at an extreme level in comparison to others,” says Carter. “Vietnam was definitely life-changing and I wouldn’t change it for the world.” Smith not only experienced similar memories and lessons from the war, but also thought about the younger people in the U.S. and set a mental reminder to not let the patriotism escape his current lifestyle. “What young people don’t understand is that they are the future,” says Smith. “Don’t let that strain a lot out of you, just keep that patriotic flow in your veins.”• January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 17

feature | dart With a sparkling personality and a genuine concern for students, East head custodian Josh Crouch is

cleaning up story megan finke | photography meredith niemann | infographic meredith peters

East senior Kyle Clark working out in the East weight lifting room.

M A JOB WELL DONE

East senior Kyle Clark’s drive to succeed while working a full-time job and going to school aids him to prepare for the military. story gabbie behrmann photography sophie knauer

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

any thoughts race through his head during the workout. With each swing to the punching bag questions pour out: “When will my test results come in? What if they aren't the results I want? What will I do if I don’t get in?” Working out after a long day at work would eventually drive one to madness, East senior Kyle Clark; however, thrives on this. Clark currently works 35 to 40 hours a week since he only takes three classes and is able to balance work and school. Clark’s former wrestling coach and East Biomedical Science teacher James Williams has known Clark for four years says that he is very quiet and reserved until you get to know him. “A strength of his is his self [motivation],” says Williams. “He's a hard worker and he jumps right in and is dedicated to [the work]. That's definitely an admirable quality [he has].” Clark’s mother Keah Wagner says he's a “chip off the old block,” comparing him to his father who also worked his way through high school. “[Clark] is a great kid by far,” says Wagner. “He’s thoughtful, caring and helpful. He's just a good kid all the way around. He keeps his grade point average above 3.0, he works and he helps me around the house.” Wagner says that every time something breaks in the house, Clark is the one to fix it. Whether it’s a broken toilet or a fallen shelf, he goes right away to find tools to find out how to restore it. Clark’s self-taught skills may even help him get into the military, which is his long term goal “My family got me interested in the military,” says Clark. “My great grandpa, his grandpa and

my father all [were in] in the military. So we have a big military background.” Clark does not know which branch he wants to join yet, it will all depend on his Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test scores. The ASVAB is a test given by the United States Military Processing Command and is used to determine the student’s qualification for enlistment in the military. Once he makes his decision, he will go into active duty and stay in for a minimum of four years. His mother is nervous about him joining but she wholeheartedly supports whatever decision he makes. “I'm scared to death,” says Wagner. “I think it's great that he's doing that but on [the other hand] I'm scared just like any other parent.” Although he has a parent worrying about him, Clark is already figuring out what he’s going to do after the military and has plenty of options lined up. “If I got out [after serving in the military] in four years then I plan on becoming a police officer,” says Clark. “[Or become] a detective or join a special forces team. If I didn't do that then I was going to turn the military into a career and stay there for 20-30 years and retire.” Clark has the mental and physical stamina that the military requires. Almost everyday after work he hits up the gym, or his punching bag, to work on his fitness. Along with all of his other daily activities, one of his most favorite is what he does to impact the lives of other people. “The most passionate thing I’m about is trying to make other people happy,” says Clark. “I try to spread positive messages and vibes everyday.” •

e walked down the hall after the final bell at three o’clock to find a student tucked back in a stairwell crying. Bending down, the faculty member took time to listen. This generated a simple question, “what’s wrong?” Subsequently, he finally stands up, puts his hand out to help the student stand up and then quickly cracks a joke while the tears fade. Going back to answering a radio call and pushing a cart down the hall, new head custodian at East Josh Crouch can complete the job with pride knowing that just the one simple question changed a student’s day. His smile spread from ear to ear brings joy and uplifts fellow faculty members and students. Wanting to break the stereotypes placed upon custodians just being a “cleanup crew,” Crouch uses his friendly attitude to go out of his way to develop friendships with students. “I like being able to work with kids but not as hands-on or as much of an adult role as a teacher [has],” says Crouch. “It’s more like a friendship. I can make jokes and have fun with them and not be as serious.” Becoming a custodian never crossed his mind. Not until he was approached by his uncle who was asking for a helping hand. Crouch never thought twice about helping out. “It all started when my uncle talked me into helping in Middletown,” says Crouch. “They liked me and asked if I would consider working there full time as a custodian.” Quickly moving into the head custodial position at East, Crouch didn’t realize his quick wit and genuine concern would be appreciated by the students and staff. “I started at East in second shift then a couple months they moved me to day shift because I have a big personality,” says Crouch. “It’s easier for me to get along with kids than a lot of other people.” Before he became the head custodian at East, he worked at two other Lakota schools, Wyandot Early Childhood School (ECS) and VanGorden Elementary. His optimism and

East head custodian Josh Crouch with seniors (from left to right) Aaron Cook, Brandon Britton, Alahn McGary, Coby Boller and Isaiah Flood.

approachability followed him everywhere. Wyandot ECS Principal Mary Brophy says that attitude Crouch brought to the school was irreplaceable and motivated the staff and students. “[Crouch] is like a happy bubble wherever he goes. The students fell in love with him from the day he entered our school,” says Brophy. “He had an amazing, ‘let’s get things done’ attitude and was very helpful to the staff. We would take him back at Wyandot in a heartbeat.”

Check Air and Heating 6:30 a.m.-6:45 a.m. Unlock Doors: 6:45 a.m.-6:50 a.m. Meet with Richie Salzer from maintinence to figure out what needs to be done for the day 7:00 a.m.-7:15 a.m.

Lock Doors: 8:05 a.m. Building Needs: 8:05 a.m.-10:45 a.m.

TRASH

18 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

Over the past summer Crouch was interviewed for the position of head custodian for both East and West, excited for either opportunity to fulfill his custodial duties and eager to create more friendships with students. Manager of Facilities and Operations for Lakota Neil Persley says the work ethic and passion displayed by Crouch showed that he had the drive for success they were looking for. “Josh has excellent work ethic and his focus ...continued on page 76

Lunch Room: 10:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

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

interviews and photography kara harris and charis williams

zavier owen

Did you know that prior to 1998, there was just one Lakota high school? Yeah, my dad talks about it all the time.

hawks ON: east

Are you aware that this year is East’s 20th anniversary?

Are you aware that this year is the 20th anniversary of East?

Yes I am.

Yes.

Did you know that prior to 1998 there was only one Lakota High School?

Did you know that in 1998 there was only one high school?

Yes, I am aware of that.

Yes.

Do you believe that there is any significant differences between East and West?

Have you seen any changes at all from last year to this year?

The vibe is still the same, I’m a senior so it’s like every time I walk through the doors this is one day closer to being the last time I’m here. However, the teachers have their accomplishments and what school they went to posted outside their classroom, so I feel like you get a good view of who that person is even if you don’t have them.

Have you heard of the stereotype of East being the academic school and West being the athletic school?

Do you believe that there is any significant differences between East and West? I think we have a way better education. I feel like we like each other more here, but other than that I don’t think so. But we do have more accomplishments.

I mean, I wasn’t here last year, but it’s a lot different from my middle school because it’s a lot more into the school [spirit], the administration likes everybody to be more in with the spirit than at my middle school. What do you think they are?

So do you think that’s true?

Yes I am.

I believe that our marching band is better than [West’s], I mean just what I’ve learned is the people here are a lot more nice to everybody. At West they’re really rude to everyone from what I’ve heard from my friends.

East is better at sports and academics I believe. So I think the stereotype is a little off.

Did you know that prior to 1998, there was only one high school?

How do you feel about that?

BRADEN MASON

cara godbey

Are you aware that this year is East’s 20th Anniversary?

Yes.

No.

31%

I think it’s very fun and rewarding. I love it. I think it’s just a great time. It’s a great pick-me-up.

20 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

Have you heard of the stereotype of East being the academic school and West being the athletic school? Yeah, definitely. Everyone will ask me ‘do you go to East or West?’ and I say East and they’ll say ‘oh so you’re the smart kid, you’re not the athletic kid?’, and I say yes I guess, but these past few years we’ve dominated them in football and basketball, so I guess we’re both now.

celeste joseph

Have you noticed any changes from last year to this year?

I mean, I agree with it, just because here we’ve got more kids who are graduating and [attending] high ranked colleges. But West’s sports are a lot [better] than East’s.

of 413 East Spark Twitter followers have heard of the stereotype of East being the academic school and West being the athletic school and believe this is true.

Yes, I feel like the whole entire demographic is kind of different, you can definitely see it in our extra-curricular activities. Our bands are both really good, we both have really good sports teams, but I mean we all know East is better. But there are some differences and similarities.

I’ve heard of that, but it doesn’t really make sense to me because we’ve had, I think it’s called the Lakota trophy for five years now, it’s when we win the majority of sports. I keep up with Greater Miami Conference (GMC) sports and it has all the schools in GMC and how many points they get from each sport. At the end of the year, it’s all added up and we’ve been doing pretty good with points.

Have you seen any changes at all from last year to this year?

hawk spotlight | feature

How do you feel about music over the speakers between classes during special days?

What about the “above the line? motto?” It really keeps me in check. Do you believe that there are any significant differences between East and West? Structurally no. I don’t think so.

January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 21

package | 20th anniversary

YEARs LATER This 2017-18 school year marks the 20th anniversary of the Lakota High School split into Lakota East and West High Schools. With profile highlights of 1998 East alum and faculty, they each individually provide uniqueness to the first academic school year of East.

story, photography and art sidney li | infographic issac lukose, lauren maier and joe phelan *Editorial Note: After perusing the 1998 Paragon yearbook, the Editorial board randomly selected 20 names and googled them. Former students that responded first led to them having their stories shared, while the staff members chosen were part of the original faculty.

eptember 2. The first day of school marks an annual landmark for students and their families. With a brown paper lunch bag and a perfectly organized backpack in tow, students excitedly embark on another milestone in their lives. After taking a plethora of pictures, parents drop off and eagerly wave their children goodbye. Once walking through the front doors, students are immediately greeted with smiles and help from faculty. Nervousness runs in their veins but excitement is emitted on faces for everyone to see. However, the fall of 1997 was another milestone for families in the West Chester and Liberty Township community. Two high schools, an early childhood center, and another junior school were added. With a freshman school replacing the former Lakota High building, Lakota East and West High School officially opened their doors to the community and student body on Sept. 2 for the 1997-98 school year. Throughout the Lakota district, a total of 13,609 students were officially enrolled that year. This was a 576 student increase from the 1996-97 school year. Now, 20 years later, Lakota East and West have embraced their separation as independent high schools with a

mutual unity of Lakota pride. Alongside to a continuous growing community, the student body increased with additions to both high schools, an East freshman campus, two elementary schools, a junior high and an early childhood center. Serving from 1994-2005, Former Lakota Superintendent Kathleen Klink says that there were “more opportunities for students and challenges for those whose friends are going to a different school.” “Every school develops its own culture as leaders surface and ideas are shared. I always found Lakota East and Lakota West to be outstanding schools with their own unique ways to support students,” Klink says. “I didn’t create new traditions, but students, faculty, staff and administration created new mascots, songs, school colors, [and others] to establish new identities.” With that, this divide into two buildings with Lakota East in Liberty Township and Lakota West in West Chester Township 20 years ago was known by 98 percent out of the 331 East students surveyed. “I had the privilege of being a teacher, counselor, high school administrator and central office administrator. D u r i n g

98%

those years, I saw and experienced significant positive growth and change,” Klink says. “To continue to support outstanding educational opportunities was very important to me. I learned lots, developed many meaningful relationships and grew tremendously as a person and educator.” Despite the location differences between the two high schools, the administration team intended to keep the course a va i l a b i l i t y the same

of 331 East students surveyed said that they were aware of the Lakota High School split into Lakota East and Lakota West. 22 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

“

99%

package | 20th anniversary

There have been so many achievements that not only East but Lakota as a whole district have had, We might be two separate high schools that are also divided but at the end of the day, we are Lakota.

of the 329 East students surveyed said that they knew of the identical building structures of East and West.

- Suzanna Davis, East Principal

between East and West. Even though there was about 1,400 students at West and 1,200 students at East, 420 seniors chose to enroll at West and 280 seniors chose East. However, underclassmen were assigned to their schools.

ne of the major concerns between community members with the district split for high schoolers were the boundary lines that separated and defined what was East and West side of Lakota. Former Lakota Board of Education president Sandy Wheatley says that “the continuously growing student population made it apparent for renovations and growth.” “We had a Lakota Advisory Commission that was conducted after the community voted in favor of [having] two high schools instead of one big one and helped reconstruct the boundary lines and I was apart of that,” Wheatley says. “Our main goal was to serve [the] community and bring forward solutions to the issues they found important.” The East and West buildings were built identically as Wheatley says that in order to provide “unity as not one school was better than the other.” The two Lakota high schools cost 53 million dollars, which voters approved through a tax hike in 1994. Alongside this, these identical structures were known by 99 percent out of the 329 East students surveyed. Lakota Director of Building and Grounds Robert Fischer currently deals with the infrastructures and maintenance of all the buildings along with their exteriors in the Lakota district since 2006.

1997

“Economically, having two buildings is cheaper as there is one set of building plans that are smaller and comprised of less needed materials,” Fischer says. “The district didn’t want to have one building superior to the other on either East or West side.” In 1997, both buildings had an original square footage of 246,610 square feet when they were originally built. However, in 2002, East and West were expanded by 10,591 square feet with the additions of the far left wings in the back of the high schools. Both campuses also had field houses constructed near their athletic stadiums.

fter that first major renovation of additions, there was a second one in 2007 with additions of a connector bridge, an office renovation, front exterior staircase and the far right wing. There was also an addition of locker bays G and H with the back staircase. This added another 60,974 square feet to the buildings. “Having two schools allows for more personal attention for each student and it’s easier to walk the halls between classes in the alloted time instead of one large building,” Fischer says. “There are also more opportunities for [a] variety of programs to be at the buildings too.” In a recent Spark survey, 33 percent of the East students said they were aware of both renovations in 2002 and 2007. However, only 52 percent were only aware of one. “With the demographics changing and growing five to seven years later in a cycle, there are always plans [for] additions and changes, if

Lakota East, Lakota West and Lakota Early Childhood Center are built. Lakota Freshman School is relocated at the former Lakota High School site. Lakota Ridge Junior School opened at the former site of the Lakota Freshman School.

needed,” Fischer says. “Lakota East [and] West have and will run at a level of power that won’t be an issue for anybody.”

ven though the equipment found in the lower level of the schools along with the chillers and boilers were placed 20 years ago, they still run at a proficient level and can maintain that same progress with more square footage built into the buildings. According to current East principal Suzanna Davis, the main focus for the 20th anniversary was surrounded around the actual opening date; however, this year’s prom theme correlates to the timeless memories from 20 years ago. Besides the past school-wide events that have occured in the month of September, there aren’t “many major events planned to further celebrate the 20th anniversary but if some ideas were to formulate, then our administration can lead from there,” according to Davis. “We did a lot with the 20th anniversary opening date and week of September 2 with the 20th anniversary spirit week and dressing up,” Davis says. “Our big event was the Friday night [of Sept. 8] event fireworks at the football with donations from the senior class and PTSO that was something very different and completely unheard of within the last 20 years at East.” In a recent Spark survey, only 27 percent of the 298 East students surveyed were aware that East already had a special spirit day with the staff and fireworks show dedicated to the 20th anniversary of East. When East opened in 1998, Davis originally

n the other side of the district, former Lakota High School and Lakota West principal Craig Ullery enjoyed the similar goal of students succeeding between both East and West’s faculty members. “Transferring from a tightly packed Lakota High School to a fresh new building of Lakota West was definitely an exciting yet stressful time,” Ullery says. “However, the students and staff members were ecstatic. I had been involved with education for such a long time that this change was just another highlight in my career.” As Lakota High School’s mascot was the “Thunderbird,” it subsequently had to change when East and West were built. There was “much discussion between the student body and administrators” Ullery says. Eventually, West adopted the “Firebirds” and East adopted the “Thunderhawks.” Even with these mascot differences, they continued to incorporate “‘Lakota’ [as it] is an Indian name meaning coming together, unity, or togetherness. [It has] brought together the many small neighborhoods and molded them

into a strong, cohesive community,” according to Lakota’s website Lakota Online. “With the community being rural 20 years ago, many of the community members and families were hesitant on having this massive expansion and advancement of two high schools,” Wheatley says. “In the end, it all worked out but it took a lot of small and strenuous steps to get to that point with all the logistics that were unheard of.”

ne of the issues discussed was the official names for both high school buildings. Originally, their names were going to be Lakota South and North as the high school in Liberty Township was north of the high school in West Chester Township. Also, both schools were in a five mile stretch of Interstate 75, and not west or east of each other. There were issues as “people felt this related to the Civil War and didn’t want the district to be associated with the history of the names,” Wheatley says. This led to community members creating a petition that led to Lakota East and West, despite the directional error. “Even though there were many times that seemed difficult before the official openings of the buildings, everyone had a similar goal to make this split a success,” Ullery says. “With the differences put aside, I am honored to have been in the position that I was in with this massive event.” Former East Assistant Principal Curtis Philpot came into position in East’s first year

in 1997. He stayed until 2002 when he left to become the superintendent of Madison Local Schools; however, he says that he “couldn’t resist the excitement of being part of something as special as creating a brand new school with brand new traditions and being a part of history.”

any veteran teachers, coaches and students chose to attend West at the time of the split, so initially, East had a much smaller enrollment and number of staff,” Philpot says. “Even though East and West are large schools, they still are close knit school families and can provide great opportunities for kids but also maintain connections with students.” Both East and West are in the Greater Miami Conference (GMC) and play against each other. This rivalry in athletics has created competition between the two high school campuses as former Lakota athletic director Stu Eversole says that “it was a thrilling time for sports with Lakota East and West—football.” “Being the athletic director at a high point for the district as we were growing in so many ways was exciting with all the standout student

1999

2000

2003

2006

Lakota West girls’ soccer team won state championships.

Lakota East Spark was awarded a National Scholastic Press Association National AllAmerican award.

Lakota Plains Junior School, VanGorden Elementary and the Central Office Building are built.

Lakota West girls’ golf team won state championships.

1998

2000

First graduating class of Lakota East and West.

Lakota West boys’ golf team won state championships.

24 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

taught health and has been affiliated with the building in the past 21 years. Next to her room in 102 was now East freshman campus associate principal Rob Burnside in room 104. “East is such a big part of who we are as educators and it’s been such a influential role in our and students’ lives,” Davis says. “It all comes to a circle to be a part of something like East over the past [two] decades of our lives.”

2003

2004

2007

Van Gorden Elementary opened.

Lakota East Spark was awarded a National Scholastic Press Association National Pacemaker.

Endeavor Elementary School Wyandot Early Childhood School are built. Additions to Lakota East and West High Schools

package | 20th anniversary athletes that broke down barriers,” Eversole says. “The split allowed for both East and West to have a steady foundation that eventually grew into something so much more for later years in not just football but soccer and others.” According to the GMC website, the 32nd year of the GMC conference expanded, which resulted to ten members with Colerain, East and West added. There was a total of 21 sports played in the GMC; however, boys volleyball and bowling and girls bowling were not officially added until later. “You had families that were split, neighbors and former teammates that were split,” Philpot says. “While there was fierce competition between the schools, at the end of the day, you remembered that these were your old neighbors, friends, and brothers and sisters.” Now, there are approximately 3,600 sophomores to seniors at both main campuses and about 1,300 freshmen at their freshman campuses, according to the Ohio Department of Education’s October 2016 public districts and buildings enrollment data.

wenty years later, both Lakota schools have established their place in southwestern Ohio as the they are part of the eighth largest district in Ohio. There are also numerous awards won by the district and students, such as the Ohio Department of Education’s Momentum Award and All Sports Trophy Champions. According to United States News and World Report, West is 56th and East is 63rd in Ohio school rankings. Both high schools have a silver medal, which means students have performed at a proficient level on state tests, the least advantaged students performed at or better than state average, surpassed the standard graduation rate and had high results on the Advanced Placement exams. “There have been so many achievements that not only East but Lakota as a whole district have had,” Davis says. “We might be two separate schools that are divided with our freshman campuses, junior highs, elementary and early childhood centers but at the end of the day, we are Lakota.” •

Now East 2017-18

East 1997-98 East HS Enrollment 1,400 students

East HS Enrollment 2,650 students

School Year 36 weeks

Grades grades 10-12

Grades grades 9-12

East HS Faculty 106 teachers

East HS Faculty 148 teachers

Grading Scale 7 point

Grading Scale 10 point

Advanced Placement Classes 14 classes

Advanced Placement Classes 21 classes

Lakota East Principal Ruth Barber

Lakota East Principal Suzanna Davis

Courses 178 classes

Courses 145 classes

source Lakotaonline.com

2007 Lakota West was named All Sports Trophy Champions for its third consecutive year.

PARK PROJECT

With a grant from the Toshiba America Foundation, now East Advanced Placement Environmental Science teacher Mark Folta and his students restored about 100 acres of the Voice of America Park 20 years ago. story ruth elendu, sidney li | a dditional reporting samadhi marapane

he Voice of America (VOA) MetroPark is nature on full display. The glittering pond illuminating the sun shining down on it has become a home to the ducks and geese waddling on the bare ground. Sons and fathers sit on the shoreline patiently waiting for a catch to reel in while the wind blows a soft, refreshing mist in their face. The trails encompassing the park are a pleasant addition to families as they race each other on their bikes, the wind blowing through their hair and also peaceful for individuals who soak in the clean, fresh air that cleanses their mind. Twenty years ago, Mark Folta, the current East Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science teacher found out that more than 90 percent of Ohio’s wetlands had been used for agriculture, according to a report released from the Environmental Protection Agency. According to Folta, the towers in VOA were brought down and given to the community in 1997. As a result, West Chester received almost 500 acres along with “the historic VOA building. 25 acres were sold by the federal government and became the VOA Shopping Center.” After that, Miami University created their regional learning center with the 25 acres along with the 500 acres for development of recreational facilities and almost 20 acres for restoration and development of the National VOA Museum of Broadcasting. Folta was aware that there were plans on the farmland, where VOA is located at now, to become a golf course. He was then determined to restore the area back to a wetland and found a grant from the Toshiba America Foundation to assist him in doing just that.

“I ended up meeting with the Park planner at the time and we discussed other options which included a nature park with a wetland area. The Parks department had been more focused on developing a golf course, however,” Folta says. “I began searching for grant options that could assist the planning for the restoration of a wetland. [Lakota Freshman Principal Kate Bower] at the time provided me with some grant applications.”

olta discovered the Toshiba America Foundation grant that aided teachers who were “passionate about making science and mathematics more engaging for their students,” according to the official Toshiba America Foundation website. As he was the Lakota freshman AP Environmental Science teacher, Folta took his freshman students in 1997 on a field trip to VOA in the spring to conduct an environmental analysis of the property which had some wetlands and 2 small forested areas at the time. “I wanted to provide my students with some resources that they could use to complete field investigations. I applied for that grant and was fortunate to receive 7,200 dollars from Toshiba,” Folta says. “When we received news of the grant, I informed my students and they were given group assignments that involved the planning for the design of wetland area on the VOA property.” In the three years that Folta has taught AP Environmental Science class, he has his classes have a yearly service project that aids East and its community. Current AP Environmental Science and East senior Joel Mathew says that service

20th anniversary | package projects has been beneficial with his learning in AP Environmental Science as “we always talked about how beneficial it was for the environment to plant new trees.” “I never took it too seriously because I didn’t think anyone would take the time to do that,” Mathew says. “Then we did the tree planting activity [in October] and I saw what a group of people could accomplish for the environment if they came together like this.” This past year in Oct. 25, current AP Environmental Science and Lakota East Advocates Forum members planted trees behind the baseball fields in East with another grant from Duke Energy. “At some point, the Butler County MetroParks abandoned their plans to install another golf course for the area and went with what they have today,” Folta says. “Which I think is a wonderful asset to our community.” Kim McFarland has lived in the Butler County area for over 21 years after moving with her family in 1996. McFarland says the area has changed greatly with the increasing urbanization and the decline in farmland throughout the years. “The biggest thing I noticed when I moved out here was that there were only two restaurants,” McFarland says. “Cox road only went in one direction so there was minimal development there and one thing that worried me was not having a close hospital nearby.”

cFarland also says the number of times she visited the Voice of America park began to increase as the park grew in size twenty years ago. When she first moved to Butler County, the towers were still intact, and when knocked down, she began noticing the expansion of sports fields and lakes over time. In a recent Spark survey, 31 percent of East students said that they don’t go to any local parks. However, 10 percent go about a couple of days a week, 23 percent go once a week, 13 percent go about a couple of days a month and 23 percent go in a few months or so. “I definitely think that having parks is so important to this ...continued on page 76

2008

2009

2011

2017

Lakota East Freshman Campus and Liberty Early Childhood School were built.

New Union Elementary was built and Liberty Early Childhood School was remodeled.

Lakota East boys’ baseball team won their first state title.

Matthew Miller is named Lakota Local School District’s new Superintendent.

Six Lakota schools received the Ohio Department of Education’s Momentum Award

2007

2008

2014

2017

Lakota West boys’ baseball team won state championships.

Lakota East Marching Thunderhawks performed at the Waikiki Holiday Parade and United States Ship Missouri Memorial at Pearl Harbor.

Lakota East Marching Thunderhawks performed at The Hollywood Christmas Parade

Lakota’s district-wide food drive donated a record-breaking 27,000 pounds of items to Reach Out Lakota.

26 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

package | 20th anniversary

20th anniversary | package

East Through the Ages Storage

East has been rennovated three times throughout itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 20 year lifespan. Art

infographic michael croy

STOR

PR PR PR

STOR

Music OFF

Vocal Music CR Music Lab

Balcony

Media Center

STOR

PS PS RR

F F F F Mail

CR Courtyard

RR OF OFOFOFOFOF

SCI LAB

CL RR

Courtyard

WKRM

COMP LAB

CR CR

MECH

WKRM

PS PS PS

CR CR

COMP LAB

MECH

SCI Courtyard LAB

COMP

WKRM LAB

MECH

1997

CR CR

Room Key: CR: Classroom CL: Clinic OF: Office MECH: Mechanical Room WKRM: Work Room F: Faculty Area

SCI LAB: Science Lab COMP LAB: Computer Lab / Science Classroom STOR: Storage Room PR: Practice Room RR: Restroom

Building Key:

Expansion Key: Original Building

Locker Bay

Bridge

2002 Expansion OR

Stairs

Doors

2007 Expansion 28 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

SCI LAB

Upper Media Center

SCI LAB

SCI SCI LAB LAB

The upper auditorium was renovated the same year that East in 1997 opened in order to add more seats.

2002

OFF CR

Dining Area

East Commons

Upper Auditorium

STOR

Admin Offices

Server

STOR OF

Serving Area

West Commons

Butler Tech Pathways

Library

Storage

Art

Lowe Audit r orium

Gym

Art

PR Music HomeHome SCI Ec Ec LAB Music

Kitchen

Stage

Art

MECH

STOR

Weight Room

OFF

l ta en m tru sic Ins Mu

OFF

Multi-Purpose Gym

Auxiliary Gym

*The floor plan that is not identical to the lower level is shown on the second level, except for the locker bays.

2007

The 2002 expansion added five classrooms on the first floor such as the Science Lab on the far left corner of building and several Home Economics classrooms.

The 2007 Expansion added 13 new classrooms on the far right corner of the building, a new bridge to connect the second level, auxiliary gymnasium and a more secure entrance to the building.

source Director of Lakota Building and Grounds Robert Fischer

33%

of East students surveyed said they were aware of both renovations in 2002 and 2007. However, only 52% were only aware of one of the renovations.

n o i t a r i p s n I ’s

r e t h g u a D Her

acing the high school halls that she walked 20 years ago with her sophomore daughter now was a moment that she looked forward to. However, other parents hastily followed their children to their classrooms in the upcoming school year. Even though her daughter is nervous about the massive size of her school, she follows along her mother’s memories. However, she was ecstatic that her daughter would soon attend the same high school as her. Now, 1998 East Alumna Michelle Denham is reexperiencing high school vicariously through her daughter Regan Denham. “My mom always gets on me about my academics but I know she comes from a meaningful intention as she wants me to succeed,” Regan says. “I don’t want to be a realtor like my mom as I am thinking about medicine in the future so that will be more demanding and I know she has high expectations for me.” “I was a little overwhelmed coming to East but it was those same halls that my mom did too,” Regan says. “She would point out classrooms and say that classroom was where she did that or that was where she fought with her ex boyfriend there.” They both soon realized that Regan would have East Financial Literacy and Planning teacher James Lehman this year. He was the same teacher that Michelle had 20 years ago, but for informational technology.

1998 East alumna Michelle Denham’s daughter inspires her to work harder everyday with her work and life.

“It was so interesting to learn that my daughter would have Mr. Lehman. When we were talking to him, he was [shocked] to learn that I also had him but 20 years ago,” Michelle says. “Seeing my daughter grow up into a woman has made me realize that time flies by.” When Michelle was deciding whether to go to East or West, she had to go through the stress of talking to her friends and seeing which friends would go to what school. Then finally, after making a decision, Michelle went into the counselors office and had to made the final decision: East or West. While Michelle was a senior at East, she still is reminiscent and uses the content that she learned from Lehman’s class. He taught her how to use different Excel spreadsheets and Microsoft Word documents, which proved to be highly beneficial for her future careers. After having Michelle, Lehman says that “Michelle was a very nice, sweet girl.”

nce she graduated from East, Michelle pursued an office job when she was 20-years-old. She now works two jobs. One of those jobs is an office position at greater Cincinnati real estate company Comey and Shepherd. “I work constantly,” Michelle says. “I find it very important to do your best in what you do no matter what you do. I hope to instill that [into] Regan in 20 years, [and for her to] be happy and enjoy her life, no matter what she does in her future.” Michelle’s friend Teresa Johnson also works with her in realty at Comey and Shepherd.

story rachel vogelsang photography meredith niemann Michelle and Johnson have a lot of memories together both on and off the clock. As they work within the same business, Johnson understands the conundrums that Michelle has faced. Johnson’s favorite memory was when all of the ladies in the office had a Christmas party. However, Johnson says that “[Michelle] is a very positive person, who is very bubbly [and] has a wonderful conscious.”

nlike other high school students, Michelle has noticed that Regan is “very goal-oriented as she has set schedules for the both of us.” With this, Regan intends on graduating just like her mom from East as a senior in 2020. “Throughout Regan’s life I wanted to do anything that I can possibly can to help guide her,” Michelle says. “She is in many ways my inspiration, and she is everything I could have been growing up.” Despite being the sole source of income for her and Regan, Michelle is content with her life—especially with having her daughter’s ability to keep everything in their lives positive. Michelle says that Regan “is quite the blessing and I am so glad that I have her. She has helped me be the person that I am today, and life wouldn’t be complete without her.” “My mom has always been a hard worker for as long as I have known. She never takes a break and it’s truly amazing,” Regan says. “She is the very definition of strong. She has taught me that a strong work ethic and [striving] in school can go a long way.” •

From

o t t n Stude

he stage lights shone profusely in front of him, blocking any sight of the audience. Sweat sprinkled down the contour of his face. He sat next to five other candidates who were nervously tapping the table. Some were engulfing their water bottles while others reviewed the provided information in front. Throughout the night, the candidates answered a series of questions regarding the Lakota Local School District. He knew he shouldn’t be nervous; however, the tension between the candidates lingered throughout the auditorium. 1998 East alumnus Brad Lovell ran to be a member of the Lakota Local School District in the fall of 2017, just 20 years after graduating from the first graduating class at East. While at Lakota High School, Lovell went to a total of six schools throughout his academic career due to the expansions of the district. “The class that I was in was during the boom of Lakota. Schools just kept opening,” Lovell says. “I lived in the same house [throughout my time in Lakota]. I went to Liberty Elementary, Woodland, Liberty junior, then the freshman which is now Lakota Ridge, then to the [Lakota] High school, then to Lakota East.” During his time at East, Lovell participated in the swim team and was involved with many other activities in the district. From being a part of a student committee to loving speech and psychology class, Lovell knew he wanted to remain involved with his home community and school district in the future. After East, Lovell graduated from Miami University in 2002 with his Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education and pursued a Master’s Degree from Wright State University in Educational Leadership in 2005. “I was debating on becoming a teacher or going into business,” Lovell says. “That’s why I think administration was a good fit. I love working with people and kids and I love teaching. I also love working with adults and

d r a o the B 20 years later, 1998 East alumnus Bradley “Brad” Lovell is now a board member in the Lakota Local School District. story julianne ford

coaching them.” In the fall of 2002, Lovell started his teaching career at Wyoming City Schools. He then became an assistant principal in the Forest Hills School District a few years later and a principal in the Milford Exempted Village School District. After that, Lovell went back to his roots and became the principal of Creekside Early Childhood Center in Lakota in 2012. Once he returned to Lakota, Lovell felt “called to a new position in [my] life.” Through the Crossroads organization, Lovell and his wife Kristen decided to take his current position as Head of Local and Global Partnerships for the church. Brad says that “everything that is under my leadership is what we do on the outside of the walls of the church.”

rom the 14 Crossroad Church locations throughout Ohio and Kentucky to the 30,000 weekly church attendees, Lovell believes his work has allowed him to grow and see the world in a new perspective. “It’s fun, challenging and emotional work,” Brad says. “My time in education is extremely valuable for the work I’m doing [with Crossroads.] I have a heart for those living in the margin.” This past year, Brad decided to run to be a member for the Lakota Local School Board. He ran with incumbent member Ray Murray and new comer candidate Kelley Casper. After the campaign season, Brad was elected alongside Casper and incumbent member Todd Parnell in Nov. 2017. He had a total of 8,009 votes, which was 21.20 percent of the total votes. Brad and Casper have known each other since the 2013 Lakota Local Schools Campaign levy. They became extremely close throughout that time and decided that running together was the smartest strategy for the Lakota board. “It was really exciting that both of us won. We both really were in it because we wanted

to make a difference with kids,” Casper says. “We both are very supportive of schools and of the kids. [Brad and I] have always have said that every vote we cast on the school board is for the best interest of the kids.”

rad believes that his experience inside Lakota allowed him to view the district from a different eye than other candidates. As Brad had grown up in Lakota, his wife is now an elementary school teacher at Independence Elementary and his daughter will attend Lakota in her upcoming years. “Being a building principal gave me a unique perspective of the district,” Lovell says. “I truly believe that Lakota is one of the best school districts in Ohio. I really in my heart believe we could be a model schools for the state and the country.” Current East principal Suzanna Davis is ecstatic to have an original East alumnus and a former administrator in Lakota to be elected onto the board 20 years later. “I’ve known Brad as an administrator and a colleague,” Davis says. “I’m proud to have community members that wants to serve the school board. Having Brad on there is exciting for us [educators.]” Brad is excited to be apart of “the district so close to my heart again.” His goal is to bring the board together for the benefits of the students. As Brad is in favor of the proposed board policy 5000, he hopes the district will be able to be more inclusive to the students.. “I’m a relational person, what you get from me is what you will get. I believe there is a middle ground,” Brad says. “I have this saying ‘Let’s never go to yes, let’s never go to no, let’s go to how might we.’ We] all want the same things, let’s say how might we do these together.” • January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 31

20th anniversary | package

package | 20th anniversary

Designing a Future

Faithful All-star

story abby bammerlin

story dustin horter | photography richard giang

As she was a track star, 1998 East alumna Charlotte Hunt Hennessey uses her experiences in athletics to help her shape her dream of being an interior designer.

he smell of fresh wood shavings fills the empty space. Tipped over paint buckets and forgotten hammers are scattered across the room. While most would see chaos, an interior designer only sees potential. As she stands before the space, she sees the accented wood that would create an art piece on the floor. She picks out the red and yellow colors that visitors will marvel at. This once desolate space becomes a haven for creativity. From the start of her career, 1998 East alumna Charlotte Hunt Hennessey has enjoyed everything design has to offer. Hennessey now works at RRMM Architects firm in Virginia Beach. She has worked on projects such as Outtake Restaurant in Virginia and Dubai’s International Airport, but she credits her most impressive project to a building in Cincinnati. “My biggest and most challenging project was the Cincinnati Financial Corporation,” Hennessey says. “I like to think that my design played a role in Cincinnati Financial landing on the Forbes 2017 List for being ‘America’s Most Trustworthy Financial Companies.’” Hennessey has had a passion for design for the majority of her life. Even her family noticed her natural instincts. “By third grade I knew [I wanted to be an interior designer]. I was constantly rearranging my bedroom growing up [and] asked for things like new curtains or a bedspread for Christmas instead of toys,” Hennessey says. “My mother would have me arrange her cabinet because she thought I could do it better than she could. I just loved all things decor.” Although in this point in her life, Hennessey is happy and she does what she loves, in high school she had trouble socializing with her peers. She says she ran into a few bumps freshman year and experienced some bullying. “My teammates in track and cross country were my best friends and the people that bullied me did not play sports,” Hennessey says. “Although being bullied hurt, I took pride in hearing my name on the morning announcements—and knowing that they were hearing it too.” It was on the track team where

Hennessey met the people that most supported her: sisters Bea Milligan Wright and Melissa Milligan McMillen. Despite their varying age, Hennessey, Wright and McMillen all met in high school track. “I remember many things about [Hennessey] from high school,” Wright says. “Like eating many Kit Kats after cross country practice, trading clothes, watching Days of our Lives and obsessively watching Olympic gymnastic tapes.”

hen Lakota split into East and West in 1997, seniors were able to choose which school they wanted to go to. Many students selected which school to attend based on the their reputation of academics, while others chose based on sports. “My track and cross country coach resided at East. I was on the Varsity team since freshman year and I give all of the credit [to] the best coach in history Jason Lindsey,” Hennessey, four-year state qualifier for the 4x400 relay, says. “It was important to my parents and [myself that I] remain loyal to him.” Hennessey enjoyed art classes where she could show her talents in design. While participating in one of these classes, she was assigned a project that she will never forget. Hennessey was instructed to create a crayon etching, or scratch art, by drawing a design in crayon and scratching off black paint overtop to create a design. “I was mortified [and] confused. During the next art class, we were given a thin tool that peeled off the black paint, revealing the beautiful colors below,” Hennessey says. “My design was like an inverted Tiffany glass window. The idea of painting over everything in black and not knowing why stuck with me.” After graduating, Hennessey was accepted to University of Cincinnati’s (UC) Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) program which offered internships that took her to cities such as Nashville, San Diego and Chicago. Even though

Hennessey was terrified of traveling outside of Cincinnati, it was during these internships that she would gain the experience to turn even the most grey slab into beautiful works of art. “Even though I knew she graduated from the DAAP program, it wasn’t until I actually saw her work on Facebook that I came to appreciate how creatively, artistically and visually talented [Hennessey] is,” McMillen says. “Her work [had] me in awe of her talent. I am very proud of how successful her career has been [up] to this point. I wouldn’t be surprised if she reaches even higher peaks in her career.”

ne of her most memorable internships was in San Diego where she worked with architect and designer James Hubbell of Hubbell and Hubbell Architects. She worked on creating stained glass windows as well as other projects with Hubbell and Hubbell Architects. “Charlotte worked on a project we called Briercrest Park, a handicap park in La Mesa, California. [She] would do a lot of hand drafting for me,” Hubbell says. “Charlotte was a quiet but energetic student that was interested in all matters of design. She had energy that was good to be around.” Today, Hennessey lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia with her husband and daughter. She continues to keep in contact with her friends from high school through text and Facebook. Hennessey’s past experience in track has continued to shape her life and showed her how to set goals and fulfill them. “Fear is always what holds me back. My selfdoubt voice is loud. But my goal is always the end game,” Hennessey says. “I always persevere until I reach my end game and ultimately accomplish my goal at the end of it all. I never gave up, always persevered–one goal at a time.” •

Being a high school basketball player and a follower of Jesus Christ has played a major role for 1998 East alumna Bea Milligan Wright’s life today.

he dribbles down the court ready to strike for yet another basket. Her opponents kept their eyes on her. They were ready to strike and steal the ball from her. Tension ran high. All was silent. Her fingers continued to dribble the ball. She effortlessly leaps and shoots her shot. Score. The crowd has never seen a girl’s basketball talent like this, leading her team to a record of 60-3 over three years. However, she had never envisioned being posed with a choice that would affect her career as a player and as a senior in high school. The decision to move from the original Lakota High School for East meant that 1998 East alumna Bea Milligan Wright would have to sacrifice the team she worked hard to build over the years. With the split in schools, the majority of her teammates went to West to stay with former West assistant girls basketball coach Andy Fischman. But Wright along with her other senior teammate Karla Lockhart took leadership to follow head girls basketball coach Cindy Feltman to East. “I felt sad not to finish school with some classmates and teammates from previous years,” WRight says. “Athletically and academically, I always felt like my abilities were God given, so with that I went to East for my senior year of high school [but] I had mixed feelings about West [and their athletics.] I felt competitive with them in some ways more than others.” The team Wright came to lead in East was inexperienced, and their record reflected the youth of the team. The team ended

up finishing 4-17 on the year. Wright held the point guard position all four years of her high school varsity basketball career. This led her to set one of Lakota’s basketball records with 298 assists in one year. Wright also earned the fourth highest total points scored with 961 points in Lakota’s girls basketball history. During one of the East’s basketball games, Wright had set the record of a single game scoring with 32 points. However, being at East meant more than basketball and popularity to the team captain. Despite her current teammates being more inexperienced than West’s, Wright continued to persevere and help each of thems strive for excellence.

ccording to Wright, the move to East was not easy, but the complete identity changes with her faith and beliefs that she had with herself allowed Wright to set a path for her life and transition into a young adult. “I became a follower of Christ as I went to East for my last year,” Wright says. “I still cared about doing well at school and in sports, but the first desire of my heart had changed. I [can] easily say Jesus Christ had the biggest influence on me.” Not only did Wright play basketball, she ran

in cross country and track. Her efforts and drive throughout her high school career led her to be one of the few Lakota athletes to earn 12 varsity letters in basketball, track and cross country.

right became a major proponent member of six Greater Miami Conference teams, three in basketball and three in cross country. As she was a member of the 3200-meter relay team, Wright and her teammates won the silver medal in the Division I state championship track meet in relay. “[However,] my values shifted dramatically from wanting to be the best at sports and academics and being popular,” Wright says. “[I] wanted to know Jesus’ love for me more and to show kindness to classmates with His love.” The faith Wright had accrued did not go unnoticed by her peers. Wright’s high school friend Annie Helwig says that Wright’s passion ...continued on page 74

t a e r h T e l p

i r T a g n i m eco

he leaves the pivotal Lakota Board of Education meeting at 9 A.M. as the board decides whether or not to allow split sessions. She gathers her staff and takes them to Kinkos Printing. While the staff is there, they work together to build a special edition issue of the East Spark to be distributed the next day. East 1998 alumna and now Miami University Interactive Media Studies Professor Vanessa Kasik Cannon was no stranger to nights like these that required so much leadership. As she was the Editor in Chief, Cannon knew her community had to be informed of the ongoing issue of possible censorship of Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”. “I was passionate about truth, I was passionate about lobbying for things,” Cannon says. “I really cared about Spark a lot [as] that was a big chunk of my life. I mean it varied but usually [I spent on average] 25 hours [per week working on the publication]” Cannon, along with all of Lakota High School seniors were given a choice of which school to attend for the 1997-98 school year as East and West had just been constructed. “We got to choose,” Cannon says. “So [most of us] went with the team or the coach that was gonna be [at either school].” Cannon says that it was the Spark program and East Honors Journalism III teacher and Spark advisor Dean Hume that was the reason for her choosing East over West during her senior year. As she was the last sole Editor in Chief, Cannon

From being the Editor in Chief of Spark to owning her business, 1998 East alumna Vanessa Cannon still juggles various responsibilities daily.

knew she had to stay where the paper was and help the publication out. “Hume is the heartbeat [of Spark]. He was just the greatest mentor of all time,” Cannon says. “He sees the big picture and that’s a very important gift with any advisor, especially with journalism.” Being on the Spark staff was an extremely memorable time for Cannon and some of her fondest memories of East came as a direct result of being involved with it. One of these unforgettable moments came just before her senior year as Hume read her name out loud to become the Editor in Chief of the Spark for the upcoming year at the annual Spark banquet. “I remember that time being so sweet and special and Hume on a ladder when he called me to be [Editor in Chief],” Cannon says. “[The ladder that Hume stood on represented] climbing for something a little bit higher and reaching a little bit further.”

eing the Editor in Chief of Spark allowed Cannon to feel something that she had never felt before; being small but still having power. “Vanessa [Cannon] is a nuclear power plant on steroids with a refrigerator full of Red Bull,” Hume says. “Her power came from her amazing and endless energy.” Hume feels that the staff loved her for all that energy but they respected her as there wasn’t a more genuine person in the history of East; “she cared for people more than she cared about herself.” After high school, Cannon attended Ohio University as a journalism major, where she met her husband Chris Cannon.

story michael croy photography meredith niemann The Cannons opened True West Coffee in 2011 in Hamilton, Ohio as they wanted to create a “sense of community” for people in the city. The Cannons were adamant on renovating an old house on Main Street that would later become True West Coffee House. “Part of [the idea] is rooted at Ohio University because one of our favorite places to go was the Frontroom, [a coffee house on campus],” Chris says. ”We had community and connections with people who weren’t necessarily our friends but because we were in this shared space listening to music together.”

rue West Coffee spurred the idea of community involvement within Hamilton. “We go to spearhead change in the community,” Chris says. “If you drive through Hamilton now you see the change from run down buildings to beautiful sites and parks [with] new companies moving in.” Hamilton Council Member Kathleen Klink, who met Vanessa while Klink was the superintendent of Lakota, has seen the profound impact that True West Coffee House has had on Hamilton. She understands why the Cannons have been so successful now with two locations. “They are the best proprietors. They have a very successful venture because of their interest in people,” Klink says. “They were pioneers in taking a risk, going forward and now enjoying success and I’m really pleased with them.” As she has been a Christian follower, Vanessa is a long time Young Life Leader for teenagers ...continued on page 75

d n o y e b d n a r e t s e h c west

1998 East alumnus Sunil Hari credits his success in life to the lessons he learned while being a Spark editor and growing up as a child of immigrants.

e and his fellow writers opened the school computer lab that they would use for the very last time. The lab that had been utilized to create hundreds of stories and that contained thousands of stories in its walls. He stared longingly at the place they called home as they started to pack. Every issue ever published, all the Advanced Placement style books and all of the guides and they used to help create the Spark newsmagazine that touched the lives of countless individuals, was packed away. As the staff members closed the door of the lab, their chapter at Lakota High School was finished, but the sequel East High School was just getting started. For 1998 East valedictorian Sunil Hari, the Spark made up a substantial portion of his life in high school. One that would cause him to stay at school until 5 or 6 P.M. daily and work on his content for the upcoming issue for about 20 hours a week. Although this would be considered dreadful to some, the relationship on the entire staff made the work something to look forward to. “Seeing the push for working towards a common goal, being on a team, working together, having seniors and juniors mentoring sophomores especially was a powerful force,” Hari says. “All of that together made me want to [work] more [on Spark] and it was fun, it didn’t seem like work.” This served him well in medical school. After graduation, Hari went to Duke University for biomedical engineering; then attended Ohio State University (OSU) for electrical engineering. He realized that he “didn’t want to be stuck in a cubicle” so he went to medical school at OSU, joined the Navy in 2008 and now is an anesthesiologist in Okinawa, Japan. “The lessons stick. Going deeper, looking past the surface, critical thinking, being observant, noticing hey what’s going on,” Hari says. “I’m a doctor now, my job is noticing things that are not supposed to be there.”

story ruth elendu

East Honors Journalism III teacher and Spark advisor Dean Hume remembers Hari’s impact on the staff decades later. “Sunil loved to crack jokes and be funny,” Hume says. “He kept the lab loose when the kids were stressed during deadline with his deprecating view. He looked beyond East.”

eing the child of immigrant parents made Hari push himself to take advantage of every opportunity that was given to him because his parents made the choice to immigrate from India to the United States. “The immigrant culture prizes education almost above everything else. Education is the key to success, every step my parents took so I could get a good education and have every educational opportunity [presented] to me,” Hari says. “I felt my obligation to them was to maximize my educational opportunity because that’s what they worked so hard for.” Hari says that the Indian culture shaped his work ethic throughout his school years. Also both of his parents helped him to work harder through high school to get where he is now. “In the Indian culture, parents rarely faint praise to their faces. But when you’re not being told ‘you’re the greatest thing ever, you’re so good at what you do, that’s incredible,’ you don’t have an inflated sense of self worth and it keeps you humble and working hard,” Hari says. “And it’s not about you, it’s about making your team’s life better. It’s less about me [and] more about us.” The mentality Hari has developed over the years to look at the overall picture instead of the individual person translated into his high school career. As well as being a sports editor for the Spark, Hari was also the captain of the Academic Quiz Team, a member of the chess team and played Varsity Tennis for four years. With all the activities that Hari was a part of, he cared about the people who he worked with. Former East Varsity Tennis coach Greg

Knickel remembers Hari’s personality that has stuck with him 20 years after his graduation. He remembers Hari as having “a world changing ability.” “[Hari] reinforced the positive outlook I have on our youth today,” Knickel says. “You see a young man like him and you say to yourself, ‘here is a really bright guy that can be really successful in the world and create some positive change.’” Hari’s wife Samantha Hari, whom he met in medical school, has been married to him for almost nine years. “[Sunil] is such a sweet guy, he’s really wonderful, he’s the best friend I could ever have because Sunil has gone just above and beyond for all of our friends,” Samantha says. “He would give you the shirt off of his back and would do pretty much everything he could for a friend.”

unil has always been the person to help another who was in need and that attitude made him want to serve his country one day. When a Navy recruiter called and attempted to recruit him to join the military branch then coaxed him with the idea that medical school would be paid for, Sunil knew this was a great opportunity to serve. His attitude that looks towards the bigger picture and group accomplishments instead of the individual achievements made going into the military a natural fit. “I joined the military because it’s the ultimate ‘we,’” Sunil says. “There is a running joke in the military [that states], ‘you are not special. You’re not alone, but you’re not special’ so there’s a sense of community but a diminished sense of self in it. It’s not about individual accomplishments, it’s about the group accomplishments.” After the Navy allowed him to experience many opportunities ...continued on page 75 January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 35

package | 20th anniversary

Following her OWN yellow brick road from school East 1998 alumna April Schmidt Vermeire uses her experiences from high school an theatre to inspire her kindergarten students today. story vivica heidenreich | photography meredith niemann

he ringing of laughter floats down the colorfully decorated hallway from every room. One can find students diligently learning as much as they possibly can. In her classroom specifically, dance parties are normal, crafts and games are always available and learning in a fun way is the top priority. This is true for East 1998 alumna April Schmidt Vermeire’s students. After graduating East, she worked as a kindergarten teacher, which she has done for the past 16 years. She currently teaches at Bradford Prep School in Charlotte, North Carolina. From a young age, Vermeire knew she wanted to be a teacher for kindergarteners. Her original plan was to attend Bowling Green State University with her friends were applying. However, Vermeire’s family moved to North Carolina where she majored in human development and family studies at University of North Carolina Greensboro and received her teaching license. “It was one of the most dramatic things,” Vermeire says. “At the time I had a boyfriend and I left my friends. Leaving my best friend was so traumatic, but in the end, we’re still best friends. We still get to see each other every year and get to

reminisce about the good old days.” Vermeire and her best friend Danielle Froslear attended seventh through eleventh grade together in the Lakota district. The two were approached with the decision to attend Lakota East or West and chose different ends of Lakota’s high schools; Vermeire enrolled at East, and Danielle enrolled at West.

owever, the two best friends refused to let a physical split separate them emotionally. Vermeire and Froslear went on double dates, visited each other at work and drove each other around listening to music while enjoying their time together. One of the duo’s fond memories of high school is Vermeire playing the role of Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” at East in the spring of 1998. “That was her goal in high school,” Froslear says. “She worked on it for years, grew her hair

out to be more like Dorothy’s; I was there opening night and gave her roses. It was a very exciting time for her, and I was happy to be a part of it.” As Vermeire worked on the school play throughout her senior year, she met one of her closest friends, and coincidentally enough, Froslear’s future husband Nick Froslear through the program. “I was a percussionist and in the Symphonic Winds program,” Nick says. “[Vermeire] was cast as Dorothy and I played in the pit orchestra. We spent a lot of time

together working on that through the late fall and through most of the winter leading up to the play.”

eing selected for the role of Dorothy was a pivotal moment in Vermeire’s life and one of her biggest accomplishments. Along with growing her hair out and spending months reciting lines and musical numbers, she was very active in the theatre and choir departments. When the choice between two schools emerged, she followed Lakota teacher H a n k

leaving a legacy

After graduating from East in 1998, alumna Kristina Linberg remains in the Lakota district as a digital learning specialist for multiple buildings. story isis summerlin

hen she received a half sheet of paper that asked, “Do you want to go to East or West?” the student chose East. At the time, attending East was an unpopular decision; however, she knew she’d fit in much more. After watching her teachers at as a child, 1998 East alumna Kristina Linberg feels fortunate enough to have found a place where she truly belongs—Lakota. From that point on, she took every opportunity she could that would lead her to accomplishing her goals. While at East, Linberg did many extracurricular activities such as golf team, school musical and becoming the President of the Spanish club. She originally majored in engineering at Purdue University for a semester, but quickly realized that her passion would always lie in education. This led her to transfer to Miami University later. “I moved here in 1988, so I when I started

Hagaman, who she knew would be involved in “The Wizard of Oz” production, to East. “Singing, dancing and being a character ...continued on page 75

there were five elementary schools in Lakota and now there’s [10,]” Linberg says. “So I went to the old high school but then I was the first graduating class from [East]. Over the years, it’s been really fun to be a part of the growth of Lakota and I’m kind of thankful for that.” Linberg had made many friends while at Lakota that she has remained friends to this day. Now in Lakota, Linberg advises seniors that are leaving East to hold on to the friendships they’ve created at Lakota because she believes that it is important to maintain steady relationships with people.

fter graduating from college with a Master’s Degree in Education, Linberg began teaching math at Liberty Junior School (LJS). While she was teaching math, she later found that assimilating technology in the classroom kept her students interested. Former principal and now Assistant Superintendent Robb Vogelmann met Linberg through LJS. “When I was the principal of Liberty Junior, Kristina was a math teacher in the building,” Vogelmann says. “I trusted her with additional responsibilities because I knew she would be able to complete any task” According to Vogelmann, the positions for digital learning specialists opened up as a “result of the 2013 levy passage [and] promise to increase our technology.” The levy allowed the

district to buy electronic devices that would further promote learning and provide support from people who are trained to use them. After being hired as the digital learning specialist in 2013-14, Linberg is able to educate students and teachers about technology. She has the chance to work in a variety of schools in Lakota such as Heritage Elementary, Woodland Elementary, LJS and East Freshman High School. “It’s a lot. I go to a different building every day of the week,” Linberg says. “I love it because I get to work with seventh through ninth graders in all the [academic and elective] subjects you can think of. ”

ne of Linberg’s friends Rachel Smith has known her for 25 years. Through the creative and unique techniques that Linberg instills with digital learning, Smith says that “she is very motivated to achieve her goals and is very hardworking.” “I think when Kristina teaches she is able to incorporate fun and hands on teaching in the classroom,” Smith says. “Her methods and lessons are always innovative and keep her students engaged in their learning.” Being a part of East’s first graduating class along with connecting the digital aspects has allowed Linberg to play a role in shaping East’s classrooms and legacy for the upcoming years. “I’m lucky [to be] in a unique situation that I get to work where I grew up going to school. I like being a part of the fabric that made Lakota,” Linberg says. “I took [the job] because I love being a part of the history and the future of Lakota.” • January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 37

package | 20th anniversary

20th anniversary | package

thE 20 rushing years

a passion for football

story lauren maier

story gabbie behrmann | photography richard giang

1998 East alumnus Jay Boyd is successfully in the sales world and practicing numerous characteristics that he learned playing high school football.

t’s game day. He has been preparing for this day for weeks. He’s tired and beaten down but, he can’t let his team down. Walking down the hall into a conference room, 1998 East alumnus Jay Boyd is about to make a huge sales deal. Without his background in high school football, his dedication and drive to pitch this sale wouldn’t have been this swift. This sale felt like another Friday night football game as it felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. For 1998 East alumnus and father of three, Jay Boyd, this is a normal weekday. In 1998, the Lakota Local School District split into two schools forming an East side and a West side. Boyd was a rising senior and had seniority privileges in comparison to his underclassmates. He was able to choose what side he wanted to be on. Some of his closest friends including Billy Means and Mike Birkenmeier decided to transfer over to East as well for senior year. “All of the senior year football players went to East,” Boyd says. “We followed the coach [Greg Baillie]. It was Greg Baillie at the time to East. That’s primarily how I made my decision. [Also that’s] just where most of my friends went. Partly because of the football and most of the athletics seem to go to the same school. That just happened to be East for me because of football and baseball.

ven with the transition from Lakota High School to Lakota East in his senior year, Boyd learned many life lessons from playing and practicing football. The lengthy practices and drills instilled numerous characteristics that he still lives by today. “You learn a lot of lessons in football [like discipline, teamwork, and hard work],” Boyd says. “You also learn how to be a little tough and competitive. Those are all very positive things and 20 years later still translate in what I do, day in and day out.” As Boyd completed his final year at East, he was offered numerous financial aid scholarships for his achievements in athletics along with academics. According to LakotaOnline, he was twice named to All-

Greater Miami Conference (GMC) football teams; Second team junior then First team senior. He was inducted into the Lakota Hall of Fame in 2011.

uring his senior year, Boyd was named the All-Butler County, All-Cincinnati, and All-Southwest Ohio teams. In his senior year, he rushed for 1608 yards which currently stands as the Lakota School District’s fourth highest single-season total. Throughout his two season career, he rushed for 2740 yards making him one of only 10 Lakota players to top the 2000-yard rushing mark. He ultimately committed to Denison University in Granville, Ohio where he received approximately 75 percent of his tuition for his academic achievements. “I ended up designing my own major,” Boyd says. “At a liberal arts college, there aren’t a lot of specifications. I started out as an economics major going into freshman year at college. I had a religion class and my professor pulled me aside and asked me if I wanted to major in religion because I understood the material. So, he talked me into majoring in religion [and I ended up] doing a double major.” Boyds parents say that he wanted to be well rounded for his undergraduate college years. The summer after Boyd graduated at Denison, he got a summer internship at a law firm in Cincinnati, Ohio, earning around minimum wage. He spent his whole summer getting a taste of the tasks that came along with a law firm but as the summer concluded, so did his interest in becoming a lawyer. After graduating from Denison in 2002, Boyd lived in Columbus, Ohio as he wanted something different from Cincinnati. After around six years there was nothing in Columbus that was holding him back. So, he took his current sales job and has been thriving there ever since. “I am a very competitive person and I have that competitive spirit. You’re competing against different people and [you try to get] your [sales] numbers up,”

Boyd says. “[It] just appeals to my personality and gets me excited about going to work everyday. I just wanted to be a very active person and out meeting with people for various reasons.” The healthy competitive instinct that Boyd experienced on the field stayed with him when he graduated. Working in sales brings out his competitive nature that he has lived with throughout his young adult life.

oyd’s parents Anne and Bob Boyd agrees that football made him into the person he is today. Also, Jay says that football introduced him to the job he currently holds. When he was in college, the quarterback and one wide receiver ended up in the same job field as him. “He has made a really great living for himself in the past 20 years,” Bob says. “He still has tons of lifelong friends that he talks to on a regular basis. Football was his gateway into success in life.” East’s first former head football coach Greg Baillie describes the dedication Jay put into his football career as well as his academic life. “He was always a fast kid. When you get a fast guy, they tend to run around everybody. [But] with Jay, [he kept] in a downhill, shoulder square and technique,” Baillie says. “He was a tough kid. He took a lot of shots and bounced back. [Jay] could play hurt and [all] those kind of things.” Football’s impact on Jay’s life was huge when relating to his job. However, it built a special bond and friendship with his teammates throughout high school and college, resulting in a lifelong friendship. “[Friendship is the] first thing, you make for a lifetime,” Jay says. “I’m still very good friends with a small group of guys from school.” •

Following his football team to East in the notorious Lakota split, 1998 East alumnus Nick Froslear couldn’t have made a better decision.

ccording to Wright, the move to East was not easy, but the complete identity changes with her faith and beliefs that she had with herself allowed Wright to set a path for her life and transition into a young adult. “I became a follower of Jesus Christ as I went to Lakota East for my last year,” Wright says. “I still cared about doing well at school and in sports, but the first desire of my heart had changed. I [can] easily say Jesus Christ had the biggest influence on me.” Not only did Wright play basketball, she ran

in cross country and track. Her efforts and drive throughout her high school career led her to be one of the few Lakota athletes to earn 12 varsity letters in basketball, track and cross country.

right became a major proponent member of six Greater Miami Conference teams, three in basketball and three in cross country. As she was a member of the 3200-meter relay team, Wright and her teammates won the silver medal in the Division I state championship track meet in relay. “[However,] my values shifted dramatically from wanting to be the best at sports and academics and being popular,” Wright says. “[I] wanted to know Jesus’ love for me more and to show kindness to classmates with His love.” This faith Wright had accrued did not go unnoticed by her peers. Wright’s high school friend Annie Helwig says that Wright’s passion ...continued on page 75

package | 20th anniversary

ON school to service Alongside East’s 1998 senior class, Chris Schiltz continues to apply the lessons and work ethic that he learned from high school two decades ago. story bryce forren | photography richard giang

he serenity of the wildlife refuge region in Alaska contrasts greatly with the two decades he spent under the rush of military service. But for him, both take hard work with the same effort needed. When he transferred from Lakota High School to Lakota East for his senior year in 1997, it wasn’t the first time he had transitioned to a new school. Moving from Fairfield to Liberty Township right before his eighth grade year, 1998 East alumnus Chris Schiltz made the transition the only way he knew how, by staying under the radar. “I looked so gaunt and had [these] really big glasses,” Schiltz says. “I was a target for bullying. I went to all of my classes, but made it my life’s work to be invisible, like quieter than Silent Bob.” However, things quickly changed for Schiltz upon beginning his second year at Lakota High School, taking English 102 with Journalism and English teacher Dean Hume. This class, which Schiltz called his “awakening,” managed to change his perspective on his education, keeping him engaged and allowing him to grow as a student. “[Hume] always was entertaining when he taught. He taught akin to Robin

Williams’ performance in ‘Dead Poets’ Society’,” Schiltz says. “[He] walked on tables while carrying a yard stick, tapping it while he emphasized key points.” When Hume recognized his potential in English class, Schiltz joined Hume’s journalism class the next year, and began writing for Spark. Schiltz says he owes a lot to the experience of writing for the magazine, including resilience, feeling he is “part of a team,” and being “relentless like a honey badger.” “[In junior year,] I took up lifting on my own time,” Schiltz says. “During that time, I also got a haircut and ditched my huge 90’s glasses for contacts. The invisible kid no one knew had some confidence.”

his junior year, he went directly to basic military training near San Antonio, Texas the following year.

fter an additional 13 weeks of training, he became an entry level military analyst from 1999 until 2017, retiring as a Master Sergeant. Stationed all over the globe, from Korea to Germany, Schiltz was involved in military operations such as Allied Force, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. His experience in the military led to a strengthening in his

character, both mentally and physically. His sister Melissa Boss says it led to “stability for his family” throughout the past 20 years. “Joining the military helped provided a career for [Chris],” Boss says. “That [decision] has taken him around the world, exposed him and his family to various cultures and overall made him into a well-rounded individual.” By the time he retired as a Master Sergeant in 2017, Schiltz had earned a total of 50 military awards, including 22 medals and ribbons. His time in the military proved to be a distinct

M o ck

fter two more years of growing as a student through the journalism program, Schiltz graduated from East in 1998. Then, having been approached by an Air Force recruiter i n

Allaround female

From being an editor in Spark to being a chief executive officer, 1998 East alumna Melissa Harris has found a passion within journalism that she will never forget. story sidney li

learning opportunity. However, Schiltz says that while military service is important, a student out of high school should “get ...continued on page 74

varsity football cheerleader is spotted, running along the sidelines of the game that she just cheered for. However, her bare legs and skirt were covered with sweatpants that she threw on. With a notepad in hand, she knew she had to keep track of the game’s statistics and coaches’ quotes for her deadline that night. As she cheered earlier and during the game, her father was in the stands, scribbling down the statistics as well. With the limited time crunch floating in the back of her head, she was determined to meet the 11 P.M. deadline with a finished story. As soon as that game ended, East 1998 alumna Melissa Harris darted home to transcribe and send in her assigned story for the Pulse Journal in time for press. This was just the normal Friday night for her. “I definitely chose Lakota East over West in order to be more prepared for journalism

in college and the next four years of my life,” Harris says. “Spark gave me a variety of stories to do as I got a good understanding of property taxes and school board functions along with the sports and entertainment stories that I did.” Sometimes, Harris was able to be spotted in Mock Trial and German club or in the whole gamut of extracurriculars that she was a part of. Harris’ mom Cheryl Harris knew that journalism was her daughter’s “spark that would stay with her” with not just her sports and Lakota stories for the Pulse Journal and her editorial position in Spark, but she was able to juggle the unpaid work she did for photography.

ne of the stories that Melissa covered in Spark was the potential book ban of “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou from the then Lakota Board of Education and the community backlash against it. “I’m fortunate to have a [high school] publication that wasn’t censored and gave me the ability to write freely as it’s tough out there now for journalists with society’s viewpoint on them,” Melissa says. “There are controversial topics that no one talks about but that’s what journalists’ jobs are—to be society’s voice.” Due to the freedom of student press and limited public forum for student expression status of Spark, Journalism teacher and Spark and

Tr i a l advisor Dean Hume says that “Melissa is fearless as she was the one and only four year Spark reporter that was [also] a mock trial attorney.” “If there were a Mount Rushmore of Spark reporters, Melissa would be a part of it,” Hume says. “When the Lakota stadiums were being named, this was a new procedure that people didn’t know what to do; however, Melissa contacted the architect in Denver of the East stadium. This is somebody who never shied away from the difficulties—ever. She was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize, what more can you say than that?”

ater, during one of Melissa’s internships for Northwestern University, she was in Indianapolis covering the Electoral College and the 2000 election between former president George W. Bush and democratic presidential candidate Al Gore. Despite how Melissa was a late intern, former Indianapolis Star editor and now Northwestern University Journalism Senior Associate Dean and Professor Tim Franklin gave her a chance. A story later, Melissa wrote about the relevancy of the Electoral College and its recount, due to the significant role it played with the 2000 presidential election. “There weren’t folks [that were] 20 years old like [Melissa] to have the capacity to write a story like hers,” Franklin says. “Melissa is witsmart, passionate about her work, a bundle of frenetic energy and mission-focused. As somebody who has hired hundreds of people in their longterm career, you hope to find somebody who is one of those four things [and] Melissa has all four of those.” ...continued on page 74 January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 41

S T O O R R i e H T O T K BAC T 1998 East alumna Rachel Meyer Smith now works within the Lakota District. story lina kaval photography meredith niemann

he summer between junior and senior year of college, a psychology student went to a camp in New Hampshire. She wasn’t nervous but rather ecstatic about her upcoming agenda—aiding younger students. Working with the students at the camp, who had severe mental disorders, she soon realized that this was her passion and didn’t want to pursue anything else other than helping others. For 1998 East alumna Rachel Meyer Smith, this was a pivotal moment when she knew she wanted to help students with mental disorders in a school setting. Smith says that her education in Lakota prepared her for her future career as a guidance counselor at VanGorden Elementary. This why she chooses to live within the district. “I feel like I got a quality education in Lakota,” Smith says. “We chose to buy a house in the district for that. My parents live here and help with watching the kids so it is helpful.” Smith says that being part of the first graduating class at East was a feeling with “a lot of excitement.” Although she was living in the West side of the district, she

chose to go to East with the daily commutes to and from the school. “Most of my friends were going to East [their senior year],” Smith says. “I wanted to be [a] part of a smaller class with my peers. But it was mostly because of my friends [that I chose East over West].” Smith’s best friend and a current Lakota Digital Learning Specialist Kristina Linberg also says that she and Smith also factored in the higher chance of being in the same classes into their decision to go to East. “After going to the ‘old’ Lakota High School for two years, it sounded very appealing to be a part of a graduating class of around 400 students instead of almost 600,” Linberg says. “We had lots of memories in high school, but I would say our best ones were spent in the pool on Lakota’s swim team.”

fter graduating from East, Smith attended Miami University to earn a Bachelor’s degree in psychology. On top of that, she earned a Master’s degree in school social work and an extra certificate in school counseling. Now with three kids and husband Jeremy Smith whom she met on New Year’s Eve ten years ago, the Smiths settled back in West

Chester. As Rachel is a guidance counselor today, she is grateful to be in the same district she graduated from 20 years ago. Rachel and Linberg had grown up together, graduated East together and even graduated from Miami University together. They both ended up working in the same district 20 years later.

his 2017-18 school year will be Rachel’s second year working in Lakota as a guidance counselor for elementary students. Being a working parent is “very, very challenging” for Rachel, but she has a sturdy support system. VanGorden Elementary principal Gail Allshouse describes Rachel as “a very caring, compassionate person.” Allshouse, who works with Rachel on a daily basis, says that Rachel’s interactions with parents and children “brings comfort to everyone.” “Rachel is a busy lady juggling a beautiful family and work at the same time, yet she does all of this with grace and a smile on her face,” Allshouse says. “Rachel truly has the best interest and welfare of our students at heart. Rachel is a champion for students to help them reach their fullest potential—in and out of the classroom.” •

Rachel is a very busy lady juggling a beautiful family and work at the same time, yet she does all of this with grace and a smile on her face. — Gail Allshouse, VanGorden Elementary Principal 42 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

y e n r o t t a l a m i n a The 1998 East alumna Rebecca GlennDinwoodie has led a differentiating and unique life after high school, as she fights for animal cruelty today.

n the vast sounds of sirens, a hundred meows fill the air in a muffle of closed walls. The door of the house swings open. It’s not a hundred cats. It’s 300. They could be found in the smallest of places, cramped together as if the whole room was comprised of a variety of fur. From being a Lakota East alumna, to public high school educator and journalism advisor, to lawyer in animal and familial regulation, 1998 East alumna Rebecca Glenn-Dinwoodie has led a fascinating life—and it all kicked off 20 years ago. Beginning with the Lakota split of the East and West buildings, Glenn-Dinwoodie faced a difficult decision and the possible outcomes of her academic decisions in senior year. “I was in band and the existing band director was going to West, so the majority of my friends in the band were going West, including my three best friends,” Glenn-Dinwoodie says. “So I decided to go East because I thought I might have better experiences there and I might have better opportunities to really lead some things.” As a student who loved journalism, music and anatomy, Glenn-Dinwoodie found numerous opportunities scattered throughout her senior year that would lead her to a diverse but a community-related profession. “When I was in high school, I was going to be a teacher, [so] I became a teacher for a couple years,” Glenn-Dinwoodie, who graduated from Ohio University says. “I was going to teach English and journalism for the

story noor ghuniem

rest of my career in Ohio. I was going to have my own school newspaper where I was the advisor of the paper. That was my career path.” Even though she absolutely adored some aspects of teaching, such as the students, Glenn-Dinwoodie found some parts just weren’t for her. She realized she was more of a lawyer than a teacher.

achel Kipp, a friend of GlennDinwoodie’s since the seventh grade, attributes for the strong drive GlennDinwoodie carries for her passions. “I knew she wanted to go into education, and I expected that she was going to do that because she’s the kind of person who does what she sets her mind to,” Kipp says. “Once she decided she was going to do something else, she really put her mind into that.” Glenn-Dinwoodie now owns her own law firm, Glenn-Dinwoodie Law, and works an area of expertise in animal and family law. In her family law, she finds divorce, custody and familial support conflicts to resolve, whether that is through courts or individual mediation. For several years she was and still is retained by various animal welfare organizations across Pennsylvania to prosecute animal cruelty. From courts to training humane society police officers and participating in dog fighting raids, Glenn-Dinwoodie does all she can to fight animal cruelty. “I was on scene for one of the largest dog fighting raids in the history of the country in Ohio. I’ve been on hand for puppy mills and

pulling animals out of there. I have a couple scars from that,” Glenn-Dinwoodie says. “We [dealt] with everything from highly emaciated animals to animals so mad that they can’t see, animals beat with baseball bats, pitbulls that were shot in the face and of a woman who had 84 cocker spaniels in her house.”

lenn-Dinwoodie’s passion for animals sprouted when she was young and loved to rescue dogs. However, in college, she began riding horses and volunteered at a horse rescue. After attending Temple University’s James E. Beasley School of Law, Glenn-Dinwoodie researched laws that protect animals, as well as the difference between animal welfare and animal rights, which began her “pet project.” “Animals seem to be a piece of property in the vast majority of states, however they have all these special protections that a piece of property does not,” Glenn-Dinwoodie says. “You can’t be prosecuted for going into someone’s house and kicking a table. You can be in a lot of states for doing so to a dog.” Glenn-Dinwoodie became involved by lobbying in front of people in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. about various bills. She has even briefed members of Congress about conflicts throughout the country in preparation ...continued on page 74

I knew she wanted to go into education, and I expected that she was going to do that because she’s the kind of person who does what she sets her mind to. - Rachel Kipp, Glenn-Dinwoodie’s friend

January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 43

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Urban Entrepreneur

Around the World

story caroline bumgarner

story leah boehner | photography richard giang

1998 East alumnus Jack Weston has helped spurred the growth and development of Over the Rhine in Downtown Cincinnati with three of his restaurants.

t’s a Friday night and West’s gym is bursting at the seams with eager fans awaiting the first ever East versus West basketball game. Parents, friends, relatives and community members filled the bleachers. The East student section is full of rambunctious seniors waving their new East spirit towels and as the four huge flags that combined to spell “East” are ran across the court. Suddenly East students begin chanting “we’ve got Weston!” but West students on the other side of the court responded with “who’s Jack Weston?” 1998 East alumnus Jack Weston, who was voted the senior superlative of “most spirited,” was one of the boys running the flags, but more importantly he was in the process of transferring from West to East half way through his senior year of high school. Weston said he had to go through the “red tape” of the Ohio State Athletic Association to switch schools because he played baseball. “I went over to West for sports but most of the baseball team actually went to East,” Weston says. “I wasn’t miserable but all my best friends were at East so I felt like I was missing out, so at the semester I [started] a petition to change [the rules] and they let me transfer.” Today Weston is the co-owner of The Hannaford, Nation Kitchen and Bar and Rhinehaus all of which are located in downtown Cincinnati. The final destination of restaurant operator wasn’t his first thought; however, Weston said he had no idea what he wanted to do with his future even during his first year at Miami University. “I really had no idea when I got into college what I wanted to do with my life in terms of majoring and even jobs,” Weston says. “I still wasn’t super career minded and just chose accounting and finance because I was good at math and thought that would be a good fit and it ended up being what I do today.” Weston never lost contact with his high school best friends Tony Zaya and David Boettcher, both of which were in his wedding three years ago. “I have many really good memories of visiting [Weston] in Oxford and he would

come to [Indiana University] as well. We made a lot of inside jokes that are still remembered and even brought up today,” Boettcher says. “And then in the summers we would spend time together on the golf course so we were able to still stay connected [after high school].” In high school, the boys had a Friday night tradition of buying candy from Kroger, going to Weston’s house and playing ping pong all night. The games became so intense that they soon built bleachers for people to sit in while they watched the ping pong matches. With the help of former East English teacher Kurt Dinan, who now teaches at Mason High School, Zaya and Weston were able to bring the joy of ping pong to the rest of the school with the first ping pong tournament. “I remember that ping pong tournament because we ran it for two or three years,” Dinan says. “Weston and his friends were crazed about ping pong.” Out of the entire bracket which included teachers and students, the final game came down to Zaya and Weston. Despite the close scores, the two challenged each other with their paddles going head to head. After many rounds and balls used, Weston came out the victor. “[Weston] still has that trophy. When I helped him move he makes sure to bust it and ran his mouth the whole time we were together,” Zaya says. “When we were in Philadelphia, we went to a bar that had a ping pong table and so we doubled up and it was him [and I] and we just crushed these Philadelphians.” Weston has kept that competitive edge all through his life. He says he has always been a strong spirited fan of his favorite sports teams. Weston’s business partner Andrew Salzbrun can attest for this trait. “He is one of the most surprisingly athletically talented people I have ever met in my entire life,” Salzbrun says. “It’s shocking how any sport[ing games] you give him, he’s able to dominate each and every one yet he doesn’t look anything like an athlete.” Fresh out of college, Weston was an avid traveler due to his job at

healthcare and pharmaceutical company Omnicare, among other companies. He was able to visit over 40 states before settling down back in Cincinnati. After that, Weston decided to settle down back in Over the Rhine. About five years ago, Weston and Salzbrun decided to open their sports bar the Rhinehaus as a part of the redevelopment in Over the Rhine. “A lot of city leaders started putting money into [Over the Rhine] and there was a resurgence of retail, restaurants and residential,” Weston says. “We wanted to be a part of that so we opened a small little corner sports bar really just a place for the neighborhood folks to hang out and convene.”

ith the success of the Rhinehaus, Weston and Salzbrun decided to open a burger restaurant called Nation Kitchen and Bar. This led to another bar being opened in Covington called the Hannaford in 2016. “We opened a third place over in Covington, which is a similar neighborhood that has a lot of history,” Weston says. “Now I’m working on a fourth location [in] downtown Cincinnati. I actually left my corporate job about a year ago, doing this full time and running the business from a macro level.” Even though now 37-year-old Weston married at 33-years-old, he and his wife also had their first child in August 2016. “I feel like it would be great if high school seniors were required to take a year off before college and explore different careers, cultures the less fortunate or military,” Weston says. “But keeping your options open, exploring and not being in a rush to figure out what you want to do but at the same time choose something that is going to provide the lifestyle you want.” •

In his work with Jack Rouse Associates, named “one of the world’s more prominent design firms” by the Wall Street Journal, 1998 East alumnus Mark Amos has the ability to travel and work across the globe.

e didn’t know what the upcoming year had in store. Everyone he knew decided to go to West, but East was right around the corner from him. His high school split into two brand new buildings, which allowed him to finally score a chance on the Lakota East Varsity soccer team, along with dealing with computer programs on the equipment at the new school. After playing club soccer in the beginning years of his high school career, 1998 East alumnus Mark Amos had trouble coordinating his soccer seasons that overlapped with Lakota’s. Now, with Amos as a student in former East head of technology and engineering Dan Napier’s class, he says that “[Napier] had a big impact on the field I ended up going into.” “He was pretty amazing in terms of his knowledge, considering back then it was very much cutting edge in term of computer design and three-dimensional modeling [that] was all being done on a Mac,” Amos says. “He taught a few classes [that] I found all fascinating [with] learning the ins and outs of the new software.” Amos went on to Miami University where he earned a fine arts degree with concentrations in Architecture and creative writing. This led Amos to became Project Manager at Jack Rouse Associates (JRA) in August 2004. He focuses on providing the architectural and engineering management for various projects with RedsFest for the Cincinnati Reds and World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Georgia. These projects don’t just span across the nation, but the world.

Amos has led international projects, such as, the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and Ripley’s Believe it or Not in London, England. Mark Amos’ friend Jason Baker has known him since high school, despite how they attended different buildings. “Mark is full of life and would always help you out,” Baker says. “He does a lot of things and he travels to countries that I wouldn’t think to ever step foot in with [myself.]”

hen Amos was attending Miami University, he and his next door neighbor Christine Chynoweth met and became “Miami Mergers,” which are Miami Unversity students that get married, and they did so in 2009. They traveled the world together, following his career, until Mark says they “came back from the Middle East with a child on the way, which was my first daughter Hana. Since [then I] had my son Maxwell and my daughter Isabelle.” “We make a lot of great family memories together with having three kids, getting married and going on vacations,” Chynoweth says. “Just [spending] day to day with Mark is great.” After traveling and living in various cities around the world, the Amos’ now reside in Norwood, Ohio with their children. They plan on traveling more as their children grow up.

“[Traveling] has led to me and Mark being more open minded,” Chynoweth says. “It opens up your eyes a little bit. I hope he’s still traveling when [our children] get older, so then I can go more and even they can go too because I think that would be a fun experience.”

hrough JRA and all the recreational projects that Mark has done around the world, he and Chynoweth plan on keeping their children culturally aware as she says “we explain things to our kids differently than others might because we know [people of different cultures] personally and we’ve experienced those cultures.” “A lot of my ambitions have been about growth, learning and contributing to something bigger than myself and for my family,” Amos says. “It’s just to keep everyone happy, healthy, comfortable and continuing to give them exposure [that] I didn’t have as a kid [and] I wish I would have with different cultures and people.” •

T E U D T C E F R E P E TH 1998 East alumnus Jeffrey Hobe married his high school sweetheart Christa Blount Hobe and are living their lives together back in West Chester.

his was a Friday night on the football field at East, the band marches out for the regular halftime performance. As the ticks counted down to the beginning of the song, the trombone section leader made eye contact with the field commander. They both knew that they would spend the rest of their lives together. After they started dating in sophomore year, the couple endured the hassles of band along with their school courses. Despite the different colleges, 1998 East alum Jeffrey and Christa Hobe say that they “still maintained [their] love for each other [as] band and music [were their] common ties that always stayed constant.” Jeffrey says his most memorable moments from East were playing in the marching band while watching Christa conduct. Through the countless hours spent practicing after school, the couple were inseparable. “All of the Friday night football games and band competitions were the glue that kept us stuck together so

story tyler bonawitz photography richard giang

much of our high school careers,” Christa says. “We were also in Symphonic Winds and Basketball Pep Bands.” Jeffrey went to Cincinnati State and became a Federal Aviation Administration certified airframe and powerplant mechanic. Since then, he spent 15 years as an aviation maintenance technician working on private planes, corporate jets and airline regional jets. “I knew I wanted to stay in Ohio, close to family and friends,” Jeffrey says. “For the past four years I have been at General Electric Aviation as an engineering technician in our Aerothermal lab.”

he Hobe’s have two daughters named Kathryn and Kiera, who currently attend Hopewell Elementary in the Lakota district. Jeffrey says that “one of the greatest things to happen to me was Kathryn [being] able to have the same fourth grade teacher that I had at Hopewell, Damian Dagenbach.” Even though Jeffrey has lived in the Lakota district, he has not been to East recently. Despite this, both Jeffrey and Christa’s high

school friend Michelle Lariviere knew Jeffrey through band while Christa was her best friend. “Back to when they were dating, you never know how a relationship will end up once you graduate.” Lariviere says. “They balanced each other out. He expanded Crista’s world of music.”

n 2008, there was a 10 year reunion that was combined with Lakota West. However, Christa is currently working with other alumni from their graduating class from 1998 to work on a 20 year high school reunion within the next year. Yet, the Hobe’s both perform in their church praise team at Faith Community United Methodist Church, which Jeffrey has been going to since he moved to West Chester in 1985. “When we were in high school, we bickered like an old married couple. By the time we were seniors, we knew that we were meant for each other,” Christa says. “We even talked about if we got married someday that we would want to buy his parents’ home when they were ready to downsize.” And they did just that. •

Back to when they were dating, you never know how a relationship will end up once you graduate. They balanced each other out. [He] expanded Christa’s world of music. — Michelle Lariviere, Jeffrey’s friend

46 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

THE O

O R T S E A M D N BA

ne, two, three, four, five, still nothing. Then came six, seven, eight, nine, 10. Doubts that East would qualify were increasing. 11, 12, 13, then there was a pause for the 14th qualifier for the Super Regional preliminary competition. For the first time in history, East had qualified to compete in the finals of the Super Regional Competition in Indianapolis and placed 10th. The band would have about three practices during the week and would perform at home football games on Friday nights. Then occasionally on Saturdays, it would have all day rehearsals, practicing and perfecting their drills for the upcoming competitions. The man behind the East band program is band director Robert Tanis, along with his assistant director Kevin Engel. Both have been working together for three years since Engel decided to work at East. “This is year three and it feels like we have been working together for 15 years,” Tanis says. “He is a good friend and partner. I am super glad that he is here and part of the team. I couldn’t imagine our band department anymore different if we didn’t have him” Tanis received a call from former Lakota High Director and later West Band Director Greg Snyder, explaining that Lakota was going to split to two buildings and asking if he would be interested in being the assistant director

After 20 years of rewarding work, East band director Robert Tannis leads the marching band to the Super Regionals finals. story rachel vogelsang

for East under then East band director Bill Thomas. “There was no doubt that Tanis would become the next head director,” Thomas says. “He continued the success of the band program [which] was a really nice transition.” He soon acquired the job and worked with Thomas for 15 years. During the time that they worked together, they directed various shows and competed in numerous Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) competitions. Even though they were partners, Thomas was also similar to a teacher for Tanis. “He was a mentor for me, I was a young teacher and I could write a book from the things I learned from him,” Tanis says. “He was able to communicate and at the end of it everyone was smiling, he was magical in that regard.”

n past years, the East Marching Band had competed in OMEA competitions. This was only open to marching bands within the state and the original program only had about 96 students compared to the now 300 members. Now, East competes in Bands of America (BOA) competitions, which is on a national platform. “We can do things now that we couldn’t do five to 10 years ago,” Tanis says. “The level of music and transparency in the marching and what we do now is totally different.” Despite having the students compete

in BOA and OMEA competitions, Tanis continuously stresses the importance of the students to him. While learning under Tanis for four years and Engel for three, East senior Gunnar Hudson plays the trumpet along with being a trumpet section leader for the marching band. With Tanis and Engel’s influence, Hudson plans on majoring in music education. “He has unknowingly been my mentor for the past four years,” says Hudson. “He is an amazing teacher and trumpet player. Tanis loves teaching everyone, but hates talking to parents which is hilarious to me.”

espite the 2017-18 school year marking the 20th anniversary for the East band program, it is apparent that the program will still thrive in the future. After coming in 10th in the super-regional finals, Tanis has big plans for the upcoming year and the incoming band students. “We are just going to keep getting better, doing what we are doing and keep on providing experiences at the highest level for our band students,” Tanis says. “I want to provide [the students] with the best exposure for their activity, whether it be concert band, marching band, or jazz band along with the opportunity [for them] to fully experience what being a high school band member is.” •

There was no doubt that Tanis would become the next head director, He continued the success of the band program [which] was a really nice transition. — Bill Thomas, first former East band director January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 47

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Anatomy of the classroom East College Credit Plus Honors Anatomy and Physiology and Honors Zoology teacher Julie Deak has always had a passion in science and focused on bringing that passion into the new generations at East. story jessica jones | photography richard giang

inding peace through spending time with her farm animals was a staple in her childhood. This spawned an interest in the compelling phenomenon of science. Her life revolved around science even more through the farm she grew up on because she had first hand access to observing nature. The interest of science carried into high school and college which directed her down a beloved career around the subject. Due to the impact science had on her life, East Honors Human Anatomy and Physiology and Honors Zoology teacher Julie Deak decided to pursue a path in education. Deak began teaching at Lakota High in 1992 when she took a long-term subbing position for former chemistry and physics teacher Cindy Parrott. Prior to this, Deak was at Morehead State University and Miami State University with microbiology. “I started student teaching [microbiology] and went to [earn my clinical degree] in that, but my favorite part of that job was that I worked in a teaching hospital,” Deak says. “Teaching was my favorite thing and so it just took me a few years to get back to what I originally set out to do.” In high school, Deak loved her science classes and she says her high school biology teacher was remarkably enthusiastic a n d

loved what she did. This inspired her to want to teach high school life science and bring that same energy to new generations. She was able to turn this inspiration into a reality after coming back to her path of teaching.” “Deak is so enthusiastic about what she does and what she teaches,” Deak’s student and East senior Sophia Seppi says. “It makes it easier [for students] to pay attention and get excited as well.”

hile she has no problem incorporating liveliness and passion into her teaching, Deak faces the challenge of adapting her teaching to the changing dynamic of students. She says that she is teaching “digital natives,” forcing her to change from the way she has taught before. “We had very rudimentary programs [in the past], but now we have so many different options and a lot of it comes back to the fact that students have devices in their hands and [they] can embrace more diversity and more

learning styles,” the original Lakota teacher says.

aving her own children Jonathan and Allison Deak go through the Lakota schools also had an impact on Julie’s teaching style. She asked for their advice on classroom management and what they thought of projects she came up with. “It made me more aware of trying to provide balance in the classroom with providing appropriate rigor and being willing to take time to develop relationships,” Deak says. “I’ve always tried to be a teacher I’d want my own kids to have.” Jonathan had her as his

teacher for honors zoology while he attended East; he says that she would come to him for advice or his opinions on certain things she would incorporate into her classroom environment. “She would want to know if other students had trouble with assignments,” Jonathan says. “She [wanted to make] sure to provide a learning experience that could be retained by us students.” Even though there are challenges to adapting her teaching style to the changing world, Julie says that it’s worth it

teacher at heart

East librarian Marguerite Doll has been making the library a “warm and welcome” place for students since the school opened 20 years ago. story katey kruback

estled off of Main Street is East’s own personal Room of Requirement, straight from the Harry Potter books that line its shelves. Except this whimsical room doesn’t require students to pass back and forth, fervently wishing for something to magically appear. All East students have to do to access this trove of knowledge and wonder is walk right in and present their identification cards. The East library houses around 14,000 gateways into magical worlds that can never be and historical accounts of how things once were—otherwise known as books. The gatekeeper is Marguerite Doll, a Lakota mom who initially started in the district when she began volunteering in the Hopewell Elementary library in 1987. “I thought [that it] would be a nice job if I ever had to go back to work, [but I] never thought it would open up. After volunteering,

because the changes in technology aid in her connection to her students Through the changes in teaching styles, the 25year ...continued on page 74

I knew that I would enjoy the atmosphere,” Doll says. “I just found the library the best place to be. It’s exciting to learn things and people are normally happy to come here.” Doll started off as a media aide at Hopewell Elementary, moved to Lakota High School and then opened up at East’s library at its inception 20 years ago. “When we first walked in, it was like ‘oh my’,” Doll says. “There were no books. We had to unpack all the boxes [but] it was exciting.” A large portion of the librarian’s responsibilities used to be delivering and maintaining equipment which included the televisions on wheels, the videocassette records, the multimedia center upstairs and programming it all to automatically start in classrooms. Now, Doll says it’s all been “taken out of my hands.”

ven though technology has started to take away the role of librarians and books, Doll wants this sanctuary to be available to students who need a quiet place to work, read or just a place to think. “We still have our readers. [There are] some students [that] like football, basketball [or] gymnastics, but there are students that their sport is reading,” Doll says. “We just want to be more up-to-date and clean out what’s out-ofdate. Some things will never truly expire. What we want to add is new information. The books are going to be here regardless.”

East Speech and College Prep English 10 teacher Dave Honhart’s classes have a semester-long project that allows the students to have half of the Friday class periods to read or write for pleasure. Lakota’s district media specialist Lisa Whiles gives a book talk to Honhart’s classes at the beginning of each year, recommending several books they may enjoy. “In order to become a better reader, you need to read more,” Honhart says. “Our library has lots of good options and I want to expose students to those options and help foster a love of reading and writing.” Doll is a self-proclaimed reader when she can find the time. Though she prefers to curl up with light-hearted cozy mysteries, realistic fiction and biographies. “People use the word escape because you escape into other people’s lives and situations and you learn things,” Doll says. “The library is a good place to come and do your work or a place to go when you need space. It has to have [an] atmosphere ready for productivity.”

oll may love her job, but it’s the students that get her out of bed each morning to go to work and her goal is to always be available to them and help them anyway that she can. “[After the volunteering], it wasn’t a surprise when she became a librarian],” Doll’s daughter Lauren Doll says. “She’s very calm about things and knows just what to say to make me feel better. Once we get done talking, I’m right as rain.” Whiles, who stops in at each of the 22 buildings under her jurisdiction every few weeks, says that ...continued on page 75 January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 49

LOCALMOTIVE

story caroline bumgarner, noor ghuniem, sidney li and lauren maier photography meredith niemann | art caroline bumgarner and mckenna lewis

Right: A boutique that curates to modern women in college and older with their natural, locally made bath bombs and products, and French and Italian branded pajamas and lingerie, owner Anna-Marie Webb decided to open Hush four years ago. “Oxford is a small college with a lot of young ladies [so] I offer several different quality brands and merchandise,” says Webb. “I have candles, bath bombs, lotions and hand sanitizers for the sororities which make great gifts.”

Above: Known for their famous bagels that run in a whole gamut of names and flavors, Bagel and Deli provides all of their customers a little taste of everything. “It’s a chill spot that just about anyone can come in, eat and spend time with their friends and family,” says employee Matthew Woods. “Our menu has some bagels that are nominated by customers too, which is this fun interactive aspect of work.”

Right: Nuzzled in East High Street, The Apple Tree is a gift shop that opened in 1979. With an eclectic collection of gifts, jewelry, homegoods and apparel, they also feature brands such as Free People and Lokai. “Our target market is the college students and their moms,” says manager Cheri Corcoran. “I used to shop with my daughter when she was younger and we couldn’t find a store that we both liked, so I thought it would be a great idea [for the store].”

50 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

Left: 15 years ago, owner Tamae Lask began running her local boutique shop Juniper, in downtown Oxford. The goal for the shop was to offer affordable fashion pieces to the community. “[we have] pieces that are on trend that aren’t being offered at other places,” says Lask. “I always try and keep them affordable since college students are in the place where they don’t want to spend a lot of money.”

HUsh

Bagel and deli

Juniper

Right: Being a counter service restaurant has allowed Bodega to stand out as a deli and sandwich shop from others. With a variety of food from Mediterranean to Italian, Bodega has a plethora of “comfort foods [that] your mom would make, like egg salad, pasta salad, homemade mashed potatoes,” says manager Leyna Faundez.

The apple tree

OXFORD, OH

Bodega

Above: Being an boutique that focuses on selling and advertising trendy pieces is the goal for Leeli and Lou since October 2017. With articles of clothing from major cities like New York and Los Angeles, Leeli and Lou strives to have their customers satisfied. “Girls can get trendy pieces at affordable prices along with basics that are cheap,” says employee Regina Mennninger. “ I like having the ability to freely talk to customers in this laid-back setting about something that I love .”

Right: Serving coffee and deserts has been what Kofenya Coffee has been known for since 2004. They serve predominantly to students as a comfortable, laidback place to work, sit, drink coffee and work with friends and loved ones in their large sitting areas. “We don’t look to Starbucks to dictate our menu options,” says manager Kathryn Marsman. “We’ve crafted recipes to appeal to all palettes and ensure nothing is bitter, or too sweet.”

Leeli & Lou

Kofenya coffee

culture | reviews

reviews | culture

hile mainstream rap today is filled with mumbling, incoherent lyrics and basslines that might bust even the most sophisticated of speakers, the “golden age of rap” in the late 1980s and ‘90s was the era to beat. It was full of dexterous verses over thoughtful, syncopated beats with the intention of making you bob your head along with it. A classic example of this flourishing era is Jay-Z’s third studio album, “Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life,” released September 29th, 1998, which happened to have won the Grammy for “Best Rap Album” in 1999. Despite Jay’s attempt at avoiding making radio hits, and though this was not Jay’s most popular album, “Vol. 2” was well received by mainstream media. The song “Can I Get A…” landed a spot on the soundtrack for the 1998 movie “Rush Hour” and the title track peaked at number 15 on Billboard’s Top 100 chart. The album topped the Billboard Top 200 Album chart for five consecutive weeks after its initial release too. In, “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem),” Jay narrates his rags-to-riches story with lyrics like “From standin’ on the corners, boppin’ to drivin’ some of the hottest cars New York has ever seen.” He also samples the chorus of the song of the same name from the 1982 “Annie” movie on the track. The song propelled the album’s success, helping it reach 5 million album sales by the year 2000. As this album is approaching 20 years old, Jay-Z has created a timeless compilation of the sounds of the “glory days” of the rap scene. One can only hope Jay’s children, Blue, Rumi, and Sir, can look back at their father’s discography to appreciate the album that defined their father as the “the smooth hit-maker, the cocky empirebuilder, and the clever businessman” he is today. -Bea Amsalu

B HARD KNOCK LIFE

RAY OF LIGHT

ARTIST: JAY-Z GENRE: RAP

ARTIST: MADONNA GENRE: POP

T “Rappers, y’all might feel we homies I’m like, ‘Still, y’all don’t know me.’” -”Hard Knock Life”

“We need body rocking, not perfection” -”Hello Nasty”

“Never forget who you are, Little Star; never forget how to dream” - “Ray of Light”

eing a pop sensation is Madonna’s middle name. She encapsulates the very meaning of pushing music to its boundary with the electronica vibe of her 1998 album “Ray of Life” released post-grunge mid 90’s alongside the beginnings of popular American boybands Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. This reinvention of an album was another major turning point for Madonna as she begins to mature into a household name. In her title track “Ray of Light”, Madonna sings about how she is “faster than the speeding light she’s flying” while “trying to remember where it all began.” The lyrics have a deeper analogy that doesn’t correlate to the upbeat, electronic that eerily sounds like aliens coming from outer space. There are moments of screaming that Madonna adds in on top of the vocals, overwhelming instrumentals and high-pitched techno. This album was a rollercoaster ride to begin with as it is known to be the album of her “spiritual awakening;” however, it was just crazily electronic. She tones it down with “Little Star” and its slow tempo that accompanies her soulful voice. There is a feeling of sorrow that Madonna carries throughout the song despite the positive messages in her lyrics. With the words “never forget who you are Little Star,” Madonna foreshadows to her now 2018 self as she is still connected to her humble roots today. This album is definitely unlike her more recent albums, yet Madonna can still be versatile and manage the whole gamut of genres that she continuously dabbles in. It might not be the best album but it is definitely a turning point for Madonna and her music tenure. - Sidney Li

he Beastie Boys rap, “What you see is what you get,” on “Just a Test,” the fifth track of their follow up to 1994’s “Ill Communications.” However, with “Hello Nasty,” the Beastie Boys suggest that this is merely a catchy line, challenging their audience’s expectations with surprisingly mature compositions. Released on July 14, 1998, “Hello Nasty” further distanced the rap group from the norms of 90’s hip hop. Their innovative use of various, almost random instrumental breaks and Eric Bobo’s live percussion go a long way to push “Hello Nasty” further towards an experimental atmosphere. Despite this, the Beastie Boys don’t fail to recreate the simplicity of their playful performances, rapping early on in the album that they “need body rocking, not perfection.” This relaxed approach to the album is evident in the gamut of its tracklist, designed to make an audience dance rather than think too hard. Still, for a rap group that originated as a punk band, they experimented among different genres. This was famously expressed during the 1999 Grammys, when the Beastie Boys won two awards across two genres: Best Alternative Music Album and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for their spacey hit single “Intergalactic.” The creative uses of samples that tie songs from one end to the other add undeniable layers of texture to the music. Such as on the track “Body Movin,’” in which a sample from an instructional exercise video begins the song just before it launches into its wonderfully upbeat, extra-terrestrial chorus, making the song more interesting, weird and fun on its tracklist. From the first song on the tracklist of “Hello Nasty,” it displays a cohesion that allows the songs to run smoothly together, making for a captivating listening experience that both demands attention and never asks that fans take it too seriously. -Bryce Forren

HELLO NASTY

ARTIST: THE BEASTIE BOYS GENRE: HIP-HOP

culture | restaurant reviews

RESTAURANT REVIEW:

greek isles

hours: Mon-Sun 9:00 am-10:00 am

location: 7610 Sloan Way,

review gabbie behrmann | photography caroline bumgarner

s a family-owned restaurant just minutes away from East, Greek Isles boasts a wide variety of traditional Greek foods that are perfect for a nice midweek meal. Upon walking into the restaurant there is instantly the feeling that diners are vacationing on the sunny beaches of Greece. The walls are painted a deep royal blue with white accents and large pictures of Greek cities are plastered above every table. Statues of Greek gods and goddesses line the countertops of the kitchen. Greek culture is definitely present throughout the restaurant, as well as the strong bond the owners have with their family. Customers can find little pictures of relatives everywhere; on napkin holders, next to the cash register and even taped to the fridge in the kitchen. With a first glance at the menu, it is short and sweet. There are two different kinds of salads to choose from—the Greek salad and the Horiatiki salad. The Greek salad includes tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, onions, feta cheese, kalamata olives, extra-virgin olive oil and wine vinegar dressing. I ordered the Hummus, one of four dip options. The bean to garlic ratio is just right, not too little, not too much. The texture of the dip is thick and almost chunky—not the creamy kind a customer would find at the grocery store. Greek Isles’ largest portion of their menu is their sandwiches, which they specialize in. Some of the more well known sandwiches are the Gyro, which is thin-sliced lamb on grilled pita bread, topped with tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce. There is also the Chicken Souvlaki, which consists of chunks of marinated chicken served on pita bread topped with tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce. Any family can cook and prepare food, no problem. However for large families, having enough food to feed everyone can be a challenge. Luckily the portions at this restaurant are huge, customers are likely to have leftovers for the next day. Reasonable prices make the trip worth it. After dinner always comes dessert. There is a choice between Baklava, a sweet confection of walnuts, honey and buttery phyllo dough, chocolate Baklava, Tiramisu, or an assortment of cakes. If people are looking for a good home-cooked meal, they will never be disappointed at Greek Isles. It will always feel like first-handedly pulling up a chair to a family meal in Greece.•

location: 7037 Yankee Rd, Liberty Township

hours: Mon-Thurs 11:00am-8:00pm

Fri-Sat 11:00 am-9:00 pm Sun closed

price: $

Liberty Township, OH

price: $$

he Northstar Café is a restaurant to remember. When customers first walk in, there is a host waiting to hand out the menu and fill people in on the specials of the night. They then ask whether customers have dined with them before, and if not, they explain the hip but cozy, warm, and detailed layout of the café. Signs hang from the ceiling advertising drinks contrived at the bar. Once customers have chosen from the medley menu, they walk up to the register, order and pay. I chose the Spicy Harvest Pizza which was not too expensive, along with the other choices of food off the menu, especially for the amount of food served. With a rounded device and a number on it, this same electronic device allows employees to pinpoint where in the restaurant customers chose to sit. From booths to long benched tables, the ambience of Northstar is similar to an alternative, earthy cafeteria. The atmosphere of the restaurant was wonderful as it is welcoming people inside with a wall of windows that slide open on cool nights and bring in a wonderful breeze. They brought the food in a timely manner, which is a great quality to a hungry customer. The pizza was amazing and although I generally don’t love thin crusts, this one hit the spot. The ingredients topping my pizza tasted fresh, which was no surprise on account that all ingredients are locally grown, organic and artisan produced. My friend ordered the blueberry smoothie which she described as “possibly the best smoothie she had ever tasted.” The best part is that once customers are finished eating, they don’t have to wait for their server to bring the bill. The ability of prepaying is convenient and efficient for customers to fully grasp onto the memories of their student-selves—but with an aesthetically pleasing twist. People are able to just walk out and enjoy the rest of Liberty Center Mall. The only thing I was partial towards was the uncertainty of tipping through the lack of a server that physically comes to the table. I highly recommend The Northstar Café if people are ever looking for a more formal yet still quick and easy dining experience that connects one with nature. •

RESTAURANT REVIEW:

northstar cafe review olivia collins | photography caroline bumgarner

January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 55

culture | story

STREAMING WARS Streaming services Apple Music and Spotify are changing the ways that people access their music in the age of the Internet. story bryce forren | art mckenna lewis

n the past few years, if music fans wanted to listen to the most recent material from artists such as Dr. Dre or Chance the Rapper as soon as it is released, they have turned to streaming services. The musical outlets have come to influence nearly every trend in the modern music industry with both output and consumption. Their convenience and accessibility have drawn the majority of music-listeners to their medium and away from all others. Recording artists largely releasing their music onto digital platforms of streaming services has only recently become a modern staple of the industry, casting an even larger shadow over the deposed reign of physical music sales. Rock musician David Bowie was the first major-label artist to ever release an album available for purchase on the internet, with 1999’s “Hours.” While Bowie’s move made big news in the final hours of the twentieth century, the accessible platforms of streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify have made it common for artists to transition their focus to the digital age. “Being able to access a vast library of music, no one wants to go back to buying physical pieces of music,” says James Coyle, a professor of marketing and interactive media studies at Miami University. “It can be too much money, and it’s too hard for people.” Apple Music and Spotify have each built their individual empires in the music industry, with both services’ libraries consisting of over 40 million songs. However, with the identical $9.99/month price and the their popular $4.99/month student plans, the services are ultimately set apart by the methods they use to cater to their consumers. Subscribers to both services gain access to “curated” playlists, built by the and based around a certain artist or genre. Users also have the ability to assemble their own playlists using any song from the vast music library, increasing the factor of interaction that has become a trope in the modern music industry. “[Streaming services] make it much more likely that you are going to have more relationships with more artists,” says Coyle. “A listener will be able to discover more.”

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lthough Spotify has ultimately dominated the streaming world in numbers with over 65 million paying users, Apple Music has recently become a fierce competitor. . Along with being backed by one of the largest and most influential companies in the world, Apple Music has succeeded in its own right through the integration of new and unique features to their service. Along with its inception in 2015, Apple

competitive role against Spotify by popularizing the use of exclusive deals with big-name artists that allow their music to be released on their platform before any other. In 2016, artist Chance the Rapper famously released his highly-successful mixtape “Coloring Book” exclusively onto Apple Music two weeks before its widespread release onto other digital platforms. Other albums, such as Drake’s “Views” and Frank Ocean’s “Blonde,” met similar success as exclusives to the service. Despite the popularity of Beats 1, Spotify remains far ahead of Apple Music. The service’s recent collaboration with the streaming network Hulu to enhance its student plan has launched the company even further ahead. The growth of Spotify’s fan-base has also allowed for increasing strength and importance of the service’s playlist function. “I think the playlist part of Spotify is incredibly powerful,” says Bob Cole, co-founder of Ohio-based soul label Colemine Records. “If an artist gets one playlist spot, and it’s a good playlist with thousands of followers, it can be a significant amount of money coming in every month.”

Music introduced a radio show into the platform of the service through Beats 1. The 24-hour radio network, hosted primarily by famed DJ Zane Lowe, set Apple’s service apart from its streaming contemporaries. Beats 1 has become renowned for its radio shows hosted by an array of guest-artists, allowing for their increased publicity. Musicians such as Elton John, A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip, and Dr. Dre were featured on the guesthost lineup for October. Apple Music further reinforced its

potify founder and CEO Daniel Ek has always firmly expressed opposition to Apple Music’s idea of making deals with artists for exclusive releases, but many artists and record labels have experienced benefits to working exclusively with the streaming service. “There are artists on our label that we handle nothing but digital distribution for,” says Cole. “They run their own ads and they push their user base to their Spotify accounts. They make playlists and get people to follow them, and they’re making a lot of money.” However, Spotify’s domination has brought forth a lot of backlash over this dramatic change in the industry from artists such as Taylor Swift and Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke. While Spotify distributes a small payment every time Swift’s “Shake it Off ” or Yorke’s “Paranoid Android” ...continued on page 76

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

Thursday 8AM–8PM Friday 8AM–5PM Saturday 8AM–4PM Sunday Closed Monday 10AM–8PM Tuesday 8AM–8PM Wednesday 8AM–8PM (513) 755-2555 8206 Highland Pointe Dr, West Chester Township, 45069

MADISON LENTZ

Her passion for art plays a major role in East senior Madison Lentz’s life as she is certain that she wants to continue it after graduating from high school. story | noor ghuniem art |madison lentz

A piece of tin foil. A broken spoon. A paperclip. East senior Madison Lentz transforms even the simplest of objects into a masterpiece of self expression. These masterpieces can be found hanging in the halls of East. “I never really did much art outside of school, most of my interest stemmed came from the art classes that I took. With more of these classes I began carrying more of art projects home and now I do the majority of work in my house,” Lentz says. “Art became a priority over my other aspects of my life when I realized all the things I can achieve through art. I’m very grateful for all the classes that I’ve been privileged to have and the encouragement of many teachers.” Lentz currently takes Advanced Placement (AP) Studio Art at East and works on both two and three dimensional art pieces. She has taken classes in the past, such as ceramics and found pleasure in working on sculptural element pieces. Her current AP Studio Art teacher Linda Augutis, undoubtedly notices Lentz’s talents. “I have seen her work progress and mature. She has been coming up with her more personal ideas, so she’s been making it her own work rather than teacher generated work,” says Augutis. “She’s one of the students who has been able to submit her work for scholarship consideration even as a freshman. That’s how solid she is.”

owever, Lentz finds the most pleasure in working on mixed media oriented pieces with oil paints, collages, or found objects. Lentz takes a problem solving aspect into her pieces, and finds inspiration in the issues that arise throughout the world as she enjoys “melding materials into ideas and meaningful

58 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

LOCAL LEGENDS messages is an important part of art for me.” “I really enjoy working with making statements. I know the world will never be as an impeding problem that should be addressed,” Lentz says. “By putting a problem in front of someone I hope that they will be inspired

accomplish.” There are a multitude of branches in the art field, and although Madison has yet to find which branch she wants to pursue, she knows that this is the path she will take. With acceptances to the School of Art Institute of Chicago and The Pratt Institute in addition to some smaller art schools, art is inevitably in Madison’s future. “Art is looked down upon in the world, like

meat industry and the extinction of animals. I admire how she can fit complicated messages into gorgeous pieces.”

ith a multitude of awards won, Madison has proven her proclivity towards art. She has received four golden keys in Scholastic presented by the Art Academy of Cincinnati from 2015 through 2017.

ideas, and can be overlooked and ignored. She hopes that her pieces will work to open up minds once they catch sight of them and interpret her purposes. “I find inspiration in a multitude of things around me, as do other artists in the world,” Baker says. “This can physically be other people around us, or just the world in itself. Anything can really serve to be inspiration. Artists can find art in everything.”

to see their own small conscience choices as impactful, more of these choices can be made and create a noticeable effect on our planet.” In the past, Lentz did not think that art would be a legitimate career for her due to societal stigma along with the numerous struggles she heard artists face. Today, she finds that there is nothing she would rather do with her life after high school. “I see her pursuing a career perhaps in visual arts, but she is so well rounded,“ says Augutis. ”I see her in something biology based as well. Maybe her interests in environmental issues.”

evertheless, Lentz participates in a multitude of additional activities. She took part in swimming every summer for as long as she can remember, and will engage in a coaching position for her swim team this upcoming summer. Sports allow Lentz to become occupied in life balancing activities. However, one of Lentz’s more time consuming activities is her involvement with the Lakota Ultimate frisbee team. She started playing at the beginning of last year, with no prior knowledge of the sport. Despite this, Lentz put forth her tremendous determination, and made it a goal to learn the sport. Now, her mother believes she will go on to play even in college. “In anything I do I strive to be the best that I possibly be, and if something is important to me I want to master it— an all or nothing mindset,” says Lentz. “Ultimate has given me a lot of discipline and helped me set a personal standard.” Lori Lentz, Madison’s mother takes pride in all of her daughter’s work and aspirations, in and outside of the art room. “She’s really hardworking, and very tenacious about what she sets out to accomplish,” says Lori. “I wish her the best in all her endeavors. Whatever she sets her heart to I know she can

Top: Lentz with “Marked for Destruction”, Bottom, left to right: “Use ‘Em and Lose ‘Em”, “Thrown Away”, “Out of Place”.

it cannot actually be a job that pays,” Jumana Baker, a graduate with a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University, says. “There’s no realization of how prominent art is throughout the world, how much it affects their lives without them even knowing. People are getting paid for these underlying jobs.”

s a vegan, she carries a love for animals and is passionate about wildlife attention. She is known to get along with everyone because of her kindness, which is even recognized by Augutis. Nevertheless, Madison is always there to listen and have a conversation. Although she is a quiet person, Madison’s “painstakingly detailed and labored on” artwork reflects her powerful personality. “All of her artwork has a meaning behind it and not everyone wants to see what she has to say,” East senior and Madison’s friend Baylie Scherer says.” She is big on conservation efforts, her artwork comments on water pollution, the

She has additionally been awarded a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition, and two silver keys presented in Scholastic presented by the Art Academy of Cincinnati. All of her projects carry special meanings to Madison, however she takes special pride in a few specific pieces. “My favorite art piece I have created would be my piece titled Marked for Destruction with the trees, houses and turkey vultures. I got the inspiration from the deforestation that happens in our backyards everyday without us noticing,” Madison says. “This piece has a lot of layers of meaning and I hope this will allow a viewer to spend more time delving deeper into the meaning rather than closing off their minds.” The trees in this piece are marked with an orange “X” symbolizing how they are soon to be cut down. The vultures overhead signify natural death. Madison aimed to juxtapose the natural mark for death with man made ones. With this, Madison finds that symbols and signs are meant to be forms of communicating

adison found inspiration in prominent issues around the world in addition to the people around her. She finds ideas by studying flow form contemporary artists who “unforgivably voice their viewpoints.” Also, Madison visits various contemporary art centers and looks to other artwork she sees for influence. As she works on a special project with East teacher Karen Saunders that will be placed on display at the Contemporary Arts Center, she sees her own art being displayed their someday. No matter where Madison decides to take her art, she will continue to find inspiration in the world around her along with her artist role models. Madison is ecstatic about her future and intends to make each of her art pieces meaningful to viewers. “All that I can hope to accomplish with my art is that it can make me content along with others,” Madison says. “ [I hope that it can] help to contribute something to the world and bring some awareness to dire issues.” • lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018 59

sports | sport update

WINTER SPORTS

U GIRLS BASKETBALL A P D BOYS BASKETBALL AT T E This season’s spotlight athletes share the accomplishments and goals of the team.

briefs dustin horter | photography richard giang

fter finishing off the season 6-17 in the 2016-17 season and seventh in the Greater Miami Conference (GMC), the Lady Hawks basketball program looks to rebound with the help of a young, more experienced team. The Hawks are composed of just two seniors, twelve juniors and two freshman out of sixteen total girls. In 2017, incoming junior guard Jordan Stanley (pictured laying the ball up during a 56-45 victory against Princeton)led the team with 9.6 points per game which put her as the tenth best scorer per game in the GMC. Returning junior guard Jessica Motley also helped lead the team with six rebounds per game, the tenth best rebounder in the GMC. Stanley and Motley will look to lead this years team despite the inexperience. With a lot of individual talent on the team, coming together on the team is the goal for Stanley. “If we want to improve for next season,” Stanley says. “We need to work more together as a team.”

he Lakota East men’s basketball program looks to keep the momentum rolling after a strong season 2016-17. East alumnus Evan Kuhlman graduated last year and was the main driver of the team. East senior Jarrett Cox (pictured laying up against Middletown with a final score of 55-39 East) looks up to Kuhlman so he can improve himself and the team for the upcoming season. “He was not only a great basketball player but a good person off the court,” Cox says. “With him making it to the college level for basketball it made me see even furtWWher that I could get a full ride somewhere and it made me work harder.” The Hawks returning make up the bulk of the team and four of their five starters from last season. Big impact returners from last season include Cox, who led the GMC in points per game with 18.4 and guard Jackson See who average 7.2 points per game and a 38 percent three-point percentage. The men look to improve on a 16-8 record and a conference record of 11-5 that gave them a third place finish in the Greater Miami Conference (GMC). “Now we have a lot of young depth and seven seniors to help out,” Cox says. “In the long run I feel that will help a lot especially approaching tournament time.”

60 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

GIRLS GYMNASTICS I

n the 2016-17 season, the Lakota East Gymnastics team managed a fifth place finish as a team at the district competition. They were led by two state qualifiers: junior Lindsey Kluesener, who was 24th all around and 23rd on the vault and senior Kiley Lovejoy who finished 35th on the beam in the state. However, both key contributors from last season will not be returning to the team in 2018. Junior Lucy Hartmann (practicing at Flip N’ Twist) says that the team has changed a lot form last season to this upcoming season. “We lost some really good girls this year, but we also gained some,” Hartmann says. “We are always trying to improve, mostly with our skills but we are becoming more of a team as the season progresses.” The leadership of this years team will come from senior Olivia Fugate, who has strength on the beam, senior Martha Yost who is best on the beam and floor, and Hartmann who came 13th on the floor at districts. With new leadership and tighter bonds, Hartmann has a hopeful outlook for this season. “This year is completely different from last year,” Hartmann says. “New skills, new routines and new teammates. I can’t wait to show everyone what we have been working on.”

“

New skills, new routines and new teammates. I can’t wait to show everyone what we have been working on. -Lucy Hartmann

BOYS WRESTLING T

he East Thunderhawks wrestling team looks to display a lineup of well developed senior wrestlers during the 2017-2018 season. Last year, individual Jon Spaulding placed third at State in the 285 pound weight class and led the team. Now upperclassmen, Christian Chavez looked up to Spaulding and hopes to be like him in practice and on the mat. “[Spaulding] was always working hard in the room and always looking for ways to improve and get better,” Chavez says. “He would also be trying to motivate others and make sure everyone’s positive as well as push us. He was very accomplished and made it to state and we’re all looking up to that cause that’s all our goal.” Looking to fill that roll will be seniors Drew Katona (185 lbs.), Chavez (113 lbs.), and Sophomores Jason Reeves (106 lbs.) and Alex Epstein (120 lbs.), all of which qualified as four of the seven individuals who moved on to district competition. The team this year has the same craving to become a better team. “This year I feel we all have that same desire and hunger to want to get better and improve in everything we can,” Chavez says. “We all strive to make it to state and everyday we’re working hard to get there.”

This year I feel we all have that same desire and hunger to want to get better and improve in everything we can. -Christian Chavez

SENIOR STRIKE East Senior Josh Knull bowls down the competition during his last season as a Thunderhawk. story jack parr | photography richard giang

ll eyes are on him as he grabs the fourteen pound ball from the rack and stares down the lane at his competition: 10 big, white pins. He approaches the foul line and takes a deep breath before hurtling the ball down the lane. As soon as he releases the shot, he knows what the result will be: a strike. For East Senior Josh Knull, this feeling has become quite common going into his final season on the East Varsity Bowling Team. Last season, Knull averaged 194.7 pins per game, with a high of 266. His perseverence has yet to cease as he continuously performs at his ultimate best with himself and the team. Knull did not know that the school had a bowling team until the summer before his sophomore year. Then, he decided that he wanted to bowl after trying it with his family in their recreational bonding times. “My family went to a bowling alley near our hotel while on vacation in Cleveland and I enjoyed it so much that I went back the next day and played for a few hours,” Knull says. “I knew I wanted to play for the school and really started taking it seriously when we got back home.” Bowling is unique because it is both a team and individual sport at the high school level. This led Knull to be attracted to the sport due to its individual nature.

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“The fact that bowling is individual helps me motivate myself,” Knull says. “When I don’t do well it’s my fault, and when I do it’s because of me.” Motivation does not seem to be a problem for Knull in a sport that often does not receive the recognition that other more popular high school sports receive. Of the 325 East students surveyed, 23 percent were not aware that the school had a bowling team. The senior suggested a combination of factors that may contribute to this lack of recognition. “I think there’s a bit of a lack of respect seeing that some people don’t even consider bowling a sport,” Knull says. “Bowling doesn’t get promoted enough around the school and our coach isn’t a teacher at the school which doesn’t help.”

ast Bowling Coach Rick Meno grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where bowling was extremely popular in his area. He says that the lack of respect for the sport at the high school level may be because of the perception of the students. “Most kids don’t look at bowling as a ‘cool’ sport,” Meno says. “I think that is the perception [of bowling] for most high school students.” East senior Luc Iannaci is expected to perform at a high level from

his peers and help lead the bowling team along with his close friend Knull. He averaged 170.6 pins per game last season, with a high score of 254. Iannaci also expressed frustration at the way that bowling is promoted and perceived throughout the school. “We don’t get enough credit as a high school sport and I feel like we aren’t honored as much when we do well. We always hear the announcements or see tweets about other sports and their progresses, but not for bowling as much,” Iannaci says. “It definitely bothers me a little bit.”

nlike his teammate Knull, Iannaci began bowling for the high school his freshman year, but did not bowl his sophomore year, and returned to the team during his junior season. Iannaci recently improved his average score by 20 points, going from 170 to 190 this past 2017 summer. The senior reflected on how he was able to make such a drastic improvement. “It took a lot of thinking, focusing and a strong will to succeed in not only bowling but for myself,” Iannaci says. “I had to stop worrying about what everyone else was doing and just focus on improving my score.” The East Bowling team typically plays one or two matches per week

and practices once per week as a team both during the season and in the offseason. Their matches are against all nine other schools in the Greater Miami Conference (GMC) as well as a few other local teams. They also play in about two tournaments every season, bringing their total number of matches to about 20. This season the team will compete in the Queen City Classic and the Fairfield Challenge. The team plays its home matches at Mason Bowl since Lakota does not have a bowling alley within the school district. Knull and Iannaci also participate in leagues over the summer at Mason Bowl to keep their skills sharp.

owling, while enjoyable to play as a hobby, is a sport that is very difficult to succeed in and be consistent in during competitive matches, according to the senior bowlers. Knull says that being a successful bowler requires a lot of mental toughness. “It takes a lot of mental strength to be a successful bowler that not many people would think about,” Knull says. “You can’t get discouraged if you have a bad shot or a bad game.” The players seem to really enjoy the team atmosphere of the Varsity team and they all play a part in the success of the group. Knull says January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 63

“

sports | bowling

It takes a lot of mental strength to be a successful bowler that not many people would think about. You can’t get discouraged if you have a bad shot or a bad game. - Josh Knull that having people around him on the team that share similar interests and desires makes the sport more enjoyable and his teammates help push him to be successful mentally and physically. “Bowling regularly with other people that like bowling and enjoy the sport makes it a much more enjoyable experience than doing it by yourself,” Knull says. “It’s a fun little community that we have [at East.]”

his laid-back but still competitive atmosphere of the East bowling team can partly be attributed to the philosophy of Meno, who tries to focus on developing his players to simply have fun and be supportive of their teammates. “I want the kids to learn how to be a great teammate, be a respectful opponent, have fun and understand that academics should be their number one priority,” Meno says. “I want the athletes to learn that even though you may struggle individually, you can still add value by being a great teammate.” Heading into this season, the bowling team has high expectations despite losing some key players that graduated last year, such as 2017 East alum Jack Hayes and Nathan Anderson. Last season was the first year that the team ever finished with a winning record and East current senior Adam New, who will also be a key piece on the team this season, represented the school at Regionals. The team is optimistic that this season can be successful with the new group of players on the team. According to Meno, Knull is expected to average over 200 per game to lead the team. Recently named team captain for the upcoming year, Knull is also hopeful for a successful senior season. “It’s definitely been tough losing the seniors that were so good for us,” Knull says. “But with our younger players coming in and the returning seniors, I think we can do very well this year.” •

64 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

East senior Josh Knull competing against Talawanda at Mason Bowl.

TWO A TEE To continue his golf career and reunite with his brother, East junior Kyle Schmidt committed to the University of Dayton. story michael patterson photography Paragon permission

e walks slowly on the perfectly cut green. He holds his putter as he positions himself in the correct stance. He focus’ on the small white golf ball placed in front of him, preparing for the shot. Moments like this are what East junior Kyle Schmidt lives for. Schmidt has dedicated the last seven years of his life to the sport of golf. Throughout his three year career at East he has won two Greater Miami Conference (GMC) tournaments and helped the team place seventh at 2016 States and sixth and 2017 States. Kyle also won the 2016 and 2017 GMC player of the year. “My biggest accomplishment is winning the GMC tournament back to back years,” Kyle says. “Being able to compete against my [older] brother [who graduated last year] for the individual medalist the first year made it even more special to me.” Kyle finished the 2017 golf season number two in the GMC’s beyond East sophomore Peyton Houston. Schmidt averaged the season 37.58 and finished with 144 holes. Will Schmidt is Kyle’s older brother who graduated from East in 2016. The two played golf together at East for two years. In 2015 when Kyle was a freshman, Will won GMC player of the Year honors. Kyle committed to the University of Dayton (UD) this fall, where Will currently attends school. “Part of the reason I chose to go to UD was because Will is there,” Kyle says. “I’m extremely excited to be able to go to the same college as him. Will and I have always been really close and have competed in just about every sport. He’s taught be a lot and it’ll be nice to still have him around to help me in my college years.” Will is looking forward to having his brother with him as they continue their academic careers. Will believes that Kyle will have many impactful experiences at UD. “I’m really excited for Kyle,” Will says. “He’s worked harder than I’ve ever seen anyone work at anything. So he’ll have a great opportunity to compete for National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships at UD.” Kyles coach, 20 year East golf coach Jeff Combs is proud of the efforts that Kyle has put into the team for the past three years. Combs is also excited that Kyle is able to extend his

East junior Kyle Schmidt hitting the ball at a seasonal invatational

athletic career beyond high school. Combs won GMC coach of the Year in 2016. “[Will] pushes himself in the weight room,” Combs says. “We’re lifting already as a team, he plays in really tough tournaments instead of playing easy tournaments and he practices every single day.”

ombs believes that Kyle’s work ethic is what allows him to grow every season. “On average, I practice between one and two hours a day,” Kyle says, “Usually on weekends I’ll go out and play but on week nights, once I get home from school, I usually head straight to the course.” Kyle is grateful for all of the effort that Combs has put into the team. Kyle is hopeful that the team will win a state championship in

2018 with Combs’ help. “To [Combs], it’s not about whether you play good or not, it’s about how you acted while you were playing,” Will says. “He makes practicing fun which allows us to improve and have fun at the same time. You won’t find a better coach, and I know all of us are grateful for what coach Combs has done for us.” Kyle is excited to continue his golf career and East and eventually UD. Over his seven year career he has seen the effect golf has had on him first hand. “Golf has taught me a lot about life,” Kyle says. “It’s never going to be perfect but you have to figure out how to get by with what you have. It has taught me how to stay patient and to keep grinding even when things aren’t going my way.” • January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 65

SPLASH ZONE East senior Alec Gayer makes a splash through his last season as a Thunderhawk. story stone shields | photography richard giang

East senior Alec Gayer swimming the 200-yard individual medlay at the Princeton Invitational .

he natatorium has a nervous tension about it as the swimmers briskly advance to their respective blocks. The swimmers hear the whistles of the officials signaling them to take their places. Within seconds they dive head first into their own lanes for the race. It’s moments like these that swimmers across the world live for, including East Senior Alec Gayer. Gayer is a very versatile swimmer who swims the 100 yard butterfly, the 500 yard freestyle, the 200 yard medley relay, the 200 yard free relay and the 400 yard free relay. He currently finds himself with the fifth fastest time in the Greater Miami Conference (GMC) for the 500 yard free in the 2018 season with a time of 5:28.50. Even though the 500 yard freestyle is what currently has Gayer near the top of the conference, it is not his favorite or even most dominant event. The 100 yard butterfly is most appealing to him and is the race he performs best in. “I love trying to get better and faster at the 100 fly,” Gayer says. “Not many people like it and it is my best individual event and I love competing in it.” Gayer loves being apart of the team and dedicating his life to the sport but admits it isn’t all bliss and that there are pros and cons. “Living the life of a swimmer isn’t easy, it’s a lot of time and effort,”

66 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

Gayer says. “The practices are at five in the morning, then to school then back to practice at three is tough, and you don’t get much of a social life or that much sleep. However, you make tons of friends from different schools and stay in incredible shape while you eat basically whatever you want. At the end of the day, it really is a fun sport to be apart of.” Not only is Gayer a force in the water, he also has other attributes that make him a great teammate and fun to be around. According to his teammate and fellow East senior Keith Enrico his smile is contagious. “Effort and positive attitude are extremely important in swimming and Alec demonstrates both,” Enrico says. “The way he acts rubs off on his teammates and makes us all better.” Enrico is also off to a quick start in his final year as a Thunderhawk student athlete. He currently sits at 3 in the GMC in the 50 yard freestyle event with a time of 22:50. Gayer is ranked 17th in the 100 yard butterfly with a time of :58.40.

ayer and Enrico provide a lot of competition for one and other in the pool as both give it their best effort every time they’re in between the lane lines. Both have very high hopes for their final year wearing the black and white. Gayer and Enrico made it clear that placing well at the GMC championship and Districts and qualifying for State is their

ultimate goal. “The mindset for us is to get to the State meet,” says Gayer. “It’s really as simple as that.” Varsity East and West Swimming Coach Dennis Beck is back at it again this year conducting the Swimming Hawks. He is a very highly regarded coach in the GMC and one that gets his swimmers to perform the best they possibly can throughout his 21 year tenure. “Coach Beck is awesome,”Sycamore swim coach Dan Carl says. “It is easy to focus on the best swimmers but [Beck] doesn’t stop there, he creates an environment where all can compete and succeed.” This year Beck is leaning hard on his seniors, including Gayer and Enrico, to set the precedent for the program. “We really need the seniors to be present,” Beck says. “Not only in attendance but working on what we’re trying to work on and really keeping our team focused.” During the 2017 season, East finished with the third fastest relay times in the 200 free relay and the 400 free relay and finished with the fifth fastest time in the 200 medley relay in the GMCs. “Each year I just try and improve from the previous year and see how we can do better,” Beck says. “As always we want to finish as high as we can in what I call ‘The Championship Series’ which is GMC’s, Sectionals

and Districts and hopefully send some qualifiers up to Canton for the State meet.” East has high expectations and Beck feels good about how they can perform when 2018 comes around. “We see ourselves as a top of the league type team,” Beck says. “Sycamore and Mason are our biggest competition and right now but I see us as a top three or four program.”

wim practices can really be draining according to Gayer. Beck has his kids swim twice a week before school and everyday after school. Two of the practices after school last an extra 45 minutes where swimmers do strength training. However, their meet schedule varies by week. According to Gayer, Enrico, and other members of the team, swimming is one of those sports that is “all about the practice and amount of time you put in.” Beck and his swimmers are looking forward to what the rest of the season has in store. They all love being in the water with their teammates and competing. “I love seeing my kids improve and get faster,” Beck says. “Regardless of your skill levels and capabilities, everyone can get better and that makes it a fun sport to coach.” •

January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 67

sports | varsity swimming

STEP BY STEP: HOW TO TRACK DRIVE

Horter running around East preparing for Scotland.

Starting from a block broken down into five easy-to-follow steps photography and infographic lauren maier and michael croy

ALL ABOUT ALEC GAYER PERSONAL RECORDS: 100 yard fly: 55.73 secs 100 yard free style: 52.97 secs 50 yard free style: 23.09 secs

FAVORITE WARM-UP SONG: Boss by Lil Pump

FAVORITE PLACE TO SWIM: Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center at Miami University

FAVORITE STROKE: Butterfly

PREFERENCE BETWEEN 200 FLY 400 IM: 400 IM

FAVORITE FASTSKIN

Speedo LZR Racer X

WARMUP Before getting to the block, listen to music in order to “get in the zone” and be excited about the race. Stretch and jump around in order to stimulate muscles in preparation for the race.

ON THE BLOCK Stand on the front of the block with a foot forward and toes curled over the edge. Place the other foot on the back of the block. Bend at the waist and knees slightly to be in a crouched position. Grab the front edge of the block with both hands. Keep neck loose and look down or slightly forward.

THE PUSH Start by pushing forward with both hands while simultaneously driving the upper body forward. Lift the head slightly to spot the water. At the same time, bring the hands forward in a streamline position. Tuck the chin into the chest in the streamline position (the position with the least amount of water resistance when entering the water.)

ENTRY 1 As hands enter the water, straighten the body so it goes into the same area as where the hands entered.

ENTRY 2

The swimmer may also stretch and jump around when at the block to get ready and excited about the race.

HEART OF A CHAMPION East Senior Dustin Horter has made an impact with his Cross Country and Track career. story broc nordmark | photography julianne ford and used with permission

t’s the final stretch of the 2017 Ohio Cross Country State Championship. Two runners approach the finish line neck and neck. Right at the last second with a burst of speed, East senior Dustin Horter pulls ahead for yet another state championship. Horter won his most recent State Championship on Nov. 4, 2017, finishing with a time of 15:03.5. He edged out Middletown High School Junior Conant Smith, his competitor who finished with a time of 15:03.9. Horter’s high school running career has been extremely successful, consisting of four Cross Country State Championship victories, both outdoors and indoors. He also has had many other accomplishments, like when he won the Gatorade Athlete of the Year for Ohio in 2016. Horter’s first Cross Country State Championship was on Nov. 5, 2016 with a time of 15:02. He also won two Track State Championships for the 1600m, then on March 5, 2017 with a time of 4:10 and lastly, on June 5, 2017 with a time of 4:08. While Horter has been extremely successful in his running career, the

accomplishments aren’t the only important part of his career. Horter has made an impact on those involved with the team. His love for running originates from his days at VanGorden Elementary School. “In second grade, that’s when it really started,” Horter says. “[It was in] the gym mile, I started to run that. Then in third grade, field day happened, and I was pretty good at the running events, especially distance.”

orter talked about how his now former VanGorden Elementary School Physical Education teacher Jim Bodden first inspired him to get into running by allowing him to have fun while he ran. Horter then explained that East Track Coach Rodney Heath, helped him get involved with running by inviting him to an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team to get him started on his path. Bodden has been inspiring students to pursue athletics for 24 years. He still remembers the time he had to teach Horter to run and what January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 69

ON TRACK

because of it. Both male runners have inspired and pushed each other to be better every day. “Well, I’ve known Dustin a long time, and he’s just kinda someone who, when you’re around him, you kinda want to do better. He expects nothing but the best from people, and he wants nothing but the best for people,” Jones says. “Running wise, he’s pushed me into discovering who I am on the running team and where I can get.”

PERSONAL RECORDS OUTDOOR

H Horter (19) running at the Nike Invatational in Oregon. Horter was able to do then strive for back then in second grade. “Dustin is one of those kids that was a natural athlete. He stood out from day one. He was good at everything he did,” Bodden says. “I obviously shared his times with Byron and Betsy [ who are Dustin’s parents] immediately and encouraged them to continue to keep Dustin involved with track and cross country.”

hard work and dedication, he has developed into an athlete who dominates every aspect of working out and racing.” Thomas then began to talk about Horter’s development over the years. He mentioned how Horter’s leadership has improved drastically and how he worked on finishing strong on the final stretch, which is now one of Horter’s strengths as a runner.

odden talked about how trust, communication and positivity are key when trying to keep kids enthusiastic about athletics. Horter took this early inspiration and used it to motivate him to move towards a career in running. His current Cross Country and Track Coach Adam Thomas has helped him realize his true potential and use this motivation to help him reach his full potential. “Dustin has always been a top notch person and sportsman. That has not changed since his Freshman year,” Thomas says. “Through his

ow, Horter’s dedication and love for the sport is strong. He puts in countless hours of work with about two to 2.5 hours per day. Other than his normal season practices, his offseason consists of a lot of training as well. “After track season [which goes from March to mid June], I took a week break off. Then in June, I came back, and I’ve been training since then,” Horter says. “It has been a pretty long time for me to be running. I have been following this regime constantly for four to five months, non-stop with no days off.”

Horter only lost one race his senior season, which was to The Midwest Meet of Champions in September. His loss was to Zach Kreft, a Division II senior runner from Buckeye Valley, who ran a 14:29. “I don’t run with Dustin very much, with him being Division one (DI) and me being Division two (DII), but from the few times we’ve run together, I can tell he’s a great guy,” Kreft says. “He’s such a good competitor. We pushed each other the entire race, and there’s no way I would’ve ran that time without him beside me.”

orter’s work ethic hasn’t just helped himself but also the East team as a whole. The effort and heart that he puts into the sport inspires his fellow teammates to work harder, trying to improve themselves as well. This is true for Horter’s teammate and friend East senior Ryan Jones. Horter and Jones have run together for their entire high school careers and have developed a bond

Dustin has always been a top notch person and sportsman. That has not changed since his Freshman year. Through his hard work and dedication, he has developed into an athlete who dominates every aspect of working out and racing. - Adam Thomas, East Cross Country and Track Coach 70 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

1 MILE 4:07.82

orter is known to also be a leader with his fellow student athletes. Jones says that Horter brings up the morale of the team by showing everyone what they can accomplish not only as an individual, but as a unit. Dustin not only gets the privilege of running alongside one of his best friends but he also gets to run with his little sister, East sophomore Danielle Horter. They have ran two cross country seasons together. “He’s a really good role model for faith, with how he talks about how his faith gets him through every race,” Danielle says. “Just as a person. I mean, obviously he’s a great person, and we’ve been raised the same, so it has been great watching him.”

anielle says that Dustin helps her by giving her great advice, such as how to get out fast times in her races. Dustin has also provided words of encouragement for Danielle to positively aid the team as well. As Dustin is known to be a state champ, Dustin was highly recruited by many colleges. Coming into his senior year, he knew he had to start looking for his new home for the next few years after high school. “A lot of people think its about getting free money and that I’m a good athlete, but there’s a lot more that goes into it,” Dustin says. “There’s a lot more personal relationships than you would think, and creating these relationships is pivotal.” Dustin says that he looked more for the coaches, athletes and other people that would be around him for his college career. Dustin found what he was looking for in Indiana University (IU). Then, he has committed to IU, and is very excited to be continuing his running career there.

ustin was recently selected to represent Team United States of America (USA) at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country International Challenge this Jan. 2018. The Great Edinburgh Cross Country International Challenge is an annual competition that takes place in January in Edinburgh, Scotland. “It feels really good,” Dustin says. “As a runner growing up, it’s everyone’s dream to put that [Team] USA singlet on. Knowing I worked extremely hard to reach this point, I’m excited to represent my country with pride.” •

5K (XH) 14:36.77 3200M 8:56.62 1600M 4:10.77 800M 1:54.56

Q & A WITH DUSTING HORTER

interview and photography julianne ford

What has been your best experience with East Cross Country and Track?

My best experience with Track and Cross Country at East was my freshman year of Cross Country State. We had a team of guys who were truly dedicated and made a name for East in Ohio.

What was the main factor that drove you to Indiana University

The main factors that drew me to IU were the coaches I’d be running under, the great team dynamic the guys had, the availability of my major and the financial situation my family would have to handle. All of those combined made the Hoosiers my overall best fit.

What are you going to study at IU and why?

I’m going to study business at the Kelley School of Business. The reason I chose this field is because I want to one day work high up for a retail company like Nike or Adidas at their corporate headquarters. January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 71

TRANSPORTING

sports | student athlete transportation

Many East athletic teams have to travel miles away to compete. story meredith peters | photography julianne ford and richard giang

he had finished swim practice at 6:45 A.M, went to the locker room and changed for the day. She then walked to the lobby and waited for the school bus to arrive to take her to school. This routine was common for East junior and Varsity Swimmer Cara Godbey throughout her freshman and sophomore years. The East and West Varsity Swim teams dive into their season, placing within the top five in the Greater Miami Conference (GMC). However, without the aid of the Liberty Township YMCA (The Young Men Christian Association), the team would be stuck practicing 27 minutes away at the YMCA located in Norwood. Unlike other sports like football and basketball, the swim team doesn’t have the ability to practice at the school. The swim team must work with the YMCA to develop a schedule for the season that works around the swim teams, visitors and member’s needs. Among these challenges, transportation is also an issue for students. When necessary, students provide their own ride or a shuttle is provided for them to get to and from practices and meets. East Swim Coach Dennis Beck says that the YMCA with being easy and flexible to work with as well as the convenience of the shuttle for transportation. “A shuttle goes from East Freshman school to Main Campus and then from the main campus to the YMCA,” Beck says. “For morning practices, we have one shuttle that takes them to schools, freshman campus and

then main campus” The district sometimes does provide transportation to the swim meets, but not back to the school. Student’s have to find their own rides or parents have to come pick them up. The school provides many opportunities to the students who currently swim, Godbey is happy with the amount of times the team receives transportation. “The school does provide a bus to the Lakota YMCA,” Godbey says. “If the school did not provide transportation many of the lower classmen who can’t drive would be in a tough position.”

he expense of practicing outside of school is another obstacle. Annually, the East Athletic director Richard Bryant budgets around 10 thousand dollars to cover all fees and expenses for the swimming and diving season. These fees and expenses include lane rental and hosting of swim meets. “The majority of that is for pool rental at Lakota Family YMCA, which is approximately $7,500 [per] year,” Bryant says. “The Diving team uses East Butler County YMCA, approximately $750 [per] year. In addition, we pay Keating Natatorium [at St. Xavier high school] $1,800 to host three meets and Beckett Ridge Swim Club $200 to rent timing equipment.” Scheduling the practices and meets can be a challenge because they must find times that work for both the YMCA and the swim team. Not only developing scheduling can be

a hassle for the team, but also moving around the schedule due to unforeseen circumstances. “The challenge is that it’s very difficult to make a practice schedule change because you got to work around the schedule that exist and be thankful that they let us have the time that they do,” Beck says. “If there is a snow day or you want to be able to practice at a different time because you have a meet you don’t have the flexibility to do that whereas, if the pool was connected to the building we would have that flexibility.” When it comes to scheduling, the YMCA makes times available after school five days a week and Tuesday and Thursday mornings before school. This helps better fit the needs of the swim team. “We saw the teams really grow, the history is that we use to practice at Norwood before this facility was enclosed and the teams got a lot bigger when practice was in the district,” Beck says. “So just having practice closer to the buildings even with it being the YMCA has been a great benefit and we are happy to have it. It would be nice if we could walk down the hallway but this is the next best thing.”

mong the other teams that practice outside of school like the swim team, is the Bowling team, which is coached and supervised by East Bowling Coach Rick Meno, and the diving team, coached and supervised by East Diving Coach Cathy Prebles. Located 14 minutes away from the school one will find, East Butler family YMCA, the

Having practice closer to the buildings even with it being the YMCA has been a great benefit and we are happy. It would be nice if we could walk down the hallway but this is the next best thing. -Dennis Beck, East and West swim coach 72 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

East swimmers getting on the bus that takes them to the Lakota YMCA after school.

home of the East Diving team. The team practices Mondays and Thursday 3:30 P.M. until 4:30 P.M. For competitions, the team dives at rival schools pools such as Mason, Turpin, Sycamore, Princeton and Oak Hills. The bowling team typically practices on Thursday night, starting at 3:15 P.M. and going until 4:45 P.M.

uring the season, the team has most of their matches at their home lane, Mason Bowl. For away matches, they go to alleys such as Crossgate Lanes, Western Bowl and Madison Bowl. For the away games, the school provides busing for the athletes to get to their matches.

East sophomore, Tara Witkowski swims the 200-yard IM at the Princeton Invitational.

Concerning off season practices for the bowling team, there are none. Athletes typically participate in the summer leagues that are offered at Fairfield Lanes. Throughout the season the teams have 17-20 matches where they faced up against teams such as Mason and Oak Hills.

ocated 10 minutes away from the East is Mason Bowl, the team’s home lane. Here at this alley, on the corner of Reading and Sinder road is where the team grows and develops their skills before facing off against other teams. East junior and bowler Mary Boehm says she thinks there is no problem with transporting to Mason Bowl.

“Personally I don’t have any problems or struggles with [the transportation],” Boehm says. “It’s always easier if the practice could be at the school so you wouldn’t worry about being late for matches because of parking lot traffic.” The swim team is very grateful that the YMCA provides the amount of lanes and flexibility to the swim team throughout their season. “We [the East and West swim teams] are very lucky because [The] Lakota YMCA works with us very well,” Beck says. “They give us great pool time. Over the holiday break we have two and a half hours a day which is awesome for not having a pool.” •

FAITHFUL ALL-STAR continued from page 33

to pursue her faith was even evident in her demeanor on the court. “A day I’ll never forget was the first time I saw Bea play basketball in a staff versus student game during a pep assembly,” Helwig says. “When I saw her play that day, I could see how basketball reflected her strong and talented personality. Her athleticism acted as a metaphor for her ability to overcome and pursue anything in life through her faith, and it brought tears to my eyes.” Beyond high school, Wright attended Vassar College in New York and became a freshman English teacher at Mason High School. She also worked to become a figure in her local church and to help the less fortunate. There, Wright met her friend Julie Kershner through church work and their families became close. Kershner says that Wright isn’t one to pat herself on the back, but she is heavily involved in mentoring and caring for underprivileged kids at an after-school program. “Bea loves kids. She loves to include those who may feel left out, to reach out to those who need encouragement and a listening ear, to find the best in others,” Kershner says. “ Bea has become a very best friend, like family, in the past 4 years. [She] exemplified to me true friendship, compassion, Jesus-like love [and] modeled what it means to truly care about others.” Despite being amazed in herself and her abilities to keep up with the duel challenge of school and sports at East, Wright ultimately doesn’t regret moving. In her mind, her priorities were pointed less at success and more at what she actively succeeds to pursue today: a relationship with God. “I cared more about the values within my heart and less about other types of ‘success,’” Wright says. “Living in alignment with my faith in Christ is what I have found to be truly lasting in life.” •

ON SCHOOL TO SERVICE

continued from page 40

[their] education prior to joining.” “It took me 10 years of going to college part-time to attain a degree,” Schiltz says. “And whenever I moved, I had to transfer [colleges and the credits] and start all over again.” But today, Schiltz has earned his degree and is now working as the Chief of Budget, Engineering and Facilities for the National Wildlife Refuge System’s region in Alaska. There, he works on more than 70 million acres of land, ensuring that the land’s park rangers 74 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

and scientists have all the equipment and infrastructure they need to do their jobs. Even with the transition from the military to the Refuge in Alaska, Chris hasn’t stopped developing and working hard. He continues to be a model for the people around him, including his wife and fellow East alumna Carolyn Adams, who says that Chris makes her want to be the best person she can be. “He did a lot of great things during his Air Force career,” Carolyn says. “And [he] still does as a civilian for Fish and Wildlife.” Although Chris has seen his world change before his eyes over the last 20 years, his advice to the graduating class of 2018 translates as timeless, as he urges the students of the graduating class to be genuinely themselves. “[High School] was an act for a lot of people,” Chris says. “There are plenty of people who won’t like you because you’re too nice, too smart, too tall [or] too caring. People don’t like you because of your positive energy. You don’t need that in your life.” •

ALL-AROUND FEMALE

continued from page 41

After The Indianapolis Star, Franklin became an Editor-in-Chief at the Orlando Sentinel and Baltimore Sun, which helped paved her path to her dream goal in life—The Chicago Tribune. “Being in a daily deadline for 20 years has its perks as I can write fast like really fast now. I can write shorts which is incredibly valuable,” Melissa says. “Those are all skills that came along with the practice of the trade and journalism gave me that exposure to different people and environments.” Then, Melissa became a Pulitzer Prizenominated business columnist for local reporting at the Chicago Tribune. Not only that, she is a two-time finalist for journalism award the Livingston Award, which honors outstanding local, national and international reporting by journalists younger than 35-yearsold. “Melissa always had this entrepreneurial spirit that you can see while she was a reporter as she always came up with story ideas,” Franklin says. “Now that she is outside of a traditional newsroom, you can really see that entrepreneurship bubble up that she does with consulting and projects all over Chicago. I’m convinced that she is going to be Chicago’s Entrepreneur of the Year award.” Alongside to being an executive in residence at University of Chicago, Melissa is the founder and chief executive officer of M. Harris, a marketing agency that helps companies and executives. “Everything fell into place when it came to Melissa and journalism back in her high school

and [early] career stages,” Cheryl says. “Even though she settled down with a family and needed more practical [hours], she still has that love for journalism that will never leave her.” From being a sports editor then a managing editor in Spark, Melissa has maintained the drive in journalism that she had onto the business ventures in the Greater Chicago area. Similarly, her ability to thrive in hard work has “all rooted from being in Spark and maintaining that balance between that, school, cheer, extracurriculars and work.” “The power to write concisely is the most important skill that any person can develop and Spark gives you those amazing chances to practice writing well, clearly, concisely, with a good hook and keeps people reading,” Melissa says. “That is a skill that is in marketplace, incredibly valued which has proved to be my [mantra.]” •

and tactile learning and that helps her Honors Anatomy and Physiology class to be more engaging. Collins says that she can ask any question in her class and Julie will take the time to try and answer the question as accurately as possible. “[Julie] is down with doing different things,” Collins says. “It makes people [want to] converse with her because she is willing to listen to her students and take in their ideas.” Julie’s teaching style allows her to communicate with the vast mass of her students as she tries to individually unlock their inner passions and help them improve on skills to better their futures. “As an educator I try to figure out how to use [the available tools] to reach out to the diversity of my [students],” Julie says. “We all learn just a little bit different and the more you know, the more you can know.” •

THE ANIMAL ATTORNEY

continued from page 49

continued from page 43

of votes on bills of the federal level. She advocates with the knowledge of her real life experiences such as circumstances of putting on a hazmat suit because the fleas were so severe they were jumping off the dying animals onto humans. Jacob Diemer, a current computer programmer of the air force and a friend Rebecca met in her freshman year of band, is not surprised by her achievements in life. He says “she’s still the same today and fights for what she thinks is right. She always tries to do the right thing and pushes people towards the same way.” •

ANATOMY OF THE CLASSROOM

continued from page 48

teacher has learned a lot about her students, saying that her favorite part of the job is seeing them find their niche and figure out their future careers. “I think it’s really exciting when you teach students and they realize that maybe they have the same passion as I do,” Julie says. “I’m always excited for my students who figure that out.” Parrott says that she offered Julie the job of long-term subbing because she had the kind of disposition that would work well with high school students. “[She] cares for her students and they pick up on that,” Parrott says. “They are willing to go the extra mile for her because they know she would do that for them.” East Junior Cecelie Collins says that Julie has a good balance between auditory, visual

TEACHER AT HEART

taking Marguerite out of the library would be like taking taking the chocolate out of chocolate chips cookies. “It will be a huge loss to me and to East when Mrs. Doll decides to retire. We’ve always joked that we’ll have a race with our walkers to see who leaves last,” Whiles says. “I always look forward to my visits at East just to see Mrs. Doll. She’s like a part of my family.” Marguerite has been the librarian of the East library for 20 years now and her favorite part through it all has been the students. And though her intention when she started volunteering at Hopewell Elementary about 30 years ago was not to eventually run a high school library, she’s grateful that is how it all turned out. “This is just my little world,” Marguerite says. “The library provides a little something that can be found for anyone and everyone.” •

BECOMING A TRIPLE THREAT continued from page 34

Vanessa says that the impact that its has had on the students of Hamilton High School is akin to the impact that Hume had on her as a student. Since Vanessa is a Young Life leader, she gets the opportunity to say, “you are known, cared for and loved” everytime she walks into Hamilton High School when meeting students and hanging out with fellow leaders, such as East Young Life Leader Jorden James. “Ness loved me when I didn’t love myself,” James says. “Through her loving, I learned how valuable I really was. She showed me grace when I didn’t deserve it and always reminded me that I wasn’t the sum of my failures.”

From Spark to True West and Young Life, Vanessa always has had the drive to succeed, no matter the circumstances. Despite the obstacles Vanessa has faced, she perseveres through constant hard work and dedication to everything she does. “[True West] sparked this belief in the city so we started this thing where people would wear shirts that said ‘I love this town’ [as] it became like our mantra,” Vanessa says. “People grasped onto it and were like ‘I love it too.’” •

WEST CHESTER AND BEYOND continued from page 35

such as flying over Pensacola Bay at night with only the moonlight as a visual aid and becoming the head of the medical department at 29-years-old, Sunil found living Japan to give him opportunities as well. Both Samantha and Sunil are away from their families and their two cats Raj and Maverick. On top of that, they are living in a foreign country where there is a language barrier. Despite this, they get through the hardships by depending on each other. “We really rely on each other,” Samantha says. “We have a rule that only one person can freak out at a time so when one is really frustrated and like ‘ah what are we doing here’ the other person can be calm and [say] ‘it’s going to be okay.’” Even though the midwestern values of humility and hard work have guided Sunil to the point where he knows that living in Ohio is comforting, he would not trade in the challenges of living in Japan to go back to what he calls home. “Your time at East is short but formative and the lessons you take away from it. There’s more than just West Chester, Ohio,” Sunil says. “[Since] I graduated high school and I have not lived in West Chester for a serious amount of time, I want to say I ran away but there’s a bigger world out there, and you should definitely see it and get out.” •

FOLLOWING HER OWN YELLOW BRICK ROAD FROM SCHOOL continued from page 36

“Singing and dancing and being a character is basically what I do every day for my job, in a different way,” Vermeire says. “As a kindergarten teacher, it’s kind of the same thing. I got to learn how to be somebody different and that is what I’ve done every day

for the last sixteen years.” Vermeire’s coworker Elena Thomas sees this attitude radiating from her every day. In August 2016, Thomas moved to North Carolina and found a teaching job at Bradford Prep School, where she met Vermeire. The atmosphere at this charter school completely contrasted that of the public schools Thomas taught at before. Feeling a bit lost, she sought out Vermeire for help. “I was like, ‘I don’t know what’s going on here.’ April was so helpful and just guided me through everything,” Thomas says. “She always made time for me, and she always made it really easy to do my new job. She’s just that kind of person, she will do anything for anyone. She’s just someone you aspire to be when you grow up.” Alongside this, Thomas sees Vermeire balance her time as a teacher between helping the students understand the content, having fun every day and genuinely caring about their wellbeing. Vermeire is also an active member of the school board. The atmosphere at East and Lakota in general drove Vermeire to treat her students and her job the way that she does. Having a new and beautiful place to go to school where she could have a fresh start to her senior year inspired her to be the teacher that she is today. The teachers that encouraged her to grow were tremendous influences on her life. “I always felt like the teachers that I had at school cared about me and put in the extra effort to make sure that I enjoyed and learned,” Vermeire says. “That’s what I try to instill in my students. I can truly say I go to work every day, and it’s not work; it’s really just me having fun with kids.” •

A PASSION FOR FOOTBALL

continued from page 39 to pursue her faith was even evident in her demeanor on the court. “A day I’ll never forget was the first time I saw Bea play basketball in a staff versus student game during a pep assembly,” Helwig says. “When I saw her play that day, I could see how basketball reflected her strong and talented personality. Her athleticism acted as a metaphor for her ability to overcome and pursue anything in life through her faith, and it brought tears to my eyes.” Beyond high school, Wright attended Vassar College in New York and became a freshman English teacher at Mason High School. She also worked to become a figure in her local church and to help the less fortunate. There, Wright met her friend Julie Kershner through church work and their families became close. Kershner says that Wright isn’t one to pat herself on the back, but she is heavily involved in mentoring and caring for underprivileged kids at an after-school program. January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 75

guest column | opinion “Bea loves kids. She loves to include those who may feel left out, to reach out to those who need encouragement and a listening ear, to find the best in others,” Kershner says. “ Bea has become a very best friend, like family, in the past 4 years. [She] exemplified to me true friendship, compassion, Jesus-like love [and] modeled what it means to truly care about others.” Despite being amazed in herself and her abilities to keep up with the duel challenge of school and sports at East, Wright ultimately doesn’t regret moving. In her mind, her priorities were pointed less at success and more at what she actively succeeds to pursue today: a relationship with God. “I cared more about the values within my heart and less about other types of ‘success,’” Wright says. “Living in alignment with my faith in Christ is what I have found to be truly lasting in life.” •

STREAMING WARS

continued from page 56

are played on their platform, both artists have removed their music from the service in the past, arguing that their music is being “given away for free.” “The argument has been made that the royalty rates that streaming services pay are the same rates that come from radio play,” says Paul Otten, the drummer and songwriter of indie-folk band Big Little Lions. “The difference is that from radio play you used to get record sales, because people heard your music. Now, streaming services are the only way that people get their music. I think it’s making artists find other avenues.” From another side of the industry, however, Spotify has been praised for the benefits it has provided for record labels, as well as the convenience it has allowed the label owners. “As a label, we get a sizable check from Spotify every month,” says Cole. “When you’re selling physical product, you spend thousands of dollars on pressing, marketing and distributing. With digital platforms, you’re getting the checks from them and there’s no physical overhead price.” Music distribution has ultimately shifted its medium to reflect the digital age, yet there is hope among a community of both music-makers and their audience that the shift brings beneficial things to the art. “Streaming services allow artists to reach a wider audience. I know that people connect with songs that they hear no matter what,” says Otten. “It’s just about how you adapt to the change.” •

PARK PROJECT continued from page 27

continuously growing area,” McFarland says. 76 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

“There needs to be places for picnics and walking. With the lack of sidewalks now in our area, we need to keep a green space with safe spaces for people to walk openly more often.” MetroParks of Butler County, Ohio Senior Manager of Public Relations Kelly Barkley has noticed how VOA has improved their local community. “VOA MetroParks has proven to be an economic driver for the region as a whole, specifically thr athletic complex,” Barkley says. “When we have tournaments, we have people who are from out of town coming to stay in our hotels, people shopping in our stores, people eating in our restaurants and so much more.” Through the past twenty years of Voice of America’s renovated wetland, and because of Folta’s hard work with his students, the park is now a popular attraction for all types of residents in the West Chester/Liberty township region. 83 percent of East students surveyed said that they think the overall maintenance of VOA is good. However, 16 percent said VOA’s maintenance is fair and one percent said that VOA’s maintenance is poor. “I think [having the park] is a wonderful asset to our community as a whole,” Folta says. “I only wish there were more trees to block the noise pollution from cars. [So], did we plant a seed? Possibly.” •

GRAND SLAM continued from page 18

through practicing and teaching College Prep United States History together, they became very close friends. “He made coaching and coming to the gym, especially in the cold, a lot of fun,” says Maus. “He and I tended to work pretty well together because we were somewhat opposites on how we approached things. We kind of balanced each other during practices and games.” According to both Schmidt and Javed, Combs not only was a great golf coach, but he taught them both a lot about life and the things that you need after high school. “[Combs] wanted us to be more than just athletes; he wanted us to turn in to respectable young adults,” says Javed. “He taught us values and productive characteristics. One of the most important things that he taught us was [to have] respect for your competitor and good sportsmanship towards them.” •

CLEANING UP continued from page 19

is the students first and the building second. [Crouch] brings excitement and passion to his job and that was obvious even when he was a shift custodian,” says Persley. “It is easy to be good at what we do as custodians, but it takes a

special person to be able to get why we do what we do and let that drive us to success.” Obtaining the job as head custodian for East started a new chapter in Crouch’s life and a second home developed for him. “In the few months that I’ve been working here, the administrative staff, teachers and custodial staff have all treated me like family,” says Crouch. “I don’t feel like I had to work to earn trust and respect; it was already given to me and it was mine to lose.” Not only is the respect mutual between the staff and Crouch, but the students at East already have a vast amount of appreciation for the man who cleans up their messes. East senior Rachel Butler says his ability to approach peers and students makes all the difference. “Josh is definitely very positive and encouraging. He makes everyone laugh and brightens the school day just with his presence,” says Butler. “I’ve never had a custodian come in and get to know me and all the other students [as much as] he has.” Being at East for only a short time, still, the sense of community has already expanded. “We have the best set of kids I’ve ever worked with. All the kids are very polite and that’s the nice thing about working here,” says Crouch. “I don’t feel like there is such a social difference at this school as there is at other schools, it’s very open here. I just love the culture here and it’s nice to be apart of something like that.” The impacts made just by a single conversation or high-five is all based from Crouch’s personality and interactions that will never be able to be replaced. “He is always willing to do his job with a smile on his face and is so student centered,” says Endeavor Elementary Principal Andrea Blevins who met Crouch when the two worked at the same school in the Middletown City School District. “He is very thorough and takes a lot of pride in what he does. It’s just so refreshing to see.” •

A LOOK BACK AT LAKOTA HIGH continued from page 77

So did the school board members who I would call on nights and weekends. At the time, I didn’t think it was very unusual that officials from the eighth largest district in the state would give some of their time to a 17-year-old. But now I can look back and appreciate their willingness to have those conversations and to let me learn from them. I may not be a part of the community anymore, but what I learned at East and at the old Lakota High School was how important it is to do the work it takes to be part of one. It’s vital to any community that those who live in it be informed, and take the time to understand how. •

A LOOK BACK AT LAKOTA HIGH 1998 East alumni and former Spark editor Rachel Kipp remembers some of her favorite moments about her time as a senior at Lakota East. column rachel kipp

hen I first walked into Lakota East in the summer of 1997, my most lasting impression was how new everything was. The old Lakota High School was basically the opposite. It was a jigsaw puzzle of low ceilings, building additions and connecting hallways. Changing classes was like running a marathon because the classrooms were usually so far apart. I regularly hustled through the cold and the rain to make it from the “east wing” to a classroom on the west side. There were still payphones outside the front doors—and I used them all the time. East was spotless and sparkling that first day, with skylights and locker bays. Every single computer was connected to (non-dialup) internet. It’s hard to believe that this was

GUEST COLUMN animated 1960s-tastic one in “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. The Spark staff had a tiny former teachers lounge to use as our computer lab with a crappy couch and scratched up desks. The junior class parking lot was full of gravel. As the first senior class to graduate from East it was our job to start that history for the new school, to add those first few scars. Now, the building holds 20 years of stories: almost two dozen graduating classes, proms and homecomings; a couple of state championships; thousands of lunches in the cafeteria and so much more. I’ve been back a couple of times since

As the first senior class to graduate from East it was our job to start that history for the new school, to add those first few scars. Now, the building holds 20 years of stories: almost two dozen graduating classes, proms and homecomings; a couple of state championships; thousands of lunches in the cafeteria and so much more. something that impressed me then, considering these days we all walk around with the internet in our pockets. The dichotomy between old and new was top of mind for administrators and the community when they made the decision to build two new high schools in the early 1990s. They didn’t want any group of students to feel like they were losing out because they were “stuck” at theold high school. Would we really have felt that way? I loved the old Lakota High School because of its history and scars. I spent a whole week during the summer of 1997 taking photos and copying down amural that former students had created over the years in the Spark room. The auditorium always reminded me of the

graduation and it’s weird to think that the students of today probably think about 1997 or 1998 the way I thought about the old Lakota High School. Or the way I thought about the community as a whole. When I was growing up in West Chester,it was still considered a rural area. We could still joke about being neighbors with the cows wholived on the farm across the street from the high school. We used to have to drive to Tri-County if we wanted to go shopping or go to a sit-down place for dinner, or to Cincinnati if we wanted to go to a coffee shop or an indie movie. But now you can do all of that without leaving West Chester. Occasionally I’ll open up a book that I’ve had since high school and find notes and story

lists I jotted there during my three years as a Spark reporter and editor. There are references to the Union Centre interchange, the Butler County Regional Highway, the decision to privatize one of the main roads through Wetherington—all major changes at the time that are just facts of lifethese days.

eeing those notes always make me wonder how or if the community has changed on the inside. What is it like to grow up in West Chester these days? I don’t think I’ll ever really know the answer because I decided to leave. But a lot of the things I learned at Lakota have stayed with me. Before I sat down to write this, I took a peek at my bulging senior-year scrapbook. Inside is the program from the community open house and dedication held at East in 1997. There’s a rough draft of my very first Spark story, about a debate on the curriculum of human sexuality classes at the high school, and the program from the 1998 combined Lakota East and West graduation. There are two letters from former East principal Ruth Barber—one, a response to a letter Iwrote her about the difficulty student reporters we having in scheduling an interview with her. The other is a response to one she wrote to me about concerns over the tone of a story that ran in Spark. I don’t remember being entirely satisfied with the resolution of either issue at the time, but what impresses me today is her willingness to treat me like an adult and aprofessional when she could have easily decided to do neither. There’s also a letter of recommendation that former Superintendent Kathleen Klink wrote for one of my college scholarship applications. The old Lakota High School shared a parking lot with the Central Office and I went there regularly to interview Klink and other district officials in person. They almost always welcomed me into their offices and gave me the time I needed. ...continued on page 76 January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 77

opinion | column

column | opinion

NOT MY MILKMAN

MCKENNA LEWIS

ooking into the mirror, I saw bumps and blemishes that wouldn’t go away despite trying plenty of prescribed face creams and scrubs; my confidence was wrecked. It was hard to talk to friends because I always saw their eyes drift to the spots on my face that I tried so hard to erase. I decided that something else had to change. After reading articles and watching videos about other people’s experiences with skincare, I decided to cut dairy products from my diet. Dairy was the most common animal product in any of the foods I ate so once I started eating lactose-free, it was easy to become vegan as well. As my skin cleared up, other surprising changes followed. The clusters of red veins that had crowded the whites of my eyes vanished and the common stomach aches and toilet troubles I experienced vanished. I even lost body fat, this meant that my body processed and expended the energy from foods even more efficiently than before. The enhanced efficiency improved the quality of my running enough to land me a spot on the varsity cross country team for a time. Benefits poured in for a few months until my low calorie intake caught up with me, and I couldn’t keep on muscle mass. As I began to introduce dairy products to my body once again, the troubles from my past resurfaced, but even worse than before. Many vegans experience the same problem with dairy because being able to digest dairy past early childhood is abnormal. According to a report from ABC News, “somewhat less than 40 percent of people in the world retain the ability to digest lactose after childhood.” In fact, the ability to digest milk products past childhood is that scientists don’t see lactose intolerance as an abnormal disease; however, the real phenomenon is lactase persistence. According to Colorado State University’s Hypertextbook on Pathophysiology and the Digestive System, “in mammals, the normal course of events is for the newborn to subsist on milk over the first few months of life, then be weaned and rarely if ever consume milk again.” This is where the problem begins, most humans drink breast milk or milk formula in their early years of life, but as they mature, they turn to cow’s milk and products made from it. The handbook continues to explain that it makes perfect sense for the gene expression of

78 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

art mckenna lewis | infographic michael croy lactase to turn off later in life, it’s not necessary for mammals to retain it. Despite most mammals not having the ability to milk later in life, many humans still drink milk and eat cheese while ignoring the side effects. According to John Hopkins University, the side effects that many people, including me, experience are “abdominal cramps and pain, nausea, bloating, gas and diarrhea about

day.

ue to all of these side effects, I choose to limit, and hopefully eliminate all dairy from my diet. If all I have to do to benefit my skin is cut dairy out of my life, I’ll take breaking up with that product over keeping it’s baggage like pimples, and digestion issues. Beyond the personal benefits, I hope that

There are plenty of options out there from almond milk, to soy, or even hemp or rice milk and guess what, they’re all made from plants and water, not an animal. 30 minutes to 2 hours after consuming dairy products that contain lactose.” Strange enough, there are plenty of drinks that don’t do horrible things to your stomach. There are plenty of options out there from almond milk, to soy, or even hemp or rice milk and guess what, they’re all made from plants and water, not an animal. Lactose-free milk sounds like a good alternative, while still avoiding plant-based milk alternatives. Unfortunately, that milk still contains another deal breaker of mine, somatic cells.

by being someone who chooses to keep milk where it belongs, someday others will realise the same things that I have. Milk belongs to calves and their mothers, not us. We aren’t meant to digest it, and harvesting this good from cows deprives them of the life that they deserve. •

What The Students Said 307 East students were surveyed to see if they would cut dairy out of their diet. Their responses were:

ince female cows are hooked up to milking machines more than once a day for 10 out of 12 months a year, many contract an udder infection called mastitis. The cows that Americans drink milk from are unhealthy, considering that one in six dairy cows in the United States suffers from clinical mastitis while only 1-3 percent of breastfeeding mothers develop it, according to the United States Dairy Association. There’s around one drop of pus in every single cup of milk, and while there’s no health risk from this, that doesn’t mean that it’s okay. Almond, soy and rice milk don’t contain the same amount of calcium as dairy milk, but they don’t contain lactase, or any pus. Therefore, when I’m in complete control of what food goes in my body, I choose plant based alternatives over one-drop-of-pus-lactose-infested milk any

Yes 22%

No 76%

Planning to 2%

January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 79

opinion | column

column | opinion

THE FIRST AMENDMENT FARCE JESSICA JONES

art mckenna lewis | infographic michael croy

et me first say that I did not enjoy learning about the Constitution; it was tedious and took forever, but I value the things that I learned from that half-year unit. My class talked forever about where every law originated and how it was applied so that we had background knowledge, and of course I am not the only American who went through a basic history class. With this background knowledge, the people of the United States (U.S.) should all know what the First Amendment is about and what it protects for the American people. The First Amendment allows and protects the freedom of speech for the citizens of this country, so it’s so expected that our president would reflect this important amendment. “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL

the athlete. “We don’t have a federal statute that says employers cannot allow anyone not to stand during the national anthem or the Pledge of Allegiance,” Professor of Constitutional Law from The George Washington University Catherine Ross explained in an interview with USA Today. “If Congress were to pass such a statute, it would be unconstitutional because the Supreme Court held as early as during World War II that citizens have the right not to salute the flag.” By association this applies to not participating in the singing of the national anthem and standing during the national anthem. While President Trump has recently made these claims about the national anthem, he

owners when somebody disrespects our flag,” said the President of the U.S. Donald Trump. “to say, ‘get that son of a b**** off the field right now, out. He’s fired. He’s fired!’” President Trump has repeatedly shown his disrespect for the First Amendment through his actions as president so far. He doesn’t understand the fact that the citizens of this country are allowed to have and show different opinions. One of his more obvious violations of the crucial amendment was trying to make National Football League (NFL) players stand for the national anthem instead of kneeling in silent protest. U.S. athletes have been protesting police brutality through kneeling during the national anthem since 2016, but President Trump didn’t mention firing them until late September 2017. Trump is missing the fact that while he can have his opinion that everyone should stand for the national anthem, he doesn’t have the power to force them to. The athletes have the right to stand or not stand as they choose, according to the First Amendment. However, Trump was trying to get the NFL to make a change of contract that would require them to stand, but the NFL has chosen to not make that change and keep it up to choice of

has been disrespecting freedom of press since his campaign. According to politifact.com, a website for fact checking statements, Trump has said “fake news” on 153 separate occasions. Virtually every instance has been in response to critical news coverage. He claims that every article that he doesn’t agree with is fake news and is therefore publicly discrediting that writer and the paper they represent. Now don’t get me wrong, it could be true that some news stories that he says are fake are actually fake, but Trump doesn’t say anything to disprove those statements. “Trump’s complaints tend to focus only on labeling the press as fake, rather than offering evidence to the contrary,” Professor of Law at the University of Utah RonNell Anderson Jones, who also studies the First Amendment said. “This flies in the face of norms that assume that political leaders will rebut incorrect news reports with better facts and evidence.” This further backs the point that President Trump doesn’t fully understand freedom of the press, or if he does, he doesn’t accept that it is a part of our Constitution. Even if a news story is true and it has all the backing facts, Trump cannot claim that it is fake news because it doesn’t shed him in good light. An example of this can be found from the

Trump has repeatedly shown his disrespect for the First Amendment through his actions as president so far.

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2016 election, when news organizations were publishing that then presidential democratic candidate Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by almost 3 million votes.

ut Trump claimed that he “won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally.” He then proceeded to launch a crusade trying to disprove the facts of the election. This showed that he does not respect the freedom of the press to publish unflattering facts about him. The most fundamental law of the U.S. is that the citizens have freedom of speech, press and the right to peacefully assemble petition the government, so it is important the leader of the country believes in this as well. Trump has repeatedly shown that he does not respect or even acknowledge this and this bodes poorly for those of us living in this country. If he does not observe the very First Amendment of our Constitution then we cannot expect him to abide by the rest of the amendments either. •

What The Students Said 325 students were asked if they thought President Trump was abusing his right to free speech. Their responses were:

Yes 52%

No 48%

January 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 81

opinion | head to head

head to head | opinion

HEAD TO HEAD

rom my perspective, I view my junior year and my senior year as having very different atmospheres. It’s not just because I’m a year older, or the obvious reasons, such as taking different classes and being in my final year of school. The difference between walking into my junior year on the first day of school versus my senior year was like black and white. Allow me to explain. Walking into school on the first day at the beginning of the year, I was pleasantly

surprised to find that it was like walking into an entirely new district. The administration, faculty and staff all seemed extremely devoted to one, fundamental idea. The idea that “we are all in this together.” As the 20 year anniversary of Lakota East approaches, I appreciate more than ever that in Lakota, everyone is a team. There may be rivalries, teasing and plenty of debate over which high school is superior, but in the end, the idea that #WeAreLakota creates a much better atmosphere for students. The culture in Lakota is being revolutionized by the combined efforts of student leaders and the administration, and, overall, it has produced a more positive, inclusive environment compared the other years I’ve been enrolled at Lakota. For example, this year our Principal Mrs. Davis has made efforts to push for programs such as E+R=O in order to change the mindset of the student body and overall community at East. She has made personal strides to make sure that it is known across the faculty that there is change present across the school and it’s definitely noticeable. It’s extremely important to remain united in a district of two high schools. If the district is competitive, then there’s little chance that it will be able to work together when it counts. Therefore although I acknowledge that two high schools may be the best solution for the district financially and logistically, I still believe that we should have a one high school mentality.

As East celebrates it’s 20th anniversary, some students argue that they enjoy the separation of East and West while others advocate for the #WeAreLakota mentality.

WE ARE LAKOTA

lthough one mega-high school was once considered a viable option, 20 years ago when the district was very different, I think that two high schools is no barrier to the idea that we are one district and one cohesive unit. Lakota East and Lakota West are united by their dedication to a positive environment, which is paramount to creating an effective, dedicated, strong classes of graduates year in and year out. I believe that spending such a large percentage of our early lives enveloped within this environment has a massive impact on who we become after we leave. Focusing on the district as one unit helps us all become better people.

his is only the beginning, and I look forward to seeing the improvements that will be made years down the line and the positive impact that will be made on the students, students that will achieve so much coming out of Lakota with such a positive experience behind them. The administrators have recognized that no matter what background we come from: East or West, Ohio or out-of-state, native born or first generation immigrant, any sexuality, gender, race or socioeconomic status we all have one thing in common—#WEAreLakota. The important thing is that we the students recognize it too. •

The culture in Lakota is being revolutionized by the combined efforts of student leaders and the administration, and, overall, it has produced a more positive, inclusive environment compared the other years I’ve been enrolled at Lakota.

columns leah boehner, richard giang art tyler bonawitz

ne high school: one starting quarterback, one lead for the play, one class president. Two high schools: two team captains, two editors for the paper, two valedictorians, double the opportunity. These were the two mindsets of anyone within Lakota Local School District in southwestern Ohio. Many parents felt that even though it would cost more, opening two new high schools would be worth the abundance of opportunities and increased inclusion across the student body. On the other hand, one “Mega High” would assure Lakota stayed at the top of every chart and would cost less for tax payers. In the early 1990s, Lakota officials had to devise a plan to accommodate the large influx of students for the then-rural West Chester and Liberty Townships. Each year, enrollment numbers were skyrocketing and Lakota High School was extremely overcrowded. After much debate, planning and building, history was made when two shiny new high schools, Lakota East and Lakota West, opened their doors on September 2, 1997. Though more costly, the two high schools were built in hopes of increasing students’ ample opportunities to participate and succeed in their aspirations. Many parents feared that one mega high school would hinder the success and opportunities of students; someone could easily be overlooked. Even if one high school would put Lakota at the top of every chart, athletically or academically, many would be denied the chance to find their niche, whether that be in

Even if one high school would put Lakota at the top of every chart, athletically or academically, many would be denied the chance to find their niche, whether that be in sports, art, academics, or any other interests Lakota caters to.

sports, art, academics, or any other interests Lakota caters to. But with two schools, there would be more opportunity and a new rival, a new reason to push to win. This separation pushed East and West to compete to be the ‘better’ school. Just one year after the grand opening of the schools, the first East v. West football game became one attendees would never forget. The bleachers were packed, there weren’t enough seats for the influx of spectators and police officers were brought in for crowd control. Over 11,000 fans traveled to Galbreath Field for the game since neither school could accommodate the expected capacity of the game.

longside this, similar results were seen at the first East v West basketball game. A fire marshall was brought in due to the outstanding capacity of people attending the first winter East v. West game. Competition breeds innovation and success. Each game between the schools is preceded by longer practices, more pep talks and better strategy. Each school pushes the other to be the best they can be, leaving both sides stronger. Fast forward 20 years and the competition is still thriving. There are canned food drives and sports games that put the schools up against each other yearly. The presence of someone to compete against gives students more reasons to try harder. Would I donate to any food drive at the school? Yes. Would I donate more if it was to beat West in a competition? Probably.

love the rivalry between the schools. It gives me a reason to work harder and be better. It also gives me the opportunity to be close with my class. I wouldn’t know as many of my classmates if I were in a graduating class of over 1,000 people. I would get lost in a school with almost 5,000 students. I’ve been able to stay close with friends that I met the first day in kindergarten while being able to benefit from the prestige of the eighth

largest school district in Ohio. I still have the opportunity to stand out and be accomplished while graduating with people I know and love. I can’t help but wonder if the relationships I have with my friends and the staff at East would exist in a mega high school. Yes, Lakota must be united as a district, but the opportunities to grow and the competition that was created leave Lakota with not one great high school, but two that strive to be excellent. •

opinion | editorial cartoon and east speaks out

editorial cartoon | opinion

“False Blame” -Alex Fernholz

EAST SPEAKS OUT

How Do You Feel About The Rivalry Between East And West? interviews and photography tyler bonawitz and charis williams

“Foreign Policy” - Bryce Forren

YES

I think it’s really cool to be quite honest because the schools try to be better than each other and stuff like that.

-Brenda Mejia

NO To me it seems kind

YES I think East is better

NO I really don’t feel any

of silly because we’re just two different schools. That’s it. We’re basically the same high school just in different places.

personally. It’s not the biggest deal to me but I personally think West is better sports wise but East -Dominic Satullo has it academically.

way. Everyone hates West so I just go with it.

84 lakotaeastsparkonline.com January 2018

-Jamie Galioto

-Kaitlyn Clemmons

-Alex Smith

For more content from opinion visit www.lakotaeastsparkonline.com.

BET NEUTRALITY VIVIAN KOLKS

photography meredith niemann

few months ago if you had asked me what “net neutrality” was, I would probably have answered that it was some kind of volleyball tactic for keeping the game fair or something equally inane. I had a basic understanding; I knew that it involved internet service speed and that on Dec. 14, 2017 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had voted to repeal it but very little more than that. Ironically, I turned to the internet to fix my problem. Scrolling through the charmingly organized Washington Post’s website, which is my second favorite online news source outside of www.lakotaeastsparkonline.com of course, I did my usual research. I shivered every time I saw their chilling slogan “democracy dies in darkness” highlighted at the top of the webpage. It seemed creepily fitting in what seems like a cheesy action movie stereotype. The Big Bad Government threatens what most people consider a sacred right: internet access. Net neutrality, which is the kind of term that is almost clear enough to almost understand but still confusing, is a simple topic. Enforcing it ensures that internet service providers will let customers have equal access to any content they want. That’s what the FCC repealed and since it was successful, internet providers will be able to make it harder to view certain content. They’ll be able to adhere to their own business interests by modifying an individual’s service, making it faster or slower based on what kind of content the companies prefer. It’s all fun and games until you can’t scroll for macaroni recipes or watch those cute animal fails compilation for the millionth time without cracking open your wallet. Something more interesting than net neutrality itself, which sounds like a family dinner table discussion that would make me doze off, is the American response to the FCC’s critical vote. In a 2017 poll by the University of Maryland’s nonpartisan polling organization Program for Public Consultation and Voice of the People, 83 percent of Americans were against repealing net neutrality. I think the last time that that many Americans agreed on one thing was when we were throwing tea into Boston Harbor. In that same poll, three out of four Republicans also disagreed with the Republican led FCC’s plan to repeal net neutrality. Take a look at the political tension in America right now. The public coming to even a vague consensus on anything right now isn’t something that happens even remotely every day. America had a pretty solid stance on net neutrality. It seems that the 3-2 vote that favored repealing did not accurately represent the American point of view. It’s fascinating to see that it doesn’t matter which political party you support when it comes to surfing the worldwide web. Although it’s terrible that now America is without the net neutrality rules that protected everyone’s right to view whatever content we wished, admittedly there has been some confusion surrounding just how screwed American citizens are. In the days following the Dec. 15 vote, I saw all sorts of conflicting content either telling me that I should be paranoid and panicked about the vote to repeal or relax with absolutely nothing to worry about. The truth is, net neutrality rules were repealed, yes, but this isn’t the end. According to Fortune, once the new rules on net neutrality are published, the proponents for it will head to court to defend regulating it. This might take a considerable amount of time as it comes to deciding on a verdict. This development, although distressing, is not the immediate end to the fight for net neutrality. There’s still time to turn the tide. So it’s not time to give up, not just yet. The FCC may have repealed net neutrality and our protection from big corporation’s personal interests that came with it. But we still have the right to protest and to advocate. Stand up for your Facebook posts and funny cat pictures America, it’s not too late. •

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