Lakota East Spark 2015-6 Issue 3

Spark Lakota East High School lakotaeastsparkonline.com Dec. 9, 2015 $5 Newstand

SECURING OUR SCHOOLS

In the midst of advanced technology, social media and an increased discussion of gun control, the safety and security of schools is in question.

2 lakotaeastsparkonline.com December 2015

CONTENTS issue #167

10 14 16 34 36 47

high schools that work

hula hips

life of a survivor

security

retroactive

shooting for a dream

Teachers from Southwest Ohio come to tour East in order to network and seek better educational practices.

East senior Grace Burgner spends her free time unlike most high school students: practicing her unconventional hula hoop tricks.

Jenifer Quinn-Wilson revolutionized her outlook on life to win the title of Mrs. Ohio Plus America in February 2015.

Serving 45 years as a Deputy Sheriff, Michael Grimes is no stranger to threats to the security of Ohio schools.

This autumn’s retroactive styles are making a comeback from flashy neons to ugly Christmas sweaters and funky fanny packs.

East senior Sam Rodgers has achieved her lifelong dream by signing to play basketball for the University of Cincinnati.

Spark 2015-2016 STAFF

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Nina Brillhart

Brittany Meister

Christine Shi

Maddie Weikel

MANAGING EDITORS Design Christine Shi

News Nina Brillhart

Package Maddie Weikel

Co-Culture Katy Johnson

Broadcast Emma Stiefel Co-Culture Christine Shi

Feature Brittany Meister Sports Aly Thomas

Photography Sydney Rader Opinion Kelly Krajewski

Art Manjot Kalkat Infographics Manjot Kalkat

EDITORS News Vincent Galioto Package Erinn Aulfinger Sports Allie Church

News Emma Stiefel Package Michelle Chu Opinion Cara Satullo

Feature Alyssa Hetterich

Photography Cara Sieber

Package Cristina Francisco

Culture Loryn Flowers

Opinion Victoria Negron

Infographics Cassia Chryssovergis

Art Sarah Aftab

Photography Richard Giang Culture Lauren Wilson Art Julia Sanders

Infographics Sophia Chryssovergis

Copy Maddie Weikel

BUSINESS TEAM Business Director Nina Brillhart

Co-Fundraising Manager Kaily Hauck Business Collaborator Emma Presar

Co-Fundraising Manager Madeline Alsip

Public Relations Dillon Horter

Business Collaborator Sarah Mullins

WEBMASTER Emma Presar

ADVISOR Dean Hume

CONTACT US c/o Lakota East High School 6840 Lakota Lane Liberty Township, OH 45044 (513) 759-8615 ext. 15118 www.lakotaeastspark.com lakotaeastspark16@gmail.com Spark is a publication that is produced at Lakota East High School. The magazine is completely non-profit and student-generated through the efforts of the Journalism I, Journalism II and Journalism III-Honors classes. The publication material may not always reflect the views of the Lakota Local School District or the publication as a whole. Content is controlled and edited by the staff editors. The staff will publish only legally protected speech adhering to the legal definitions of libel, obscenity and invasions of privacy. The publication is produced every five weeks on recycled paper. Production costs are recovered through advertising, subscription sales and fundraisers. The purpose of Spark is to inform the students, faculty, and community members of news, information and issues that may influence or affect them.

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to and from the editor | opinion

ROAD TO SUCCESS

Spark ED BOARD Success and victory are not always the same, in fact often success is reached far before a victor has been crowned. While Lakota East’s branch of National Honor Society (NHS) did not win the $100,000 top prize for participation in State Farm’s 2N2 competition, the organization were successful in reaching the goal of the campaign to encourage safe teen driving.

From posters hanging on almost every bulletin board to a video featuring the hands of NHS members to announcements about the project and how students could help, it would be difficult to find a student at East who wasn’t aware of the project. Within that awareness lies success. It may not be bold or flashy, but every time a student chooses to keep two hands on the wheel and two eyes on the road rather than reaching for their phone, that is an affirmation that the goal was met. Cell phone usage in the car is the largest form of distraction

for teen drivers, and, according to GuardChild, talking on the phone while driving can double the chances of being in an accident.

This push for safer driving is especially important at the high school level where drivers are inexperienced. 16-year-olds are involved in more vehicle crashes than any other age group, according to the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. Students should want to be actively involved in projects thats increase the health of themselves and their peers, and NHS’s 2N2 project provided a platform for students to do that.

Students may not be able to claim overall victory for the entire 2N2 competition, but they are able to claim something much more valuable: a sense of accomplishment that they have made the teen drivers at East more aware of the leading cause of death among 16 and 17-year-olds, according to Geico. And one student life is more valuable than any amount of money.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Spark, I’m a retired New York City educator living in Staten Island, NY and the grandmother of two Lakota East students. My subscription to Spark helps me feel closer to them. It’s a brilliant publication. I continue to learn from it, and as an educator, it confirms my belief in the power and determination of today’s young adults. As a grandma, it’s reassuring to see the level of education my grandchildren receive at Lakota East.

I’m still processing the Sept. 2015 issue, focusing on “The Colorblind Generation.” Key words from the Package section that jump out at me: “subconscious insensitivities, ignorance, say or do something insensitive.”

Although the Spark issue focuses on race relations, the articles made me remember a time when I was ignorant and as a result, lacked sensitivity when dealing with a particular student.

It was in my fifth grade classroom, about twenty years ago. Because I was ignorant of the fact that Bobby’s (not his real name) father was a compulsive gambler, I was not aware of the far-reaching consequences of the disease, and I was not sensitive to Bobby’s needs. I did not

ON THE COVER From Aug. 1 to Dec. 31 of 2014, there were 812 security threats to schools in the United States. As technology allows threat makers to quickly spread their intentions, controversial legislation muddles the morality of gun control.

Especially in light of the recent San Bernardino shooting, schools are heightening security as the fear of tragedy is inching to the forefront of people’s minds

art christine shi

Spark Lakota East High School lakotaeastsparkonline.com Dec. 9, 2015 $5 Newstand

SECURING OUR SCHOOLS

In the midst of advanced technology, social media and an increased discussion of gun control, the safety and security of schools is in question.

EDITOR NOTE: In honor of the victims of mass shootings and acts of terrorism, Spark has chosen to omit all color from issue #167.

COMMUNITY

understand the burden that Bobby carried on his shoulders each day.

His school work declined, and he isolated himself from his classmates.

When Bobby confided in me, I got his mom to see our school social worker, who referred her to a counseling agency specializing in treating problem gamblers and their families. That year, I learned the importance of raising public awareness about the disease of problem gambling and the need for treatment and prevention.

So, dear Spark staff, you’re doing a great job on raising awareness on sensitive issues. I’ve seen your articles devoted to physical and mental health, gender issues, racial issues and more. Perhaps it’s time to eliminate ignorance and raise awareness about problem gambling too.

It’s the “hidden addiction.” You can’t do a blood test or a urine test to prove it’s there. You have to wait to see the suffering that it brings to the problem gambler and to the innocent family members.

It’s current. It’s widespread. It’s a disease. It may be affecting the student sitting next to you. It may be affecting a teacher you know.

Think about it, and continue your good work.

—Gloria Block, Staten Island, NY, Lakota East Grandmother

Spark ONLINE

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

The Spark encourages letters to the editor, letters can be sent to the publication at lakotaeastspark16@gmail.com or delivered to room 118 at the Lakota East main campus. Letters must be signed, and the staff reserves the right to edit the letters for length, grammer, invasion of privacy, obscenity or potential libel. The opinion editors will contact writers for confirmation.

opinion | from the editor

BEYOND THE RÉSUMÉ NINA BRILLHART photography christine shi

T

wenty-four to 19 and the Mount Notre Dame Cougars had the serve.

My adrenaline was pumping so hard it was difficult to see across the net.

Looking around at the distressed faces of my five teammates on the court and the 12 others on the bench, I knew the next point would be a testament to the previous six years I had been playing volleyball. But with one pass, one set and one kill our opponents had advanced to the regional finals. Within seconds there was a mob of blue and white jerseys on the court. It was all over.

When people say time flies no one ever truly appreciates that warning until they reach the end of an era. I had identified with volleyball for my entire high-school career, but it wasn’t until I had finished my senior season that I realized I had never fully enjoyed what I was doing. Instead, I saw it as an opportunity to build my college resume. Being a four-year varsity and senior captain were great accomplishments, and granted, I learned many life lessons, but I took my relationships and moments spent with my teammates and coaches for granted.

Second semester of junior year I stressed my parents when I dropped out of the top 25. Angry at them for expecting me to handle my rigorous courses, extracurriculars and my heavy workload in Spark, I thought that I was a failure. They pushed me to drop journalism so I could raise my GPA, but journalism was my one true passion. What my parents couldn’t see what that I had life experiences in those classes worth more than a few hundredths of GPA such as managing a $30,000 budget or interviewing professionals.

Identifying lacking passion can reveal something a person has learned about themselves that can ultimately be a positive force in discovering who that person wants to be. In some twisted way I am thankful for the sudden end of my volleyball career, because it taught me to love what I do, which at this point means to embrace every minute spent related journalism. If students do what they love and can communicate that passion and experience they have gained, then in reality they have not failed at all.

Coming from someone who has been a grade-chaser and has held many leadership positions her entire life, it is not easy to escape the pressure from parents, coaches and teachers who shove college down your throat.

A lot of people go off to college and find that there are a lot of people good at what they dominated in high school, and the resume builders will start pegging their way to the top once again. But hopefully somewhere in the midst of their climb those people will realize what is important is not that a person’s efforts always result in success. The vital thing is that a person can look back at his efforts and say that he struggled as hard as he could, taking advantage of every moment, because sometimes following what you love means sacrifice.

From there people have two paths laid out before them. They can decide what they attempted to gain is something they really desire and continue to pursue it. Or they can decide it’s something they gave their all but it is time to move on to something else they might end up loving. Although it is time to leave volleyball behind, I am excited to go to college, not to climb the academic ladder, but to embrace the passions for business and journalism that I have developed through Spark. I credit this newsmagazine for my ability to communicate quickly and efficiently, talk to people I have nothing in common with and manage a large group of individuals, all with different strengths and weaknesses.

Still, I have no clear understanding of the meaning of life or what my future holds. But I can offer what I have learned thus far: pursue what you love and not what gets you an acceptance letter.

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briefs | news

BRIEFS: NEWS

stories lina kaval, jenna hall and vincent galioto photography sophia spivey and cara satullo | art sarah aftab

East seniors Luke Ventrola and Jennifer Jackson participate in a Smash Club meeting on Friday, Dec. 4.

SMASH CLUB NEW AT EAST Five screens, four Nintendo Wiis, one Nintendo Wii U and more than 25 various controllers were used in room 266 at Lakota East High School on Nov. 6. The e-Sports Club, more commonly known as the Smash Club, is held in East College Prep and Honors Physics teacher Brandon Bright’s classroom on most Fridays.

The club members meet to play the popular Nintendo game series “Super Smash Bros.,” a game where players battle each other as characters such as Mario, Kirby, Link and Pikachu from classic Nintendo games.

The club was formed last year

by East graduates Austin Ahlborn and Jack McClary, along with Zach Schroeder, Scott Sabelhaus, Chester Lindner and James Davis.

“The original idea sparked in a conversation between Jack and I,” Ahlborn, now a freshman at The Ohio State University, said. “Both of us played a lot of ‘Smash Bros.

Melee’ and thought that it would be cool if we could get anyone interested at the school together so we could play more and improve.”

To form a student-run club at East, the student leaders must fill out an application, find an advisor, and pitch a reason to form the club.

“This particular club fits in very nicely with all the other studentrun organizations in terms of the passion that students have to find peers that are like them in ways that go outside the walls of the classroom,” East principal Suzanna Davis said.

According to Davis, the Assistant Athletic Director Craig Ulland handles and reviews the applications. Davis has the final say, and the application process must meet the Board of Education policies to be approved.

Ahlborn and McClary had to find an advisor for the club whose role would solely be to supervise the club.

“The responsibility of running and maintaining the club falls exclusively on the students,” Ahlborn said. “We sought out Mr. Bright because he was ‘young and hip’ and didn’t really have any commitments in terms of afterschool activities.”

Bright, who has a year-old daughter at home, said “all it is is I stay after until 4 p.m. every Friday and make sure they don’t get into fist fights.”

Club members are advised to bring their own controllers because most of them already own one. This year’s club leaders bring the majority of the gaming equipment. East seniors Matt Kleman and Andrew Everman bring in the Wii U, Wii and TV.

“[Last year] we were able to use TVs from the science department, since Mr. Bright is a science teacher, as well as his projector,” Ahlborn said. “The Wiis and Wii Us were supplied by myself and other members of the club.”

As a relatively new student-run group, the members feel it is not well-known among most students.

Everman said they are thinking about developing an ad for the TVs on Main Street.

“It’s a good environment for both beginners and experienced players,” Everman said. “If you like video games and you want to come in and play, [you can]. We have a limited number of TVs, but it would be nice to expand. If someone wanted to come, we’re not going to say no.”

OPERATION HAWKS MOVES FORWARD

Since the retirement of East psychology teacher John Lindeman at the end of the previous school year, Operation Hawks, East’s student government, has undergone multiple changes. Under their new head advisor, Stacey Lane, they have simplified the system and attempted to increase student involvement.

The previous system involved six committees: one for each grade level as well as community service and special events.

“When [Lindeman] left, I decided to revamp it a little bit so it made a little more sense to me,” Lane said. “We’re all in this for special events, we’re all in this for community service, and we don’t

care who’s a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior. We all want to work together.”

Lane replaced the committees with a board each made up of three to four members for each grade level. Her goal was to have each board act as spokespeople for their grade level so that all ideas could be communicated easily.

“We have a core group of kids that can be the sounding board for their peers,” Lane said. “My goal is that they come in, and they’re going to run the meetings.”

Senior board member Molly Sizemore said that she’s seen a more involved group in the short time they’ve been together this year.

“There’s been a lot more involvement with t-shirt designing,” Sizemore said. “Kids are bringing in ideas like, ‘Hey, I found this place, why don’t we look into it, and get it on the agenda.’”

Operation Hawks has placed an emphasis on connecting all of the students. Nine years ago, Lakota hired Lane to act as Lindeman’s correspondent at the freshman building to bring continuity to the divided parts of the organization.

“They needed me to be in that position because Mr. Lindeman couldn’t be over at the freshman campus,” Lane said. “It is a different building, and it runs differently.”

East Principal Suzanna Davis said that she is open to hiring someone in the position of freshman advisor, but she is not actively looking to do so.

“I would certainly be interested in finding someone,” Davis said.

“I don’t know that anyone has expressed a desire or an interest in

Operation Hawks advisor Stacey Lane helps studnets make blankets for Project Linus.

news | briefs

BRIEFS: NEWS (cont.) that. I don’t know if it’s a lack of wanting to fill it. I think that at this point, it’s about not having someone that has stepped up to fill that role.”

Last year Lane was transferred to the main campus, but she remained the freshman advisor and faced the communication barrier first-hand.

“Kids stop down all the time and check in with me about signing up for something, dropping something off, or if they have a question,” Lane said. “There’s no one over there representing them, so it’s very difficult for them to communicate with me and with the club as a whole.”

Sophomore board member Julia Hartinger was on a committee last year and has had experience dealing with this dilemma.

“If there was any communication, it was mostly centered through emails and such, and they would email us about different events and opportunities.” Hartinger said, “It’s a little more difficult to organize the same things because they can’t all come over here every time they want to do something.”

Lane said that she must be creative when attempting to include the freshman in activities that involve both campuses.

“For our canned food drive, we had to make sure that signs are made,” Lane said. “I’m not there, and my poster materials are here, so I have to have gung-ho kids that want to take the bull by the horns and head it.”

Despite the challenges, this year has turned out well for the organization. According to Hartinger, freshman attendance has gone up from last year’s first meetings from just a handful to 21. Communication, despite being hindered between campuses, is more fluid between the board members and the rest of the club, making for a more open environment overall. “[The students] were excited when the student council actually became student-run, and everyone’s on the same playing field,” Lane said. “Our goal is to reach out to the community the best we can. If we can get rid of those labels and any excess that might be standing in our way, it’s been a benefit.”

Q & A: LAKOTA BOARD MEMBERS Background: Lynda O’Connor has a Bachelors in Speech, Masters of Education at UNLV, Language and Pathology at Elmhurst College.

She has already served on the Lakota school board and on the Butler Tech board. Julie Shaffer has a B. A in Economics and a minor in Finance.

She is also a licensed employee benefit specialist and has already served on the Lakota school board.

Vincent Galioto: How should the district respond to cuts last year in the state budget?

Lynda O’Connor: The way we can respond to that is a reflection of the financial outlook of the district.

Five years ago, a loss of 3 million dollars would have brought us to our knees. The important part to remember is that we were really in front of this biennium budget and we were forecasted to be the biggest loser in the state. Close to ten million dollars. Because we advocated and got out in front of it right.

At the beginning of the process we met with our senator and state representative. We can’t sit back and expect things to go smoothly.

Julie Shaffer: We have put ourselves in a strong financial position currently so we are able to absorb those in our current budget without requiring the massive cuts required previously. We have to continue what we are doing when we look to allocate resources and get a positive return on our investment.

VG: How do you feel that wages in the district are less than they were ten years ago?

LO: Our financial forecast is a lot of teamwork from a lot of different people. Our Unions worked with us to come up with a sustainable still competitive contract that provides them with more flexibility and also allows us to meet the specific needs that the district has. It is a one of a kind contract. There are very few districts that got rid of STEPs and that is a very big deal. We are treating our employees fairly which is very important for us to do and retain

8 lakotaeastsparkonline.com December 2015

Operation Hawks members make blankets for the Project Linus service project.

quality staff which is very important for us to do. I think that is one of the high points in the last couple years.

I was on the negotiating team with Ray Murray and I think we did really well coming out of that negotiation and I think our staff did as well.

JS: The first month I joined the board, we had to make some difficult and painful reductions. Because of doing that we had to be very cautious to make sure we look at how we do programs and offerings so we don’t get ourselves in that same financial trouble. I think that it is a reality of our financial outlook that we in our personnel expenses.

VG: How would you improve relations with the state government?

LO: I would say strengthening our relationship and already building on it. Not by changing

it. That comes from my work as legislative liaison and the board’s work staying in front of issues. The board has done an incredible job.

One of the changes I have seen in the past couple years is that the board is more flexible and agile in responding to legislative issues.

It used to be a more deliberative response and one of the lessons we learned is that we need to act quickly. If we don’t react proactively we will be caught in the crossfire.

JS: I think continuing to develop the relationship we have now. We have seen tremendous progress with that relationship in the past several years. I think we are able to educate our representatives on the impact that their decisions have on Lakota and they are very responsive to that in being able to assist us.

JULIE SHAFFER

LYNDA O’CONNOR

2 EYES ON THE GOAL Lakota East’s National Honor Society participated in State Farm’s annual Celebrate My Drive contest, spreading awareness of driver safety throughout the district. story loryn flowers | art julia sanders

L

akota East’s National Honor Society (NHS) started off the year with a safe driving campaign. With safe driving pledges, posters promoting safe driving and a safe driving contest, NHS got students and staff involved from seven Lakota schools.

“I think we have great support in our schools,” East Principal Suzanna Davis said.

“The staff is very passionate about these types of messages. We want our students to be safe and make good choices, so I think any chance that they get to reinforce these concepts is important to them.”

During the beginning of the campaign, State Farm agent and Lakota parent Mark Redmond notified Lakota Public Relations Director Randy Oppenheimer of the 2N2 contest sponsored by State Farm.

The contest allowed for schools across the nation to compete for monetary rewards by submitting a video that focused on a “two hands on the wheel and two eyes on the road” theme. The top 22 high schools with the most votes for their video were eligible to win a $100,000 grant. Although East’s video was not one of the top 22, the contest helped to spread awareness for driver safety.

“The purpose of the contest was to work on safety awareness for teen driving, [which includes] being more alert, being

a better passenger in the car and understanding the benefits and consequences of safety in vehicles,” Redmond said. “State Farm puts this contest together to reward schools that show awareness.”

When Oppenheimer heard about the contest, he had to decide which Lakota organization to give idea.

“Since there is no student organization based on this particular issue of driver safety, it was just a matter of picking one that might be interested in taking it on,” Oppenheimer said. “NHS is a well-established group that would be able to lead the school’s participation.

We didn’t want it to be a directive from the administration.

The decision to

participate was made by NHS.” After NHS decided to take on the project, the five NHS officers created a video for entry.

“The planning and the execution of the video was done largely by a committee of NHS members,” NHS president Jacob Keith said. “It was a team effort.”

People throughout Lakota supported the NHS safe driving campaign. Posters were hung throughout East to promote awareness, students signed pledges and created posts on social media to spread the message of driver safety on the road.

“There were a lot of kids not involved in NHS at all, and they really got behind it, [which] was really surprising,” Keith said. “We didn’t have to force it on the student body.”

NHS Vice President Halie Kestermann said NHS wanted to promote safe driving because a lot of students at East have been in driving accidents, and it is a big problem in the community right now. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States.

“We didn’t win the contest,” Kestermann said.

“But we still made an impact on the community.

It was a good reminder to students that you need to pay attention on the road.”

news | school

REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS OBSERVE EAST CLASSROOMS Teachers from all over Southwest Ohio come to tour East in order to network and seek better educational practices. story vincent galioto | photography cara satullo

High school teachers from all over Southwest Ohio came to tour Lakota East High School as part of the High Schools That Work (HSTW) visitation and evaluation. East students participated in interview sessions and each classroom was visited by staff from other schools, who evaluated teaching and curriculum issues.

HSTW is a network of schools that are involved in improving education across the nation while is a group that evaluates and rates high schools for accreditation. The purpose of the HSTW visit was part of an obligation to the group to receive grant money according to East Principal Suzanna Davis.

“It is a commitment and this is our second time and we have to do it every three to five years,” Davis said “The way this visit was conducted looks a little different, but the overarching pieces haven’t changed.

We receive grant dollars from them and one of the things we commit to for the grant dollars is that we undergo a self evaluation as well an external evaluation on a cycle that they determine.”

According to Davis the grant money is allocated for professional development and can be used for other things such as sending students on a college tour. The other purpose of the event is to allow teachers and staff to network with staff from other schools and share what practices work and which do not.

“I think as team members it has a dual purpose,” Davis said. “Obviously with participants it is a chance to view and engage others. Ultimately what happens is we are able to pick three areas that we want to specifically look at and they are specifically zeroing in on these areas.”

“There are ten key practices with HSTW and in preparation for the event with HSTW we identify a few of the key practice areas that we would like to focus on. Those were the areas that we wanted to take a look at,” East freshman campus and assistant principal and manager of the event Bill Brinkman said.

According to the HSTW website, the three subjects that East chose to evaluate were culture of continuous improvement, using data to continually improve student culture, organization, management, curriculum and instruction to advance student learning; teachers working together, providing cross-disciplinary teams of teachers times to work together to help students succeed in challenging academic and career technical studies; and students actively engaged, engaging students in academic and career/technical classrooms in rigorous and challenging proficient level assignments using research based instructional strategies and technology.

“The preliminary report we got at the end and we hope to get the final report after the holiday break,” Brinkman said. “We will take the findings and observations to see how it will fit with our building plan. At the end of May we will have one big report that will say where we were and where we are now. And what we can do in the next five years before the next site review.”

One of the ways HSTW judges the progress

10 lakotaeastsparkonline.com December 2015

A high school teacher evaluates the activities taking place in an East classroom.

in these areas is to conduct group interviews with students that attend the school. Seniors and underclassmen were interviewed in separate groups, and only representatives from HSTW were there to ask questions. No East faculty participated in order for the students to speak with anonymity.

“I think that the faculty’s absence definitely made it easier to talk,” East sophomore and participant Weston Lindner said. “It would have gone differently if it had been East people which is actually unfortunate because you would think people would be honest.”

The schools that participated in the visit were Deer Park, Wilmington and Waynesville High Schools as well as Hopewell and Liberty Junior Schools and representatives from the D. Russel Lee campus at Butler Tech.

“We get teachers and administrators from other high schools to join our team,” Brinkman said. “On the other hand we are sending our teachers and administrators to other schools and we have three people going to West and Hopewell Junior school.”

East Advanced Placement and College Prep Government and Politics teacher Tisha Grote was one of the team members who went to Lakota West High School to tour their campus. Grote says the experience allows her to experience new practices in a way that is not possible at East.

“When you are meeting new people in your profession, it is a great opportunity to network for the future,” Grote said. “However, finding time to

narrative | news

PERSONAL NARRATIVE

XAVIER CONFERENCE EXPLORES A FUTURE IN TECHNOLOGY FOR WOMEN

Lakota East students pose outside of Xavier University at the Women in Information Technology conference.

East junior Sarah Aftab was exposed to the hope for women in technological career fields when she took part in the Women in Information Technology conference held at Xavier University. story and photography sarah aftab

W

alking into the Women in Information Technology conference at Xavier University on November 13th along with 21 of my female computer science classmates, I wasn’t expecting much more than a school field trip with a couple monotonous speeches about phones and laptops to end the week.

It came as a shock, however, when most of the topics touched on by the various speakers involved many of the things young women of my age value.

University of Cincinnati (UC) Sophomore Tessa Weidman kicked off the discussion with an account of her own experiences growing up with technology.

“Eventually I had to ask myself, how could I turn this passion for technology into something that I can do for the rest of my life?” said Weidman.

According to Pew Research Center, as of January, 2014, 98% of American adults ages 18-29 own a cellphone. Likewise, UC IT Analyst Chris Collins discussed the huge role technology plays in the working world and our everyday lives in the present day.

“There is no job that you are gonna have that isn’t gonna require you to have some basic understanding of technology,” said Collins.

“Technology is not just science. It’s not just math. It’s also art. It’s design. It’s creativity. It’s innovation. It’s thinking outside the box.”

Western & Southern Financial Group Cyber Security Operations Center Manager Emily Morgan built on the power of electronics by providing comparisons to devices in the past.

“These little computers that you’ve got in your pockets, did you know that those have more computing power than the space program

in the 1960s, rockets that went to the moon?” said Morgan. “You have more computing power in your pocket than they did to run that entire system.”

While explaining the various ways in which technology has an impact on our lives, each speaker took time to address how important it is for women to consider looking into STEM fields. Dean of the UC College of Arts and Science Janice Walker explored her own challenges of growing up with an interest in technology in a small town.

“I’m filled with hope, too,” said Walker, “when I think of an African American girl who grew up in my home town in northern Florida, a town of about 3500 people. She attended really poorly resourced schools, her confidence and self-esteem were very low, and believe me, no one in her small hometown would’ve ever dreamed she would grow up to study mathematics in a top graduate program and complete a PhD. But with encouragement and mentoring she kept pushing forward and she did it. So I know it’s possible for many other girls to succeed despite the odds against them.

By the way, that girl was me.”

According to the National Center for Women in Information Technology (NCWIT), girls make up 56% of all Advanced Placement (AP) test-takers. Only 19% of all AP CS test-takers, however, are female. Weidman commented on the lack of women at her first technology convention.

“I was sitting right where you guys are, and I was thinking to myself, ‘Who knew there were so many cool women in technology and cool things you can do with it?’” said Weidman.

Once the speeches were finished and lunch

was served, each table was given a challenge to complete and present to three judges. The premise was an unpopular school spirit shop in need of reform in regards to outdated products and an inefficient checkout system.

With a budget of $10,000, each team set out to provide the most money-saving solution for a chance to win gift cards to Target. Our team found that the challenge ended up mainly requiring the ability to manage a budget rather than to implement technology.

Set up along the side of the hall was a 3D printer display by GE Aviation, demonstrating the process of building a stretchy bracelet with the printing technology. The value of the global market for 3D printers rests at $2.2 billion, according to an article by The Economist, and 3D printer shipments are expected to grow 95% through 2017, according to analysts at Gartner.

GE Support Services Manager Miles Vaught discussed the use of such printers in his own experiences with the building of airplanes.

“As part of that manufacturing process, we now use 3D printing to actually manufacture jet engine parts that are inside the engine that is running at temperatures somewhere around 2000 to 3000 degrees,” said Vaught. “It’s hard to believe that in the old days it was either cast metals that make parts or machining, but now it’s all been replaced with this 3D printing process.”

visit www.lakotaeastspark. com to finish reading Sarah Aftab’s personal narrative.

news | state

NEW BILL RETURNS FUNDS TO LAKOTA S

enate Bill 208, signed into law by Ohio Governor John Kasich on Nov. 15, will return $1.2 million of the $3.1 million that Lakota lost with the passage of the fiscal years 2016-17 state budget this July, which vetoed Tangible Personal Property tax (TPP) supplement payments in fiscal year 2017 to 109 districts.

Senate Bill 208 is a corrections bill that was originally created to fix language in the new budget that had unintended consequences on Ohio business owners, according to Ohio Representative Jonathan Dever, one of the legislators who pushed for the funding change.

One of the multiple provisions in the bill will provide school districts with enough TPP supplement payments to prevent them from receiving less than the 96 percent of the state

“It’s a win for education, and it’s a win for public schools and our kids.”

-Jonathan Deven, Ohio Representative

that deficit.”

According to Fleeter, SB 208 also modified the way TPP reimbursement payments would be phased out starting in fiscal year 2018.

Before the bill, districts could lose one to two percent of their total resources in TPP reimbursement cuts, depending on how wealthy they were. Under SB 208, districts will lose ⅝ of a mill in TPP reimbursements each year; Lakota, however, will receive no TPP payments after fiscal year 2017.

TPP reimbursements are paid to school districts to replace the revenue they lost in 2005 when House Bill 66 eliminated the tax.

Districts were supposed to be gradually phased off the reimbursements, which were originally supposed to end in 2018, as they found other sources of income. The supplement payments, which are slightly different, are designed to hold harmless school districts whose TPP reimbursements decrease more than their formula aid increases.

“Let’s say that you got $300,000 more from the formula but you lost $200,000 in TPP,” Fleeter said. “In that case, you’re still $100,000 ahead, and you wouldn’t need any supplement payments. But if you’re a district that lost $1 million in TPP and only got $500,000 more

aid that they got in fiscal year 2015.

“There was discussion about whether the legislature would overturn that veto,” Ohio Education Policy Institute consultant Howard Fleeter told Spark. “What they did instead was Senate Bill 208, which restored the supplement for fiscal year 2017, but at 96 percent of the fiscal year 2015 amount. So you could have a four percent loss in aid. It’s not exactly what the legislature had proposed, but it’s better than not having anything.”

Ultimately, $44 million will be returned to all the affected school districts in Ohio, a little more than half of the $84.2 million that had been vetoed.

“We appreciate every dime that comes back to us,” Lakota Treasurer Jenni Logan told Spark. “But in terms of total dollar amounts and our total budget, we spend half a million dollars a day in this district. So this is a little more than two additional days of operating cash. But at the same time, when we’re looking at a spending deficit returning in fiscal year 2020, this additional revenue will help soften

Lakota Local School District will recieve $1.2 million back in fiscal year 2017, softening the impact of the biennial budget cuts. story emma stiefel infographic cristina francisco

from the formula, then you’re $500,000 behind where you were in fiscal year 2015. And so they would give you the supplement so that your total state funding was not any less in fiscal year 2016 [and fiscal year 2017] than it was in 2015.”

Though Kasich initially vetoed all of the TPP supplement payments for fiscal year 2017, legislators like Dever were able to reach a compromise with him to restore the funding.

“They didn’t restore the whole thing; they restored the supplement at a 96 percent level, so [Kasich] still made his point that they need to start preparing for the loss of this,” Fleeter said. “From the schools’ perspective, they would have liked to have the TPP supplement completely restored in fiscal year 2017, and they didn’t get that, but they got something that’s better than having it just vetoed.”

Though the supplement wasn’t fully restored, districts and the legislators who advocated for them are still happy about the return of some funds.

“We fought it, and we won,” Dever told Spark. “I’m very happy that we had a good outcome and that our schools can plan now for their future. It’s a win for education, and it’s a win for public schools and our kids.”

$1,862,139 $1,862,139 $1,334,580

LAKOTA $1,196,310 LOCAL SCHOOLS

$0 $0

DISTRIBUTION TO DISTRICTS The Sentate Bill 208 is set to distribute $43.9 million to public schools across Ohio. However, different districts will recieve different amounts.

source ohio house

12 lakotaeastsparkonline.com December 2015

student | feature

FINDING HIS

FAMILY Never thinking they could have a child, the Wong family was overjoyed when they received their son, East sophomore Ben Wong, from overseas. story alyssa hetterich | photography colin melick

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baby’s wail echoes through the night, reverberating through Shuang Shui Keng Road, San Jiao Xian, of the Yue Hu District in China. A different day and another child, yet the story is the same; an abandoned baby, a lonely road, a savior in the form of a police officer. The orphanage in the city of Yan Tan was more than welcome to take the child from the arms of Officer 110, but that wasn’t enough to solve the problem of a parentless child.

The Wong family’s search for children began 20 years earlier, originating in the United States. After countless hours of paperwork and contacting a multitude of agencies, one door to adoption had closed in the United States, while another had opened abroad in China.

The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party established a policy in 1980 allowing for families to have only one child as the country’s population continued to soar.

Between the years of 1999 and 2013, China saw a total of 71,632 adoptions according to the Intercountry Adoption of the Bureau of Consular Affairs U.S Department of State.

This resulted in families making painstaking decisions about their children’s and families’ futures.

In cases like East sophomore Ben Wong’s, babies are left on the side of the road, their futures undecided and left to chance.

Wong was eight months old when he was adopted by the Wong family in 1999, a two-year process that was as taxing as it was rewarding.

The family had spent years dealing with missing papers and flaky agents before they were able to locate a child. It came to surface that their file had been discarded in the United States

primarily because of their surname.

“When I called and asked how our adoption was moving along, [the agent] said, ‘You won’t be chosen because if it was a white person, they wouldn’t want their last name to be Wong,’” says Ben’s mother, Lynn Wong. “I hung up the phone in tears, I thought ‘Okay, we have no children and we won’t.’”

Pressure to fill the space in their family and also extend the Wong family tree surmounted as the family searched desperately to find someone to fight for their family. Luck was on their side, however, as China opened its doors to adoption. The family looked to the East and was not left broken-hearted. Coincidentally, their last name expedited the process and gave the family what they had wished for: children.

Adopting Ben’s older sister Katie had taken a little while longer due to the missing files and blatant disregard whereas Ben’s seemed to speed through the American Consulate— something Lynn credits to their last name.

“I thought we were just going to have one [child], and the woman at the Consulate asked us why we wanted a girl because we could have gotten a boy with the last name Wong,” says Lynn. “I always thought that the news you get is, ‘Girls are available, boys are not.’ But, I guess if you have a Chinese last name, it can move faster.”

Of the 71,632 adoptions, 89.9 percent were girls, leading to the stigma that girls were more readily available. But the Wong family was fortunate enough to get both a girl and boy.

Lynn recalls how when they first laid eyes on their baby boy, he was swaddled in eight layers of coats to protect from the cold. Yet, concealed in the layers was a small message.

“I kept peeling the layers off of him,” Lynn explains. “Taped to his chest was a message from his foster mom saying, ‘He’s a beautiful boy, take care of him and love him.’”

Keeping to the promise they made, Lynn and Art Wong have not only raised their children to respect American culture but to also embrace their Chinese heritage like knowing that a baby is traditionally wears red shoes on their first birthday. This amplified the cultural effect on Ben and his sister as they travelled back to China in 2006.

“We were brought up knowing our culture,” says Ben. “[Going back] was sort of retracing our steps in a sense.”

Returning to their birth country with the group of children who were also adopted at the same time as the Wongs was an eyeopening experience. While Ben and Katie were fully interested in learning about the Chinese lifestyle, the other children were more focused in getting ice cream or goofing around.

“When Ben and I went back in 2006, we were the only ones interested in the cultural part,” says 19-year-old Katie. “No one else really cared what was around us.”

No matter the fact that they were born in China and moved to the United States, Katie and Ben both recognize the fact that they are American citizens whose heritage has affected where they came from, but this is not the precursor of where they are going.

“When someone wants to know what part of Asia I am from, or if both my parents are Asian, I don’t want to tell them,” says Ben. “My differences are obvious. Is me saying that I was born outside of America going to change their view of me? It does not define who I am.”

HULA

East senior Grace Burgner practices different tricks at East with her hula hoop.

HIPS Thought to be a phase by her parents, hooping has become a lifelong passion for East senior Grace Burgner. story karmi white photography sydney rader infographic manjot kalkat

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onfidence shows in her every move. As the East senior picks up her hula hoop and begins to spin it around her waist—up to her shoulders and across her back—the flying ring reflecting in her eyes. She is mentally fixed on perfecting each and every trick. For Grace Burgner, hula hooping isn’t just a hobby—it is something that has changed her life for the better.

“My older sister went to concerts and music festivals and saw a lot of girls there that hula hooped and introduced it to me,” says Burgner.

“We went to Walmart and bought the little kid hula hoops. We taped them and made our own and learned from those.”

When Burgner first picked up hula hooping, she wasn’t very good at it. In fact, she quit the

very next day and then picked it back up again at the beginning of this year. For Burgner, hula hooping is her way of escaping when things get too overwhelming.

“Sometimes if I’m overthinking things, indecisive about a decision, or need to chill out for a little bit,” says Burgner, “I’ll go to hooping, and it will instantly clear my mind and calm my nerves.”

Burgner played on the East soccer team her sophomore year, but she quickly found that the team sport was not for her. Burgner is still happy with the time she had playing soccer because it taught her valuable lessons about working with others. At the time, Burgner felt like the “black sheep” in her group of friends because she didn’t have a real passion. For

14 lakotaeastsparkonline.com December 2015

Burgner, hooping was all about finding herself.

“I had finally landed my first move, and it was the best feeling I’ve ever felt, which is weird, but it made me feel really good about myself,” says Burgner. “It’s kind of like my own type of meditation.”

As hula hooping takes off not only as a way to exercise but also as a passion, people all over the world are finding the right hoops for their body and the way they want to express themselves.

“Hoop Smiths” create hoops made of polypropylene (polypro) and high density polyethylene (HDPE), which are the most popular among the different types of tubing.

Polypro tubing is reactive and can give the hooper breaks, which enables them to tap the

student | feature

hoop and change directions. HDPE is much thicker and is used for moves that don’t require the hooper to use their body.

The diameter of a hoop is also a determining factor in how hoopers want their routines to look. Most beginners start out with a 36-inch diameter for more control over what they are doing, and as hoops shrink in diameter, hoopers can have faster routines.

“I use polypro for the material,” Burgner says. “[The diameter of] the tubing depends on if I learn something new. If so I’ll use a 32 ⅝ tubing or my usual 30 ¾ inch. Everyone picks what works best with their body and switches it up if they want more or less intimacy.”

The knowledge Burgner has secured over her time hooping is something that she doesn’t take for granted. She remembers what it was like to be a beginner and for those around her to see hooping as just another hobby, like her father, Brian Burgner, did before he realized her talent.

When Grace first told her parents about hooping, they didn’t take her seriously, thinking it would only be an activity she would do in the summer when she was bored. Little did they know, it would become a part of her everyday routine and something that would ultimately change her life.

“My dad made fun of me because I was obviously not very good at it when I first started, and I didn’t really tell my mom about it until she saw me in the backyard doing it and she thought it was pretty cool,” says Grace.

“He doesn’t make fun of me anymore because I’m actually pretty good.”

Family has always been something that is important to Grace, so when hooping came into her life, it formed a bond between her and her sister, Amber Burgner, that is comparable

H WT

HULA 1

to no other.

Burgner spins her “If my sister and I hula hoop around had never discovered her arm. the art of hooping, I would not have the relationship that I do with her today. As we both progressed in our practice, so did our relationship,” says Amber. “She is my best friend—my rock.

I am so grateful she has found something she is so passionate about.”

After high school, Grace wants to perform at different concerts throughout her college career while majoring in business.

After finishing college, her dream is to open a studio with other dancers and teach others to use hula hoops and other flowtoys such as flow wands, staffs and pois. Grace knows from her close-knit hooping society that hooping has helped people with anxiety attacks, depression and to addiction rehabilitation. Through these classes, Grace would like to help as many people she can who are in similar situations.

“It takes their mind off of those things,” says Grace. “If I had the opportunity to introduce this remedy to other people and change their life for the better, I would love to do that.”

What began as a hobby has blossomed into something Grace and her family recognize as a potential vocation and source of happiness that can be gifted to others.

“I always encourage Grace to do what

The hula hoop is an ancient invention, dating back to the 1300s. Today hooping is an up-and-coming movement. Below, Burgner demonstrates one-leg hooping.

Begin by rotating the hoop around waist and gradually lower it until it is around the knees.

2

makes her happy. She enjoys expressing herself with hula hooping, and it is great physically for her,” says Brian. “If she continues to get enjoyment out of it, I’m all for her following it as a career.”

Passion is something that Grace has always had, but finding a subject of that passion was the hard part. The art of hooping has not only allowed Grace to truly express herself, but also it has given her an immense amount of confidence in her everyday life. As she works to perfect more tricks and develop her flow, Grace continues to find peace.

“Through hooping, I watched her transition from a dark place in life to her being able to find the light and happiness from within herself that she never knew existed,” says Amber. “I see my beautiful, baby sister, how she deserves to be: happy and full of love. Hula hooping saved my sister.”

Continue pumping the knees back and forth to keep the hoop rotating and raise the leg that feels most comfortable.

3

Extend this leg until it is at a right angle with the other leg, then raise up both arms.

source grace burgner

2015 Mrs. Ohio Plus America Jenifer Quinn-Wilson poses during a photoshoot at Iampossible Studio in Columbus, Ohio.

LIFE OF A SURVIVOR

After years of chronic pain and feelings of depression, Jenifer Quinn-Wilson revolutionized her outlook on life and on herself to win the title of Mrs. Ohio Plus America in February 2015. story brittany meister | photography used with permission by iris cumberland, brian mikulski and jennifer williams 16 lakotaeastsparkonline.com December 2015

community | feature

L

ights flashed, and reporters lunged for Jenifer Quinn-Wilson. She had just won the 2015 Mrs. Ohio Plus America. QuinnWilson, a confident 43-year-old had become accustomed to the flashing lights and sparkling dresses ever since she started modeling in February of 2015. However, this hasn’t always been the case. There was a time when QuinnWilson would never have imagined herself wearing the tiara of a prestigious state pageant.

As a teenager, Quinn-Wilson looked to compete in the Miss Teen Ohio competition as she discovered her new love for fashion, following a move from private to public school.

At the age of 16, however, Quinn-Wilson became pregnant with her son, Bradley ConeHarrison, who is now 26. Quinn-Wilson was once a child raising a child. She put her life on hold while everything revolved around raising her son and trying to secure higher-paying jobs.

“Being a teenage mom is one of the hardest things in the world,” says Quinn-Wilson. “I do not regret having my child, but if I had done things differently, he could be a different person, and I could be a different person.”

While Quinn-Wilson was still pregnant she fell down a flight of stairs, causing significant damage to herself and Bradley. Over the next couple of years, Quinn-Wilson kept visiting doctors due to her never-ending pain from the fall. Jenifer hemorrhaged frequently and had constant back pain and migraines.

“All they did was keep giving me drugs, and then eventually, I couldn’t move anymore,” says Quinn-Wilson. “I was in bed for 18 hours a day, I couldn’t get up, and I had to use a cane or wheelchair to get around.”

As a result of the fall, a doctor diagnosed Quinn-Wilson with severe spinal stenosis in her upper and lower vertebrae. According to WebMD, spinal stenosis is the narrowing of spaces in the spine, causing pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. In most cases, the narrowing of the spine associated with stenosis compresses the nerve root. Quinn-Wilson’s spine crunched, pinching her nerve which developed severe arthritis. This built a mass around the nerve so that there was no place for her spine to go. Wilson soon found herself unable to move.

The large amounts of medication she was taking on a daily basis only compounded additional health issues. Eventually, QuinnWilson ended up with Brittle Bone Disease, and her teeth started to disintegrate and fall out.

In 2000, because of her lack of mobility, Quinn-Wilson began to use a wheelchair.

Around the same time, she developed agoraphobia, a type of anxiety disorder in which one fears or avoids places or situations that might cause one to panic and feel trapped, helpless or embarrassed. One in three people who suffer from panic disorders develop agoraphobia, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

“I was depressed. I had no reason to move

on, so I was not taking care of myself,” says Quinn-Wilson. “I was not functioning under any normal level. It was the darkest time of my life.”

Quinn-Wilson’s life brightened up for a short period of time between June and October 2004 when she met and married her husband, Tim*. However, her life grew dim once again as their relationship became more distant. In 2007, Jenifer was shocked to hear the news that Tim had had a child with someone else. Three years later, Tim committed suicide.

“I was ready to join him, and I didn’t know what to do. I only had a couple friends and no ability to function outside my home,” says Quinn-Wilson. “It was then when I realized I had to do something different.”

Tim’s death did not hold Jenifer back from finding happiness again. She remarried to her current husband, Shawn Wilson, on Dec. 6, 2013. Wilson is also a widower like QuinnWilson and says that he saved her as she saved him.

“I was there for Jenifer when she lost her husband, and she was there for me when I lost my wife. If I wasn’t there for her, I don’t think she would be [here] either,” says Wilson. “I was an alcoholic after my wife died, and Jenifer believed that I could overcome alcoholism.”

Making the decision to turn her own life around was not easy. Quinn-Wilson knew that the journey back to a healthy lifestyle would be long and arduous. First, she made an appointment with her doctor to wean herself off the many medications she was taking.

Shortly after their appointment, QuinnWilson’s doctor disappeared and, to this day, she still has no idea what happened to him.

This led Quinn-Wilson to search for a doctor who treated patients homeopathically, and while she found a homeopathic doctor, he was 2 ½ hours away. Quinn-Wilson only had one appointment, and the doctor was able to dramatically reduce the amount of medications she was taking until, eventually, no further medication was needed.

Additionally, in 2011, Quinn-Wilson recalls seeking treatment from several health care professionals. With the weight of her entire body pushing down on the cane she used, she sobbed in frustration because she found herself in so much pain.

“The chiropractor, physical therapist and massage therapist all sat down with me and talked with me like I was a human being—not a patient,” says Quinn-Wilson. “They got me out of a wheelchair; they got me away from a cane and they got me to be mobile once again.

I wouldn’t be here without them.”

When Quinn-Wilson first began treatment, she rated her pain as an eight or a nine out of 10. Nancy Blanchard, Quinn-Wilson’s massage therapist, began to see small improvements in just one month. “[Quinn-Wilson] has a very close spot in my heart, and I am extremely happy to be a part [of her team],” says Blanchard. “I tear up every

time I think about her situation and think of where she is now. To see someone be set free in their lives is why we do what we do.”

Quinn-Wilson also began finding ways to overcome her agoraphobia. She started finding people that she admired and with whom she wanted to spend time. These people became her friends who offered her wisdom, guidance and encouragement. Through this process, Quinn-Wilson ended up changing the way she viewed herself as a person, especially as a plussized woman.

During her youth, Quinn-Wilson ranged in size from five to seven. After giving birth to Bradley, despite her best efforts, she never lost the additional weight gained during her pregnancy. Quinn-Wilson was now a size 18.

Then, another set-back. In 2000, QuinnWilson stopped leaving her house again.

Immediately, she gained 150 pounds, bringing her to her current size of 28.

“Weight is only a number, and society has been taught what is acceptable and what is not,” says Quinn-Wilson. “Pictures on media have been sculpted and changed to accommodate what is considered beautiful, but the truth is, everybody is already beautiful.”

According to a study done at The University of Texas at Austin, the average clothing size for women in the United States is between a 12 and 14. Quinn-Wilson says that although the women who enter into the same pageants she does are considered plus size, in the United States, they are considered average in size.

Quinn-Wilson grew up in a family where everyone was plus-size, and she readily admits that she will probably never be a size five again.

“I’m okay with that because...have you seen me? I’m beautiful, I am gorgeous,” says QuinnWilson. “Acknowledging who you are and knowing that you are fantastic no matter what is so important.”

This self-affirmation gave Quinn-Wilson the confidence she would soon need as she hit the runways of multiple fashion shows and pageants.

Quinn-Wilson’s big break into the fashion and modeling industry occurred when a jewelry designer for Serket Jewelry, Lyn Bucalo, needed someone to assist with makeup for a fashion show she was producing.

“I sent her a message and I’m like look, I’m not a makeup artist, but I don’t completely suck,” says Quinn-Wilson. “[Bucalo] was just like, ‘Okay bring your makeup, and we’re going to do this.’”

During the show, Quinn-Wilson worked on makeup for seven models who appeared in a 12-page spread in Imperial Magazine. From that point on, Quinn-Wilson was hooked.

Now on the lookout for other fashion shows or photoshoots, Quinn-Wilson came into contact with a mutual friend, Angela Nickie Rivers, who was having a fashion show.

Rivers asked Quinn-Wilson to do the models’ makeup.

Upon arrival at the shoot, rather than doing

feature | community

the makeup, Quinn-Wilson decided to audition for the Cincinnati Full Figured Fashion Weekend show as a model herself. Rivers asked Quinn-Wilson if she were able to walk in high heels, but Quinn-Wilson did not know since the last time she walked in high-heels was before she was pregnant. Quinn-Wilson’s walk didn’t have any swag to it, but her overwhelmingly confident response when asked if she thought she could do the show proved to the directors that she deserved to be there.

“I said to them, ‘Well, honey, have you met me?’” says Quinn-Wilson. “They told me that is why I got that position and that my attitude made everything complete.

Rivers’ favorite memory is when QuinnWilson first hit the runway. It was on the runway that Rivers was exposed to her confident and bubbly personality. When Rivers learned her life story, the two instantly clicked.

“It was her first show, and she did an amazing job.” says Rivers. “She took off from there, doing pageants, runway shows and magazine articles. I’m very proud of her.

Her confidence is 100 percent. I see no more fear. She is a great speaker and feels and looks confident when speaking to a crowd.”

Overhearing a fellow pageant member talk about how more contestants were needed for the Mrs. Ohio Plus America competition, Quinn-Wilson immediately jumped at the idea and volunteered to compete as one of the 17 contestants, all of whom had to be at least a size-14 to compete.

Deciding to participate in the pageant, Quinn-Wilson prepared herself to handle any kind of situation from wit, charm, intelligence and poise, even if she felt uncomfortable, all to prove that she could wear the crown of Mrs. Ohio Plus America.

“They need to know that you are going to have grace under fire and that you are going to have the ability to speak and be genuine and still be able to carry off the crown and a title,” says Quinn-Wilson.

The final portion of the competition poses a controversial question to the contestants.

This question is asked, on stage, in front of the audience. QuinnWilson’s question: “How do you feel about schools being required to allow gay children into prom?”

At the time of the pageant, gay marriage had not been legalized throughout the United States, so Quinn-Wilson took a minute to carefully

Two examples of models on whom Jenifer did makeup art

think over her response.

“I said, ‘My son is gay, and I watched him grow up without understanding why society was so adamant and against what he was going through when he had no choice in the matter, and I watched him be judged based on his sexual orientation,’” says Quinn-Wilson. “‘So do I think that he should be prohibited from attending prom? Absolutely not.’”

Quinn-Wilson received a standing ovation for her response. The fact that she could answer the panel’s question with such personal passion won her the title of Mrs. Ohio Plus America.

From there, Quinn-Wilson then qualified to contend in the Mrs. America Pageant held in Orlando, Florida.

Competition for the Mrs. America Pageant was arduous. Quinn-Wilson was up every morning at 7 a.m. and lucky to get back to her hotel room before midnight. Quinn-Wilson could describe the national competition as nothing but exhausting and overwhelming. Constantly on the go, Quinn-Wilson lost track of where she was at many points throughout the week.

The sense of camaraderie and tightknit bond that QuinnWilson developed between herself and the 49 other contestants was something that she could have never imagined. They were all in it together.

“Having 70 people in a room doing their hair, makeup, dresses and shoes is crazy and exhilarating,” says QuinnWilson. “Everyone was helping each other zip up their dresses and put makeup on and making sure the jewelry matched their outfits.”

Competing alongside of her was her

18 lakotaeastsparkonline.com December 2015

new friend, Iris Cumberland, a cosmetologist and photographer. “[Quinn-Wilson], to me, did not fit what I thought a competitor was,” says Cumberland.

“She would go out of her way to help me even if that meant inconveniencing herself.”

Quinn-Wilson took third place in the competition and looks forward to competing once again after she crowns her successor for Mrs. Ohio Plus Size in May 2016. However, Quinn-Wilson has been told that she needs to slow down. Her busy and stressful lifestyle can lead to illness and complicate her many unresolved health issues.

Everything has become a balancing act between her life as a pageant contestant and being a marketing director for SmileOdontics in Mason, Ohio. At this point, Quinn-Wilson is only doing things that makes her happy.

“If I don’t feel like it’s going to make me feel better, change the world, or make my heart sing, I tend to just say, ‘I don’t think that’s something I can do at this point in time,’” says Quinn-Wilson.

Quinn-Wilson hopes to make a difference in others’ lives by sharing her story. In January 2016, a compilation of work by Quinn-Wilson and other plus-size beauty pageant winners will be published by Suber Pullins Publishing, titled Crown of Thorns “Diary of a Beauty Queen.”

“She wants to affect people in a positive way through her journey. She wants to tell people that they can make it, they can press through no matter what, and if she did it, they can do it as well,” says Cumberland. “She wants to tell the world that no matter your size, whether you are a size two or a 28, you can do anything that you set your mind to.”

Quinn-Wilson says that a person’s history should never hold them back. Fear is only an illusion. As she stepped outside of her comfort zone, Quinn-Wilson found a whole world beyond her own struggles in life. Quinn-Wilson says, “That’s where the fun things are,” and that’s where change can begin.

“I would’ve never seen myself as a plussize girl,” says Quinn-Wilson. “But I never saw myself taking over the world in a tiara, either.”

student | feature

DANCING

QUEEN Battling social anxiety on a daily basis, East junior Kate Fulmer uses dance, theater and singing as her means for escape.

story sarah mullins | photography cara sieber

S

he stood behind the velvety curtain waiting for the music to cue her onto center stage.

Blinded by the lights, she could still make out some of the familiar faces in the crowd.

Her long skirt flowed around her as she danced gracefully onto the floor. One year ago, the snowflakes whirled around her, the Snow Queen, in the Waltz of the Snowflakes.

East junior Kate Fulmer dances at St. Romain Dance Academy (SDA) and will be the Rose Queen in this year’s production of The Nutcracker. Fulmer started her dance career when the SDA studio opened in 2002, making this her 14th year under the instruction of Mary St. Romain.

“It has been interesting to watch these girls who have been with me for so long, like Kate, grow up and become young women,” says St. Romain. “They’re sort of like my daughters that I don’t have, and she has really turned into a lovely young lady.”

Fulmer was the Snow Queen in SDA’s production of The Nutcracker last year and one of the dolls in 2013. Because these were solo roles, Fulmer was able to fully showcase her talent to the audience.

“I remember seeing my name on the list for Snow Queen last year and was like ‘Oh my God...What,’” says Fulmer. “I felt overwhelmed.”

Dancing and performing has created an outlet for Fulmer’s shy personality from social anxiety; the fear of interaction with other people brings on self-consciousness and feelings of being judged, as a result, leads to avoidance. According to Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 6.8 percent of Americans suffer from social anxiety which develops around the age of 13.

“Social anxiety is not fun,” says Fulmer.

“A lot of the time [during] the school day you might see me being really quiet, but when I’m on stage, everything just lets go, and I’m someone else for a change.”

Seeing Fulmer on the stage is special to her mother, Stephanie Fulmer, as well. Stephanie says that she has tears swelling in her eyes every time that her daughter goes on stage.

“She’s always been very shy, and quiet so this is one outlet she has to build her confidence up,” says Stephanie. “She doesn’t have to worry about what anyone else is saying.”

St. Romain has noticed that Kate is shy, but she lights up when it comes to performing.

SDA has recently gone through a change in staff, so the tap dancers ran their own class.

Kate was “excited and animated” when she helped to take charge of the class.

“I’ve never seen [Kate] quite so vocal as when those girls got together,” says St. Romain.

“That was a really nice moment. I think she finally showed a lot of her personality, and I finally got to see that. I thought, ‘Wow, there’s another side to Kate I didn’t know about.’”

Kate spends close to 14 hours at the studio every week, spending eight hours doing her normal classes ballet, pointe, tap, jazz and modern. She then spends another four to five hours a week learning the dances for her performance in The Nutcracker.

Kate picked up acting and singing last year as a sophomore when she began to take vocal lessons with Carol Bray and joined the class Acting I at East. She originally chose to do this to get a taste of performing. Joining the choir program this 2015-16 school year, Kate was placed in the silver choir, which is the choir for beginners at East.

East junior Kate Fulmer poses in her ballet outfit at Voice of America Park.

“I’m so glad she’s in choir because I think she’s found a new avenue where she can excel,” says East choir teacher Becky Huddilston.

“Not only does Kate dance, but she also sings, which is a great benefit for being in any musicals. That’s half the battle right there.”

After performing in East’s production of Cinderella as a townsperson last year, Kate realized that she wanted to be an actor on broadway—even if broadway is a difficult career choice—like some of her idols who include Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth and Patti LuPone.

“I know she would really love to act and sing on stage and that’s a tough road,” says Stephanie. “It’s hard to get in there and be successful, so I want her to have a fallback, too, because I’m protective that way. I’d like her to be happy, and if that makes her happy, then she should follow her dreams.”

Kate tries so hard to be the best that she can be by spending hours devoted to dancing and singing. She even choreographed “School House Rock,” which was showcased at East as the fall 2015 musical, challenging Kate to expand her comfort zone.

“I think that situations that help to push you out of your comfort zone help give you more confidence on stage,” says East acting teacher, Kristen Statt. “I think that Kate got more confidence from doing [performances].”

Kate may suffer from social anxiety, but theater and the stage are her calling. Being transcended beyond herself, Kate gets the opportunity to become someone else through acting, dancing and singing.

“I think her performing has helped,” says Stephanie. “She has a natural stage presence and people want to watch her.”

HARD HARD

PLAY WORK

feature | dart

East senior Christian Akers uses hard work to push through obstacles, all the while having a positive attitude to maitain his fun spirit. story erinn aulfinger | art sarah aftab

Underneath his friendly rapping exterior lies a core of inner strength. Akers was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at age eight. Crohn’s disease is an inflammation of the digestive tract, which doesn’t allow Akers to digest all of his food. Akers says while the condition tries to affect his football, he doesn’t let it and instead focuses on his physicality.

His father, Greg Akers, recalls the family’s devastation when they found out about

“

Christian is the type of guy that works hard [for the things he wants].

—Jordan Shean, East senior

“

T

he scuffed white linoleum of the makeshift stage squeaks as his sneakers step up.

Fluorescent lights cast a spotlight on his face, and the bass drop is drowned out by the shouts of encouragement from his teammates.

He takes a deep breath, channeling Wiz Khalifa and Kid Cudi to give him strength in this battle.

The only weapon permitted—his voice and his talent for rhyme.

East senior Christian Akers might not be the world’s next rap star, but no one can accuse him of not grabbing life by the horns. “[All of my teammates] were [trying to rap, but no one] could rap for real,” says Akers, the 6-foot-2-inch, 215-pound tight end. “[When] someone hit a good line, everyone screamed.”

During a three-night football training camp at Thomas More College, Akers combined his passion for music with his love of football when he competed in a rap battle among his fellow camp goers. He used inspiration from his favorite rappers Wiz Khalifa and Kid Cudi to win the two challenges.

East senior and teammate Thaddeus Jemison Jr. says Akers is always “singing in the shower and dancing when no one is looking.”

Akers uses music as a way to connect to people and believes music can communicate your mood and narrate your life.

“I have an intense go-go life [centered around friends, family and work]. I cannot imagine a life going to school and then going [straight] home. I love entertaining and talking to people. I even do magic tricks every now and then to fool around,” says Akers, grimacing. “[Mostly] card tricks to reel in the ladies.”

Christian’s diagnosis. Greg is also affected with Crohn’s disease, and he is aware of the “debilitating pain and discomfort” that Christian regularly undergoes, despite trying medications, shots and infusions.

“I have probably taken [Christian’s diagnosis harder than anyone in the family. I asked myself,] ‘Why does he have to endure this thing,’” says Greg. “[Christian] never complains about anything, even when he had extreme problems [and faced the possibility of

20 lakotaeastsparkonline.com December 2015

surgery].”

Christian got the chance to meet Jesse McCartney through the Make a Wish Foundation when he was 10 years old. Sitting in the front row, Christian remembers McCartney calling him out on stage and all the girls at the concert chasing him to his car because they believed they were siblings.

East senior and friend Jordan Shean remembers nights where Christian’s Crohn’s disease could have stopped them from going out, but Shean used it as motivation to push him to accomplish more.

“Christian is the type of guy that works hard [for the things he wants],” says Shean.

“He doesn’t let [Crohn’s] affect him mentally.”

Shean says Christian makes fun a priority in his schedule: hanging out with friends, playing football and video games, while continuing to take care of responsibilities.

“I have fun on Friday and Saturday nights, [and] I make sure I’m at work and at church in the morning,” says Christian. “Dad always says, ‘You can go out and have fun the night before, but always take care of business in the morning.’”

Despite all that seems to surmount in Christian’s life, remaining positive and having fun are the things that keep him inspired in music and dedicated on the field.

“I [can] express my attitude in life [through] football—nobody is going to feel sorry for you, so don’t feel sorry for yourself. I don’t like to talk about sad stuff, because I’m not a sad person,” says Christian. “I keep a strong mentality, which is half the battle.”

cool place | feature

OVER THE

“

EDGE

Droege, who was recently promoted to Teen Center Director from Community Service Director, oversees programming and student activities.

“I mostly make sure I know everybody as they walk in the door,” says Droege. “[I give] a friendly hello and then hang out and work with the students.”

In conjunction with Droege, three staff members and ten volunteers spend their time working with the students each week, says EDGE board member Brenda Yablonsky.

“The original vision of [EDGE] was to be an outlet for teenagers,” says Yablonsky. “There just wasn’t anywhere to go, especially if you couldn’t get a ride home, so there was a need

story michael reimer photography sophia spivey

but the EDGE has made strides to overturn their reputation, and they rarely see cases of delinquency.

Along with changes to the interior, EDGE has made efforts to clean up the trouble by prohibiting loitering in front of the building during after-school hours by enforcing stricter rules.

To combat these students who linger outside of EDGE, the board of directors implemented a code of conduct which both students and parents are required to sign in order to attend the teen center. The code requires students to act appropriately, so problematic students will no longer be a factor.

“If that means weeding out the kids who

“

E

very day at 2:40 p.m., the bell rings at East.

While many students go to play sports, participate in clubs, or nap at home after school, 95-105 students walk across the hill at the north end of the parking lot to the white building at 7568 Wyandot Lane, whose exterior is deceiving to what it holds inside.

Inside the dimly-lit teen center is the nonprofit organization partially funded through the EDGE Teen Center board of directors. Although students pay a $50 annual fee for an EDGE membership, this fee covers less than 10 percent of the required budget.

EDGE relies primarily on donations from local businesses, churches and community members.

One such student who has benefitted from

While combatting different stigmas, the EDGE Teen Center is a fun place for students to hang out after school hours.

There was a need to help the community by giving teenagers this safe place to go.

— Brenda Yablonsky, Edge Teen Center board member

these funds from local businesses is East senior Paul Berkemeyer.

“I have been attending EDGE for four years now,” says Berkemeyer. “I have had many good experiences with playing video games and socializing with my friends.”

Since its opening in 2009, EDGE has been a place for after-school activities and a place to go after school for some students who cannot drive home. EDGE provides flexibility to parents of the members, such as Paul’s mother, Nanette Berkemeyer.

“Without them, I honestly don’t know what I would do for transportation,” says Nanette.

“It provides a safe and fun place for [teens] to hangout with friends until we can get there for transportation home.”

There are numerous opportunities that EDGE provides for teens, such as community service. EDGE also offers free tutoring from University of Cincinnati students along with providing many games and activities to get students moving such as flag football. Annie

to help the community by giving teenagers this safe place to go.”

According to Yablonsky, EDGE has a negative stigma—a stigma that EDGE hopes to change.

“Kids who don’t come to EDGE would hang around in the strip mall and on our street.

People passing by see those kids hanging out in parking lots and driveways playing loud music from cars and smoking and think they are EDGE kids,” says Yablonsky. “Those weren’t EDGE kids, EDGE kids were at EDGE.” East senior Noah Jatczak has noticed the shift in reputation of the EDGE from his freshman year to now.

“It was kinda bad,” says Jatczak, who has volunteered every Monday at the EDGE since his sophomore year. “The old manager didn’t engage with the students and fights sometimes broke out. It’s a lot better now. They painted the inside and cleaned it up.”

Paul agrees with Jatczak that there used to be a stigma about “the wrong element of kids,”

cause problems, that’s what we’ll do,” says Droege. “However, we are a place who gives second chances, and we understand people make mistakes.”

The EDGE team’s main goal is to be there for each individual student while having fun activities like band nights, Xbox games, and bonding that will make teens comfortable.

Along with connecting to adults, students are able to make relationships through the activities and service opportunities.

“I met a wide variety of friends at EDGE,” says Paul. “I also completed some community service for my government class.”

Although EDGE is a small building, it houses big things going. Many people are unaware of EDGE, but those who are familiar are grateful for all that it offers. “[EDGE] provides a safe environment for all [students] to hang out at,” says Nanette.

“They give me a peace of mind when it comes to [teens] staying out of trouble and being safe.”

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package | security story richard giang | photography illustration maya wells infographic michael croy timeline ashley anderson

National concerns of school safety hit close to home when Lakota students and school administrators detected threats in recent years. Now law enforcement officials are faced with the challenge of creating an open environment while providing safety in daily school activities.

“At 10:00 All Euclid schools and LEHS we’ll [sic] get shot up.”

East sophomore Zach Hale was diligently studying for a Chemistry test when his phone lit up to reveal a heated conversation going on between his friends about a post that surfaced on Instagram. Being that LEHS is an acronym for Lakota East High School, he felt disturbed.

He nervously researched the threat until he called the Butler County Sheriff ’s Office. “[The operator] said that she had already heard about it,” Hale says, “Because multiple people had already called the office. She said that they were having multiple officers look into the potential threat.”

This scare put a number of East students on edge. The news spread across Twitter and Instagram, and many anxious parents were contacting the school. It rapidly became a growing issue.

“I was alarmed,” Hale says. “I never really thought about a threat at our school. It woke me up to the issue.”

East isn’t the only school in recent years to receive a scare. In 2015-16 alone, there have been threats in cities across Ohio such as Mansfield, Avon, Cleveland and as close as Hamilton and Fairfield. The National School Safety and Security Services (NSSSS) reported nationwide that there has been a 158 percent increase in the amount of violent school threats between 2013 and 2014.

Despite the recorded rise in threats in the past few years, sociologists like Professor Aaron Kupchik from the University of Delaware say that this “rise” is false.

“I think the media is fueling the perception

that there is a rise,” Kupchik says. “Maybe we’ll find out that there is, but there simply isn’t the data to back that up yet.”

Whether or not there has been a rise nationally, threats have become more prevalent locally. In the same study, the NSSSS found that Ohio topped the list at 64 threats between Aug. 1 and Dec. 31st of last year.

In addition to the shooting threat that occurred at East, a bomb threat was anonymously called in to Endeavor Elementary on Sept. 25. The caller stated that they wanted to “blow up the school,” which prompted the administration to evacuate the building.

Authorities brought in bomb-sniffing police canines to clear the building while the more than 900 students were transferred to the Lakota West Freshman School to be picked up by their parents.

Endeavor Elementary Principal Joanna Sears believes that the students did a tremendous job in handling the situation and following the implemented safety procedures, and school resource officers complimented them on their professionalism.

“I believe that ALICE Training is important for students and staff because it helps us know how to respond to a violent intruder,” Sears says. “Our consistent practice of other safety procedures was the key in this situation.”

ALICE is a training program that teaches students how to react in a situation in which an active shooter has entered the school with intent to kill. It stands for alert, lockdown, inform, counter, evacuate and is only taught

24 lakotaeastsparkonline.com December 2015

in 35 of 50 states. East athletic director Rich Bryant teaches this program to thousands of students across Ohio.

“You have to be careful with counter and fight back,” Bryant says. “I need to make sure kids don’t fixate on fighting people with guns. I try to focus on barricading and running away.”

Hale says that ALICE is a good program, but he thinks that everyone is different in their fight-or-flight response, which makes ALICE only partially effective.

“You can always tell people what to do, but that doesn’t mean they will do it,” Hale says.

“No one knows how they will act in an actual shooting. You can say what you’d like to think would happen, but it won’t always be true.

Despite social media’s sensationalization of violent school threats, it has aided enormously with the speed in which officials and administrators are notified of the situation, according to Sheriff Deputy Doug Hale, East’s school resource officer. NSSSS reported that 23 of the 812 threats made between Aug. 31 and Dec. 31, 2015 were made on social media.

“When I got up at a quarter until four that morning, my phone was blowing up,” Doug says. “I had 50 emails and about 40 of them were from students and parent explaining what was going on. I responded to every single one of them I got. We depend on good students and parents to relay this information to us.”

The morning after the scare at East, Doug felt the need to fortify security at East just in case as part of East’s “zero-tolerance” policy and extra precautions.

security | package

NUMBER OF THREATS RECEIVED 0-20 21-40 41-60 60+

source schoolsecurity.org

“Although we felt that there was no threat here whatsoever,” Doug says, “We still wanted to do what we could to make students, staff and the parents feel safe. That’s why that morning until about 10:30 I had about two extra deputies here.”

Furthermore, Commander of the Bomb Squad at the Butler County Sheriff Department Mike Grimes not only agrees with how Doug reinforced security but also advocates for training development for administration and students.

“Schools have become very secure settings with the modern security enhancements put in place,” Grimes says. “More emphasis needs to be done on bomb threat training and revamping threat policies that have not kept up with technology.”

Kupchik, however, disagrees with the way schools are handling security and the “zerotolerance” policy. He stated that putting in more school resource officers and severely punishing students for making empty threats isn’t the way to go about school security. The NSSSS found that 320 arrests were made nationally between Aug. 1 and Dec. 31 of 2014.

“Instead of policing, I recommend we have more [variation of] programs,” Kupchik says. “[These programs would have] a certain amount of officers who visit the school on occasion as a resource for administrators and as a first, but not immediate, response [to threats].”

Kenneth Trump, president of the National School Safety and Security Services, agrees

with Kupchik that the current “zero-tolerance” policy is far too stringent on the students.

“Too many schools’ administrators are reacting and then assessing,” Trump says, “Rather than first assessing and then reacting to the threat. This has resulted in premature and unnecessary evacuations and unnecessary school closures.”

East Principal Suzanna Davis says that the administration did everything it could have done to handle the whole situation.

Administration’s decisions and news of the situation was sent out to the public through multiple mediums of communication in an efficient manner, according to Davis.

“We were very quickly able to isolate our feedback from law enforcement that they did not believe that it was directed towards our school,” Davis says. “I immediately put together my communication that was sent out via the T-hawk news and then was posted on Twitter. I did make the decision not to use the remind text messaging service or the all-call due to the time.”

Zach says that it comes down to is school security and the safety of the students and staff. The school has provided a safe learning environment, and that there isn’t really much to worry about in terms of danger, which can be said for most school across Ohio, according to Hale.

“Yes I feel safe,” Zach says. “Numerous procedures have been taken to ensure the safety of the students such as the double doors and ALICE.”

1999

COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL

13 dead, 20 injured

2005

RED LAKE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 9 dead, 14 injured

2007

VIRGINIA TECH UNIVERSITY 32 dead, 17 injured

2008

NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY 5 dead, 18 injured

2012

SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 26 dead, 2 injured

2013

SANTA MONICA COLLEGE 5 dead, 4 injured

2014

SEATTLE PACIFIC UNIVERSITY 1 dead, 3 injured source usa today

TYPE OF SCHOOL VIOLENCE THREAT RECEIVED BOMB

44%

DEATH

29%

SHOOTING

29%

KNIFE

1%

HIT-LIST

0.7%

UNSPECIFIED

26%

package | security story aubree dix | art sarah aftab | infographic taylor anderson

While social media can act as a useful communication tool, it is also one of the most used platforms for threats against the safety of students.

Sunday, Nov. 1: East senior Maddi Miller was nervously lying in bed.

Phone in hand, she tapped on the screen so she could view her younger brother’s message.

She saw a screenshot of an Instagram direct message stating, “At 10:00 all Euclid schools and LEHS we’ll [sic] get shot up.” Miller immediately took to Twitter, spreading the picture and tagging East’s account.

Phone in hand, she tapped on the screen so she could view her younger brother’s, Korey “My mom told me to take it down. She was scared that I would be targeted,” Miller says, explaining why the post can no longer be found on her account. “I’m a Christian—I feel like it’s my job to help other people. I wanted to make sure that my friends and teachers were okay.”

Miller and her mother, Meshelle Hicks, were conflicted the next morning. Neither knew if Miller should attend school. Miller wasn’t keen on missing cheer practice that day after the Butler County police assumed the LEHS mentioned in the post stood for Lutheran East High School in northern Ohio. She also knew she would be left to face life-threatening consequences if the threat were true. In the end, she waited until 10 a.m. to go in. “[East officials] said there would be an up in security, but I didn’t really notice anything different,” Miller says. “Seeing as nothing happened, I wasn’t too worried.”

Still, according to Butler County Deputy Sheriff Doug Hale, the school took extra security measures. Two extra Lakota resource officers stayed at East until 10 or 10:30 that morning.

Aside from the recent comment, two years ago a threatening message was discovered on the wall of the girls’ bathroom at the East Freshman Campus. But the role of social media is a prominent difference between the two

incidents. Two years ago, it was nonexistent. A month ago, it was everything.

President of the National School Safety and Security Services (NSSSS) Kenneth Trump works to gather information and statistics on K-12 threats. He found that from August 2013 to January 2014, 109 out of 315 threats were sent electronically, including via social media and text message. The amount of threats that were made on social media alone out of the total 109 is not available.

Trump also discovered that out of the 812 violent threats in the last five months of 2014, social media apps like Facebook and Twitter were the vessel of 231 of them.

“It matters less what app threat makers use because they will change over time,” Trump tells Spark. “The best strategy is to communicate with students the potential consequences of making threats.”

H

e explains that for threat makers who are caught, their actions will “bring a ton of bricks down upon them” because consequences can be suspension, expulsion or felony charges.

East Principal Suzanna Davis says that actions taken against a threat depend on the circumstances, and each event has its own ramifications. However, if a person were to threaten East with gun or bomb violence, the culprit would unquestionably face school and legal penalties.

Hale specifies that the legal consequences could be charges for inducing panic, ranging from a misdemeanor of the first degree to a felony of the second, third or fourth degree.

Some charges, like those listed for Ohio’s recent rash of voice-modified bomb threats, are

85%

26 lakotaeastsparkonline.com December 2015

of 632 East students surveyed think social media makes it easier to make threats.

classified with terroristic threats. Consequences from the school include suspension and expulsion.

“The beauty of social media is that it gives us the ability to talk directly with students [because of how] we have chosen to [utilize] it as a school,” Davis says.

She adds that not all students may feel comfortable walking up to her or another administrator, so they instead use social media. In other situations, such as the threat posted on Nov. 1, the East Twitter account provides a necessary form of communication if students and parents are unable to meet with administrators.

Donna Sudar, vice president of the Euclid City Schools Board of Education, sees two sides to social media and asserts that social media allows for both information to be shared about threats and as a source for threats.

51%

security | package

“[Social media] is the vehicle of the person who’s using it to create the threat,” Sudar tells Spark. “[However, East students] knew that this threat occurred. It wasn’t even to [their] high school, so the information is available.”

Active Twitter member, blogger, author of “Pop Culture Freaks: Identity, Mass Media, and Society,” and Associate Professor of Sociology at Temple University Dustin Kidd speaks volumes on social media’s role in the safety of schools.

“We need to reduce the capacity to post anonymously,” Kidd tells Spark. “Many platforms have designed their technology so that no data is recorded. We need to limit the rights of social media platforms to allow posts and content that self-destruct with no record of the posting or posters.”

O

ne of these anonymous platforms is Yik Yak. According to Time magazine, the app was created in 2013 by Tyler Droll and Brooks Buffington and is home to text posts known as “Yaks,” which can be “upvoted” or “downvoted” and commented on, turning the post into a thread. Posts and comments provide no identification of its author.

Yik Yak’s privacy policy does state, though, that a user ID will be given. Personal user information such as geolocation data, content and usage, a telephone number and device ID are also collected. Yik Yak uses this information to “verify your identity and prevent spam or other unauthorized or illegal activity.”

“I find Yik Yak very helpful for tracking the culture of my campus,” Kidd says. “But when threats are made, authorities should be able to demand records from Yik Yak and expect that those records are kept.”

Kidd believes that social media isn’t the catalyst of increasing threats, but a shift of medium and the anonymity involved with social media is the problem.

“Young people see social media as their territory,” Kidd says. “The sense that it appears to be the domain of young people and anonymous users, despite ownership by corporations, encourages a wider range of how [it’s] used, including these examples of threats.”

Other than the popular social media sites, Kidd claims that others are the short-lived Secret, Formspring, Reddit, 8chan and 4chan, the latter two being the “most dangerous.”

According to New York Post, 4chan is a social media website that was created in 2003 by Christopher Poole. While originally made for those interested in manga and anime, it strayed as far as pornographic images due to the sites’ loose rules of not including identification.

Though slightly similar to 4chan, The New York Observer reports that 8chan, created by Fredrick Brennan, is “devoted to radical free speech” and has since been excluded from Google search results.

“I don’t like anonymous sites,” Miller says.

“People have the opportunity to say things

they wouldn’t normally say. If you’re going to [complain], say it to a counselor.”

When Miller is on a site that doesn’t allow anonymity, she takes full advantage of the ability to investigate posts that seem to hint at violence. She says there are signs, such as depressed or angry comments, which people should look into since people “never know what’s going on in [others’] heads.”

Trump urges parents and school officials to engage in candid conversations with students.

He believes that students need to learn to use technology responsibly and understand the impact of making threats.

“Once a threat it sent, you can’t put it back on the smartphone,” Trump says.

The fault, however, does not lie within students alone. Although both minors and adults partake in threatening schools, technology has created a new problem entirely.

According to Sergeant Tom Gerber of the Ohio Department of Homeland Security, social media allows international culprits to trigger chaos in American schools.

“From data that we’ve had of previous cases, these [offenders] can be in Ohio, anywhere in the nation or overseas,” Gerber tells Spark. “One of [the offenders] that comes to mind was an online gamer in the [United Kingdom]. That was back a couple years ago.

We found out they were responsible for calling in swatting incidents across the country.”

Schoolsecurity.org says that in late 2011, Orange Public Schools in Pepper Pike, Ohio received mutliple bomb threats, some of which were sent from “international Internet proxy servers.”

Intending to cause disruption, swatting cases involve anonymous, oftentimes untraceable, threats that may be sent electronically or through computer-generated phone calls. Originating from the online gaming community, swatting prompts large reactions from police, usually to the point where SWAT teams become involved.

“Anonymous tips help solve crimes but also allow for swatting,” Kidd says. “There is a really difficult line to walk here in terms of the right to free speech and the value of information [that is] gleaned privately. I don’t think we know yet how to walk that line.”

S

ome swatting communities have turned the legal offense into a game that involves multiple players, and the player who causes the largest frenzy to ensue is declared the winner.

More serious downsides of swatting are money and resources. If online gamers get involved with swatting incidents, it wastes the money of taxpayers and the time of police forces, who never know whether if it is a swatting incident or a real crisis.

According to Kidd, problems such as swatting and threats posted online are here to stay as long as social media exists. It can only

of 628 East students surveyed have seen some sort of security threat over social media.

High schoolers on social media: 14

71

33 Insta

52

24

41 source pewresearch.org

be combatted by letting social media aid in investigations, making perpetrators public, and sharing information rapidly.

“Don’t post something you wouldn’t put your name on,” Kidd says. “Don’t assume you can use social media privately. It is a public record, available to parents, teachers, employers and police.”

His words may ring true for the technologycentered generation. Miller herself worries about the future if the trend of threats continues.

“I’m worried that since stupid people are being made famous, they’re going to keep doing it for attention,” Miller says. “I don’t want my kids to have to go to school one day and walk in [wondering if they’ll get shot or bombed].”

package | security story colin melick | infographic emily engelke

ALICE has remained popular in districts nationwide, enacting protocols aiming to ensure the safety of students in active-shooter situations.

On April 20, 1999, 13 students were murdered at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.

Police officer Greg Cane later discussed with his wife, who was a local elementary school principal, the measures in place at her school.

The couple discovered that the school only had a LOCKDOWN protocol. In 2000, a year after the incident, Cane created a new program to ensure that better action be taken in case a situation like this occured again. The program highlights the tactics: Alert Lockdown Inform Counter Evacuate, which also serve to make up its name, ALICE. “I deemed that [LOCKDOWN] was an inadequate plan and looked for something more proactive,” Crane says. “Not able to find a different program, we built ALICE. I believe that one person with a gun should not be able to victimize a far larger number of good people.”

According to “Active Shooter Events and Response,” in the 84 active shooting events that occurred between 2000 and 2010, 34 percent involved schools. ALICE is used in more than

PRINCIPAL’S PROCEDURES

1

2000 school districts across the United States, including Lakota. Since its creation, there have been eight incidents where ALICE trained personnel have had to respond, and only one person has been wounded by stabbing with no recorded fatalities.

The acronym serves to help individuals remember how to react in active shooter situations. Alert serves to notify as many people as possible who are within the dangers of the situation. Lockdown is to secure in place and prepare individuals to evacuate or counter.

Inform is to communicate the location of the shooter. Counter is advised as a last resort and teaches the individual to make it hard for the intruder to aim accurately. Evacuate encourages the individual to remove him or herself from the danger of the situation when possible.

ALICE was brought to Lakota in the 201011 school year by the West Chester Police Department and the Butler County Sheriff ’s Department and is now the district’s standard

source east administrators

3

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for approaching active threats within Lakota buildings. At the beginning of each year, East students are taught ALICE procedures.

East Principal Suzanna Davis has supported ALICE training in her years as an administrator, and the district school safety team meets regularly to address topics of concern in the community and in the country.

“The safety and security of our school is always our top priority,” Davis says. “We have comprehensive school safety plans in place, regularly train students and staff on emergency response protocol via ALICE, and work collaboratively with local law enforcement to regularly review and prepare for any safety concerns.”

Crane says that ALICE is effective in both numbers and in growing interest. The program includes trained personnel from many countries, and Crane says the interest continues to grow overseas as well. He credits its success and popularity to the numerous local police departments that have decided ALICE is a “better plan” than just helplessly securing students in place.

According to the 2010 report by the U.S Department of Justice, the national law enforcement response time to aggravated assaults were 20.9 percent of the time within 5 minutes, 32.6 percent of the time between 6-10 minutes, and 36.4 percent of the time in more than 11 minutes.

“The objective is to empower people to act in their own best survival interest when professionals cannot get there in time,” Crane says. “It is all about training and authorizing people to make their own decisions related to their situation at the time.”

Chris Passarge, the co-head of security for Lakota, agrees with Crane and believes that ALICE training is a great tool and good foundation for how to react in a threat situation.

He encourages students to take action in events that endanger the safety of others.

“When in doubt, communicate to district officials or local law enforcement any suspicious activity or threats to oneself or others,” Passarge says. “To sit on information because you don’t believe it is real could be the wrong choice.”

security | package story kathryn creehan | infographic goldena bristow

For college-bound students making the transition away from high school, the training provided to combat active shooters can be a change.

Miami University Oxford officials received a bomb threat against Hughes Hall on Oct. 30, 2014.

Classes at Hughes were canceled the next day as bomb-sniffing dogs roamed the campus.

Students were updated on the status of the threat through emails sent by the administration.

There was no physical attack on the building, but, according to a 2015 Center for Disease Control and Prevention Biennial Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 5 percent of students have carried a weapon onto school property.

East alum and Miami University sophomore Morgan Bain says that she received multiple emails from her school regarding the progress of the threat on the day of the incident.

“Every time [the university received] more information, they told us it was being investigated,” Bain says.

According to Bain, campus crime alert emails include the race, height and appearance of suspects. Bain was impressed with the thoroughness of the information Miami communicated.

“Whether it’s individual incidents or large-scale, they’re very good about getting information out [about threats],” Bain says.

Miami Assistant Director of the University News and Communications Carole Johnson tells Spark that once the threat had been identified, the Institutional Response Team assessed the status of the threat and decided to evacuate the hall.

“Safety is a primary concern at Miami University,” Johnson says. “We remind faculty, students and staff on all of our campuses of our safety resources and precautions regularly.”

As an East graduate, Bain has participated in Alert Lockdown Inform Counter Evacuate (ALICE), East’s mandatory safety training.

Current East senior Ariel Williams applied to Miami and has found the ALICE trainings very helpful for both high school and for her future.

“I feel more equipped to handle highpressure situations,” Williams says. “ALICE training has taught me new ways of thinking during conflict. I think I would have a greater chance of survival if a shooting ever happened.”

Next year, Williams may not be attending a college where all students are trained for these dangerous situations. In fact, many colleges, including Miami University, do not have a

26% of U.S higher institutions have not conducted comprehensive hazard and vulnerability assesments.

Utah, Idaho and Colorado have already leaglized on-campus guns, and other states are looking into a change.

source campussafety.com/Harvard university medical school

meeting to go over their plan in the event of a security breach. Bain believes colleges do not require training such as ALICE because students are in scattered buildings.

“When you’re in high school, you’re in one centralized location,” Bain says. “On campus at Miami, it is a little more difficult [to determine] what the protocol is when it comes to a potential shooter.”

To keep schools safe from these shooters and threats, K-12 schools and universities spent $210 million on security equipment in 2014. K-12 paid for 60 percent, and universities paid the remaining 40 percent.

“Colleges and universities have their own police force and protocols, which is why they may already have many access controls and cameras in place,” Lakota Chief Operations Officer Christopher Passarge says. “K-12 are most likely playing catch-up in this area.”

With the threat of a shooter on campus, Ohio has begun to look at House Bill 48, which would allow concealed firearm carry on campuses at the school’s discretion. HB 48 has passed in Ohio’s house and is primarily sponsored by Republican representative Ron Maag. He is currently serving his fourth term representing District 62, which includes most of Warren County.

“There has been a lot of confusion on where someone can and cannot carry, and HB 48 cleans up current legislation,” Maag tells Spark. “It allows law-abiding citizens to practice their Second Amendment rights while carrying out their daily routines.”

However, the idea of having guns on campus is a concerning issue for some, including the Executive Director of The Campaign to Keep Guns off Campus, Andy Pelosi.

Although Pelosi has worked on the gun issue since 1997, the aftermath of the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting caused him to become concerned with the idea of guns being on campuses. After the Northern Illinois shooting in 2008, he took action.

According to Pelosi, “there’s a whole host of consequences” when adding guns to campuses, including the potential for more suicides.

“Suicide is the second leading cause of death for college students,” Pelosi tells Spark.

“If we introduce weapons [into the college environment,] suicide might be more readily available to college students.”

The campaign is fighting legislation in Ohio, Georgia, Michigan, Florida and others to keep guns off the college campuses..

Pelosi says that as of 2013, more than 80 percent of the students on Midwestern college campuses did not want guns on their campuses.

The topic of guns on campuses is a grey area for both Williams and Bain. Williams is concerned with the responsibility on the owner’s part, but feels that guns could help eliminate threats. Bain expresses concern for her safety, citing the immaturity of collegeaged students.

“At the end of the day, if someone truly wanted to get their hands on a weapon of some kind [like a gun] to do harm,” Bain says, “They could easily do so, and that’s scary.”

package | security story and photography maya wells | art goldena bristow

Profiling an intruder may seem like a solution to preventing school shootings, but possible psychological differences make it difficult to identify common characteristics. *story contains profane language

There is a one in 53,925 chance of experiencing a K-12 school shooting in the United States.

Even more, Americans have a 1 in 14,076,500 chance of being killed in a school-related shooting, according to Phychlaw Journal. An individual is more likely to win an Academy Award, die from hot tap water, or become the President of the United States before dying in a school shooting, so predicting one is nearly impossible.

University of Pittsburgh Psychiatry Professor Edward Mulvey, whose research focuses primarily on mental illness and violence, says school shootings are hard to predict due to their rarity and unforeseeable warning signs.

“Trying to find shooters ahead of time with screenings is not an efficient way to find a shooter,” Mulvey tells Spark. “They’re very hard to find, and [shootings] are rare events.”

Possible shooters are mysterious because of their various motivations. Although there are many factors attributed to shootings, psychologist and psychoanalyst Paul Schwartz says one is how someone is raised. “[Home life] might be the main factor because that’s where kids grow up and learn their values,” Schwartz says. “They’re either treated with dignity or like sh*t.”

According to “The School Shooter: A Threat Assessment Perspective” by Mary Ellen O’Toole, a Supervisory Special Agent at the FBI, adverse family dynamics can play a role in understanding threats and a student’s decision to carry out a threat.

Because the impact of home life is a significant factor, Schwartz says parents should watch for warning signs in their children such as insomnia, social withdrawal, suicidal or homicidal statements, poor concentration, and academic deterioration in school.

“Families living in total denial [of violence] who don’t watch the news, never used a gun,” Schwartz says, “Are a recipe for kids to not know how to handle aggression—ignorance is a problem that can be just as bad.”

Monitoring kids’ behaviors isn’t only important for the safety of adolescents, but it also allows parents and kids to be connected.

“Parenting keeps tabs on who their kid is hanging with and what they’re doing,” Mulvey says. “There’s a strict literature on the effect of monitoring antisocial and violent behavior in adolescents. Being connected to their kid’s life is a key component in effective parenting.”

In the Columbine High School shooting in Littleton, Colorado, bullying was first attributed as the cause for Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris to go on a rampage, killing 13 students and themselves in 1999. But now, Dave Cullen, who is the author of “Columbine,” says that the shooters acted out of thirst for fame because they targeted both friends and bullies.

“I think it’s a real phenomenon,” Schwartz says. “I don’t know how much bullying it takes, but I do think there are people that have been bullied, and this is their way of retaliating.”

Luanna Cabrera, a psychologist in San Gabriel, Calif., says that in addition to adolescents bullying their peers, there is also the issue of parents acting as bullies. Parental

30 lakotaeastsparkonline.com December 2015

37%

bullying can lead to a child either becoming a bully themselves or becoming withdrawn.

According to Bullying Statistics 2010, 54 percent of students witnessed physical abuse at home that led to violence in school.

“As long as we use bullying to raise children, they are going to grow up bullies,” Cabrera says.

According to Centers for Disease Control’s 2011 Youth Risk Surveillance System Survey of 15,000 high school students, victims of bullying are twice as likely to carry weapons at school. About 200,000 victims of bullying bring weapons to school over the course of a month. However, shootings could also be driven by a “copycat” mentality. Researchers at Arizona State University and Northeastern Illinois University found that 20 to 30 percent of attacks are set off by other attacks.

“I think that [copycatting] is a factor,” Mulvey says “I don’t think that’s driving the rates up or down a lot, but it’s obviously a factor for kids who are susceptible to pressure and influences.”

Another prominent trend of school shootings is that males tend to carry out these acts of violence. According to Mother Jones magazine, out of 70 mass shootings since 1982, one was committed by a female. Furthermore, 63 percent of those were carried out by white males. Mulvey points out that there isn’t a good explanation for males committing school shootings more than females due to the lack of conclusive research. For adolescents, he says that having a feeling of disaffection and a sense of no hope should not have to end with a desperate act.

“I think before anybody can undertake such a drastic act, they must feel like they’re so disconnected from everything and everyone else that it doesn’t matter,” Mulvey says. “That’s a horrible place for a kid to be, that’s a horrible place for a kid to be for a long time.”

of 667 East students surveyed think ALICE training prepares them for an active-shooter situation.

security | package story caitlyn doherty | photography used with permission from the bentley family

With numerous court cases and outspoken opinions, muddled lines between politics and safety impede a universal view of gun restriction.

“A well-regulated Militia and the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.”

The right to “bear arms” is inscribed as the Second Amendment in the United States Constitution. Since the murder of 13 Columbine High School students in 1999, the protection or reinterpretation of this right has been especially prevalent.

According to Bill Bentley, father of East junior Paige Bentley and Hopewell Junior School seventh grader William Bentley, he has “the right to self defense.” Bill owns a variety of rifles, handguns, and shotguns.

“My kids are allowed to use my guns as long as they have appropriate training and supervision,” Bill says. “I’ve encouraged them when they’ve expressed an interest, but I haven’t forced them to go shooting.”

William enjoys shooting at Point Blank Range, and the thought of having guns in his home is not worrisome. A supporter of gun safety laws, William is often frustrated by laws with the potential to restrict gun usage to

Hopewell Junior seventh grader WIlliam Bentley shoots at Point Blank Range.

people who have no intention of violence.

“I absolutely feel safe with guns because everybody I am around is safe with guns,” William says. “Sure, if misused, you might get seriously injured, but as long as you are following almost universally accepted safety rules, then there is no danger at all.”

University of Cincinnati Political Science Assistant Professor Andrew Lewis says that as the issues becomes polarized, the Bentleys’ positions are a few among many.

“The Second Amendment is heavily debated,” Lewis tells Spark. “Some people emphasize collective rights from the opening ‘militia’ clause, and others emphasize individual rights from the closing ‘right to bear arms’ clause.”

Treasurer of the Buckeye Firearms Association Joe Eaton believes that the Second Amendment allows for gun control regulations to a certain extent. He emphasizes the point of “honest people” needing to have access to

firearms in order to protect themselves.

“As a gun owner and a gun advocate, we know that there have to be certain restrictions,” Eaton tells Spark. “They should be able to use and enjoy their firearms in any way they want.”

He says there need to be restrictions put in place for the people that are not “trustworthy,” such as felons or people with threateningly severe mental illnesses.

Ohio Revised Code 2923.13 prevents people “under disability” from acquiring firearms.

The code is in place to prevent firearms from getting into the hands of people incapable or unlikely to use them safely and responsibly.

Conversely, Executive Director of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence Jennifer Thorne believes that guns should be private and strictly for domestic security. “[The Supreme Court] said that individuals have the right to a gun in their home for selfdefense,” Thorne says. “They never said you could have [a firearm] outside of your home.”

Thorne believes gun laws do not infringe on Second Amendment rights because both background checks and laws are compatible with the Supreme Court’s interpretation.

In order to prevent guns from being used for criminal means, firearm companies have created smart guns, which can identify the user by fingerprint or magnetic technology that recognizes a ring worn on the user’s finger.

Both Eaton and Thorne believe that smart guns are an effective way to regulate gun accessibility, although Eaton wonders about technical problems. “[Restrictions] should be very narrowly defined,” Eaton says. “The government has to show that there will be a definite benefit. We can’t just assume. If there is no proven good, then it should not be a restriction.”

According to Lewis, the debate of gun regulations will not be resolved in the near future. Because advocates of the “right to bear arms” have extended this right beyond the constitution, many legislators oppose gun control legislation.

“The ‘individual right’ approach has gained momentum [lately],” Lewis says. “It seems that most of the gun control proposals that are realistically ‘on the table’ today would be constitutional, so we will have to wait and see.”

SECURITY CAMERAS infographic ben wong

Surveillance cameras provide security for any public or private location. They provide video footage of all events, which may also be a visible detterent to criminals.

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additional features infrared compatible, clear color picture correction, pan tilt zoom features housed within dome, 23X zoom DOME ANALOG CAMERAS

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lakota schools indicates this type of security camera is used within one or more lakota school

INFRARED CAMERAS sources pelco.com, bhvideo.com, pagetv.com, cctvsecurtiypros.com, chris passarge, lakota head of security 32 lakotaeastsparkonline.com December 2015

security | package story maddox linneman | photography maya wells

As video game players become exposed to violence in some of the games they choose to play, gamers and scientists analyze the impact this violent nature can have on players.

Coming home from school, East junior Michael Kaltman logs onto his Counter Strike Global Offensive account and starts to play.

The sound of fighting and gunshots meshes with the popping of his daily bowl of Cocoa Pebbles—it’s his escape.

“Just because I see people die in a game doesn’t make death in real life any less horrible,” Kaltman says. “It’s still a terrible thing. If I played video games or not, I’d still think that it’s a tragedy.”

According a study performed by Craig Anderson, a professor and Director of Psychology at Iowa State University, students who played more violent video games were more likely to score higher on a test that measured aggression. He says in the study that exposure to violent video games increases the likelihood of aggressive thinking and decreases prosocial behavior, which, in extreme cases, can be detrimental to a child’s development.

“The media is simply giving us what we want [to see in violent screenings],” Christopher Ferguson, who is an Associate Professor and Co-Chair of Psychology at Stetson University,

East junior Michael Kaltman plays Counter Strike Global Offensive after school.

tells Spark. “TV or movie show [violence] is going to be very different from the way people experience violence in the real world.”

According to Ferguson, the statement that violent video games cause violent people has been an argument since the days of Pacman and Space Invaders, which were the first displays of virtual violence for interactive entertainment.

“We tend to see these types of debates [about the influence of violent video games] come up quite a bit that whenever there is some sort of new media that kids are consuming, particularly if it’s something that adults aren’t using or don’t know much about,” Ferguson tells Spark.

But in 2015, there are millions of video games through platforms from Xbox and Playstation to iPads and desktop computers.

Private-practicing psychiatrist Paul Schwartz says that violence in the media has a “trickle-down effect” as both people and technology evolve. He says that these trends in

violent entertainment media indirectly create violence that begs parents to be more vigilant in monitoring their children.

Patrick Markey, a psychology professor at Villanova University, says otherwise. According to Markey, “no studies have linked violent video games to actual acts of violence. Some studies suggest that violent video games might, briefly, increase a person’s hostility, but nothing close to violence.”

Kaltman acknowledges that his hobby could be harmful, but for no other reasons than because it occasionally prevents him from doing homework. Whether studies indicate a clear trend linking violence and media, Kaltman is not concerned.

“Just because in a game you’re robbing a bank doesn’t mean that you are going to do those actions in real life,” Kaltman says. “If someone is being rude to you online, you just mute them. You don’t have to convert that into energy and be angry toward other people.”

70 out of 443 East students surveyed know someone who has personally been affected by school shootings.

package | security story emily harmon | art goldena bristow

Because of the constant threats to schools around the areas, police officers are often put in difficult situations.

To strengthen local security, Michael Grimes, 45-year Deputy Sheriff and 40-year Bomb Squad Commander of the Butler County Sheriff ’s Office, started the Butler County Sheriff ’s Office Bomb Squad in 1980. Grimes said this position satisfied his passion for public service on a larger scale. To him, reports of school threats are not unfamiliar. “[Threat makers] are individuals who might not even be in the United States, bent on causing disruption to our way of living,”

Grimes tells Spark. “Threats cause insecurities to parents, even though the threat maker has no intention of carrying out the threat.”

Grimes has been involved with threats by telephone, written on walls, faxed through offices, and over social media. He dealt with the threat to an unknown school in the Edgewood School District on Oct. 7, 2015. In this case, the threat came via phone call. Grimes was immediately notified. “[The perpetrator] said there were some explosives in one of the schools but would not say which one,” Grimes says. “The caller hung up, and the schools began their evacuations.”

Sheriff Richard Jones, leader of the Butler Sheriff Office, was also involved in protecting Edgewood schools, and he says that the threat was a scary but substantial reminder of the importance of school security and proactivity.

“Threats today can’t be taken lightly,” Jones says. “Individuals who make threats will be arrested and charged to the maximum degree.”

Grimes says the recent spike in school threats causes drainage on law enforcement and fire personnel.

As far as improvements, Grimes mentioned Sheriff Jones’ ideas to place retired Law Enforcement Officers in school buildings as an

additional precaution and resource. “[The school has to ask,] ‘Is an evacuation necessary?” Grimes says. “‘Are we moving students who were spread out in a protected, secure setting outside to an area where someone intent on doing harm now has clear easy targets? Do teachers have everything they need to take care of their students?’”

In addition, East Resource Officer Sheriff Deputy Doug Hale thinks preparation for teachers, staff members and administration is just as important, if not more important than student preparation.

“When you get into the kindergarten and first grade,” Hale says, “We try to do more training with staff to make them more knowledgeable.”

Grimes suggests that students and teachers become more aware and stay updated on threats occurring locally and nationally in order to be prepared and educated. Although Grimes has never had to act upon a threat personally, he says that each threat needs to be taken seriously.

“If you see or hear something, say something, no matter how trivial or unimportant it seems,” Grimes says. “Oftentimes people experiencing problems will not exhibit them openly where they can be readily identified.”

story lauren shaw | art goldena bristow

Amberley Village firefighter Tim Schmidtgoessling is no stranger to both legitimate and false bomb threats.

Because a Chardon High School student reported a threatening message that was scratched onto a bathroom stall on Sept. 1, 2015, law enforcement evacuated Chardon students to a safety zone. A life squad and paramedics were on standby as the Cleveland school was assigned a public information officer.

“When you receive a real threat like that, you get nervous,” Schmidtgoessling says. “Adrenaline and your training kick in, and things happen so quick that there’s no time to think about it.”

When Schmidtgoessling was accepted to the Amberley Village firefighting program following his career as a police officer, he went to “240 fire training,” which is 240 hours all Ohio firefighters must complete to earn certification.

The threat to Chardon was especially concerning because exactly three years ago, a 15-year-old student open-fired on the cafeteria, killing three students and injuring two. Schmidtgoessling attended a training administered by employees who were present for the 2012 Chardon shooting and by the Chardon Police Department.

“It affected [the school and the community] drastically for a long time after the event,”

Schmidtgoessling says. “Some of the police and firefighters had kids in the school.”

Schmidtgoessling’s daughter, East junior Kayla Schmidtgoessling, sees him as an inspiration.

Risking his life for others in the community is scary for her, but she has immense respect for his work.

“My dad has always been there for me,” Kayla says. “He is my best friend and sidekick. When I’m with him, I feel loved and protected.”

Kayla says that her dad has made her feel protected many times, but one time sticks out.

When she and her friends heard scratching at the door, she yelled upstairs for her dad, afraid that someone was breaking into the house. In “full police mode,” he opened the door.

“In comes [my dog], Rocky, trotting along,” Kayla says. “Even though he knew it was just the dog, he circled the backyard a couple of times to ensure to my friends that we were safe.”

Amberley Schmidtgoessling, Tim’s wife and Kayla’s mother, always feels protected. She says she feels at ease because she knows that her husband is willing and able to save the family in any situation.

“My husband is always supportive,” Amberley says. “He is a great father and an amazing role

34 lakotaeastsparkonline.com December 2015

model for me and for the kids.”

After hours of training, years of experience, and countless calls into work to “save the day,” Tim has learned to appreciate the gift of life while maintaining an appropriate level of caution.

“I want to remind people that bad things can happen anywhere,” Tim says. “Be observant, and don’t be afraid to report suspicious activity or things out of the ordinary to authorities. You never know when that scare will be real.”

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As fall fashion hit the runways, the retroactive styles of past decades were featured in the spotlights, yet the style was revamped for today’s generation. story maddie alsip photo illustration aly thomas models kayla schmidtgoessling, zack kozerski

According to Elle Magazine, oversized crewnecks started to make their comeback when Designer Nicolas Ghesquière’s line for Balenciaga’s Fall 2012 collection debuted.

The unisex Converse All-Star shoe was embraced by the counterculture movement.

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culture | through the ages

GRUNGE BUNCH

With the change in season, elements of ‘90s style grunge are reappearing in layers of denim, flannels, jackets, beanies and boots. story and art lauren wilson photography maya wells models bemni amsalu, lilyana bryan, ariel williams

a series on the impact of fashion trends

THROUGH THE AGES

F

rom the Monica Lewinsky scandal to the Macarena, the ‘90s held their place in history as the new millennium. Transitioning from the wild styles of the ‘80s, this new technological age had its own fly fashion.

With the “whatever” mentality, anything was acceptable whether it was laid-back grunge or old school prep. Today, iPhones are the evolution of the 1996 Motorola Startech (flip phone). Just as current fashion trends are the evolution of iconic ‘90s fads.

Popular sitcoms like “Friends” sent women to the nearest salon requesting the “Rachel haircut” universalized by Rachel (Jennifer Aniston). Other “stylin’ do’s” included numerous tiny buns or strands of hair flipped up by small hair clips. Trendsetters like actress Drew Barrymore added daisies to their hair to create flower crowns. Throwing a beanie over messy hair was “aight” too.

Fresh makeup looks like dark lips paired with natural eyes balanced the edgy hair trends.

Lip shades of purple, maroon and ruby red worked their way into the archetypal grunge look of the ‘90s. The “bold lip” has returned as

a current daring makeup trend. Chokers were also very popular among teenagers then and can still be found in various styles at Claire’s today. Accessories are not the only ‘90s trends that stuck around, according to President of the California Fashion Association, Ilse Metchek.

“The grunge style never left for a section of the population,” Metchek told Spark,“[Grunge stuck around] because it’s comfortable, and out of that look we have current trends for that comfort factor. Every time we bring back a trend, it’s always tweaked and new.”

Everyone and their mother seemed to have a pair of Dr. Martens during the ‘90s. The combat-style boots originated from England but were worn by many famous stars like Sienna Miller, who sported a floral pair in Nylon magazine. The military style shoe is still popular today and is iconized by the yellow stitching around the bottom of the shoe and on the tag on the back, according to Dr. Martens sales associate Nate Mijka.

“We have customers who we ask if they have worn Dr. martens before and they’re like ‘yeah back in the 90s’”, say Mijka. “We also have new young customers who are buying the shoes since they are coming back in style.

Because they’re a very recognizable shoe, there are always going to be people who wear Docs

38 lakotaeastsparkonline.com December 2015

because they know the brand and its history.”

Today classic Dr. Martens range from $100- $145, and the nearest Dr. Marten store is located in Columbus, Ohio. Many Lakota East students own Dr. Martens or combat style boots. Lakota East Junior, Sierra Watson owns a pair of original burgundy Docs. “[Dr.Martens] are my favorite shoes in the entire world,” says Watson who believes the grunge style never really died.

Denim was da bomb in the ‘90s from Calvin Klein to Levi’s. Bib overalls were all the rage then and made a major comeback this fall in stores such as Target, Hollister and Forever 21. “Mom jeans” with a looser fit and higher waistband were super phat (cool) in the ‘90s as well. Wardrobe staples including the jean jacket and the leather jacket came from the ‘90s, too.

With winter right around the corner, everyone is pulling out their old flannels. The cozy, oversized plaid shirts were layered over ACDC and Nirvana t-shirts, and crop tops back in the day created an effortless grunge look. Modern brands like Urban Outfitters are reinventing the ‘90s trends through current pieces sold in their stores.

“We have a lot of ‘90s trends in the store currently,” says Urban Outfitters sales associate Malik Cooemen. “Plaid is all over the store,

through the ages | culture

and the flannels are on sale right now. We also carry mom jeans and distressed denim as well as combat style boots.”

As if the prep-school style popularized by the movie “Clueless” could be forgotten.

Plaid flannels were grunge, but plaid skirts and jackets defined the preppy style of the ‘90s. These outfits were paired with knee-high socks, collared shirts and headbands. Modern trendsetter Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl redesigned the schoolgirl look Cher Horowitz first sported in Clueless.

Most of the major trends of the ‘90s were popularized either by TV and movie characters or supermodels. Legends like Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell took the fashion world by

storm. After all, Kate Moss was the face of Calvin Klein, promoting the mom-jeans look.

With current faces like Karlie Kloss and Cara Delevinge, it’s obvious that the upbringing of supermodels has not faded since the ‘90s.

“There is no longer one look at one time for everyone,” says Metchek. “This is because of money, the internet and celebrities. You guys at your age all follow celebrities. Whatever they’re wearing may be the way to go that month, and then you change your look.”

As for the last babies of the new millennium, vague remembrance of Furbies and VHS tapes will stay alive in memories and “remember the ‘90s” Twitter posts. In contrast “dank” (awesome) fads like Dr. Martens, mom

jeans and flannels may never stop returning to the shelves. With fashion trends constantly changing due to the influence of celebrities and social media, the influential styles of the ‘90s will continue to make an impact sprinkled throughout modern-day fashion. left page: Models showcase classic grunge outfits. upper left: Amsalu sports a faux leather jacket, combat boots and a space buns hairstyle. upper right: Williams models grey hollister bib overalls and an oversized beanie. bottom middle: Bryan embrances a grunge style flannel and mom jeans.

culture | music

REVIEWS: MUSIC ALESSIA CARA: THE LIFE OF THE PARTY

While not being one for the party scene, Alessia Cara’s debut album, “Know-ItAll,” and hit single, “Here,” have become unexpected party anthems. review jennave traore | photography fair use

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There’s something about the true passion and the real identity found in the lyrical writing of Drake-co-sighed songstress Alessia Cara.

It could possibly be her old soul yet young voice or the relatability found in her words. Regardless of the reasons, all it took was effort and acoustic song covers on YouTube (no big deal) for the 19-year-old Canadian native to be established as a fresh face in today’s music.

Cara has become a heroine and a narrator for people who are accustomed to coloring outside the lines. Her debut album, “Know-ItAll” and her breakout hit single “Here” has caught the ear of the public and the album itself features powerful lines and vocals throughout. The album consist of Cara’s confessions as if they were meant for ears only.

Call it an anthem for introverts, “Here” gives voice to those who know what it’s like to have experienced wallflower or anti-social butterfly moments. The songs low-key and nonchalant vibes about being shy and awkward in social situations isn’t your average mood for hit singles but, it’s what makes the song real and relatable.

“Here” turns out to be a true story of a disappointing house party that Cara experienced. As a shy teen, she wasn’t fond of doing what others her age were doing such as partying, drinking, and drugs. The unapologetically autobiography of a song makes for an ironic party anthem.

Similar to the musical likes of Lorde, the album“Know-It-All” heavily consist of R&B and soul tunes with alternative pop sprinkled into the mix. The album is heavily focused on rebellious streaks. “Know-It-All” has already reached the charts as number 9 in the top 10 in the US and top 20 in Canada.

The song “Seventeen” is an upbeat, nostalgic piece that’s well written.

It’s the one piece in the album where Cara can be categorized as an old soul. Unlike some teens her age, Cara sings about appreciating living in the present and she doesn’t long to leap forward into adulthood. Cara wishes she could stay young or seventeen forever.

The only track on the album featuring a collaboration with another artist is acoustic ballad “Stone” with Cara’s good friend Sebastian Cole who helped produce and co-write many songs on the album. Before the

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KNOW-IT-ALL ARTIST: ALESSIA CARA RELEASE DATE: NOV. 13, 2015 ALBUM PRICE: $7.99 (ITUNES)

album, the EP “Four Pink Walls” was released featuring a preview of the first five tracks in “Know-It-All.” There isn’t another song on the album that is as emotionally empowering as “Scars To Your Beauty.” The chorus is a constant reminder that there are people out there who struggle with accepting themselves: “You don’t have to change a thing. The world could change it’s heart.” The lyrics are tragic and frustrating but they’re necessary for a bold album as “Know-It-All.” Cara is bound to climb the hierarchy in pop music through rebellion and originality like no artist can. She’s writing her own story and determining her own destiny as a singer-songwriter. Cara went from being a quiet, sheltered teen, to what she considers ironic, the life of the party.

music | culture

25 ADELE

Adele’s much anticipated junior album was worth the wait. “25” is an outstanding follow-up to her second album, “21.” This album projects a new and more improved sound after four years of being in the works.

Adele’s powerhouse vocals seep through her songs but mostly through “Remedy.” Her track “Remedy” brings up a lot of feelings, which is rare for an artist to be able to do in a song. Every song shows how she has mastered the technique of connecting with the audience’s hearts. In “Million Years Ago,” she sings out all her unwavering sorrow and longing. A few lyrics are: “Sometimes I just feel it’s only me who can stand the reflection that they see.” This dream-like song captures one of the essences of the album, which is vulnerability.

Adele’s vulnerability is heard through her voice in each song. Adele’s album is full of different instruments that are strategically spread out, giving each song a twist of its own. She has progressed as an artist and that those four years she has been putting every ounce of herself into it.

Adele is not only a wonderful singer but also a very smart artist, giving her album a thought-provoking eeriness. From the cover to every single note, Adele has delivered and amazed her audiences. The album could not be any more perfect than what it is now. — Morgan Kile

DARK SKY ISLAND ENYA

With her mesmerizing vocals and angelic harmonies, artist and composer Enya takes the stage once again with her eighth studio album, “Dark Sky Island.” The Irish singer illustrates the beauty between fantasy and realism and manipulates listeners’ imagination by taking them on journeys they didn’t know they could imagine.

She begins with her first track on the album, “The Humming,” a blend between heavy piano, strings and layers of harmonies with lyrics like, “And all the moments fall in mist/and all is dust, remember this.”

“Echoes In Rain,” the album’s first single, is slightly more upbeat with a collection of harpstrings and melodies as she sings, “Here comes another new day/alleluia, alle-alle alleluia.”

Her title track, “Dark Sky Island,” a soft and brilliant piece, throws listeners into a different world as she seems to whisper the lyrics. Her stunning vibrato echoes with velvety accompaniment, entrancing the audience.

Her most unique track on the album, “The Loxian Gate,” is sung with her own language, so the listener is focused on the sound of her voice and not the lyrics that come out of her mouth.

Although Enya’s style may seem redundant at times, variety in “Dark Sky Island” is apparent as shown by her layered vocals that come together for an amazing musical experience, consistantly leaving listeners on their toes. — Julia Sanders

PURPOSE JUSTIN BIEBER

The Canadian singer and songwriter with the once-squeaky voice has finally overcome his pubescent attachment to his first album, “My World,” released in 2009. Ignoring his diminished sense of style, his soothing voice is what has made his newly released album “Purpose” so successful that people pay to hear a decent voice drowned out by unoriginal techno as in “What Do You Mean” and “Where Are Ü Now?” The lack of instrumental talent comes accompanied with repetitive and empty lyrics like in “Sorry” when Bieber sings, “missing more than just your body,” suggesting that he would normally only miss her sexually.

Even more, in “Mark My Words,” Bieber’s lyrics suggest that words are proof enough for change and promise.

Although he is trying to reconstruct himself, Bieber is doing a fantastic job jumping into the past with his desperate pleas for forgiveness from Selena Gomez. On the Ellen Show he responded with “We have a lot of history together, and I am sure it could possibly happen,” when she asked if they would ever get back together.

If he doesn’t emotionally mature and find someone else to write his lyrics or orchestrate his beats, then Bieber better enjoy this peak in his career, because after the superficial height comes the fall. — Nina Brillhart

MADE IN THE A.M. ONE DIRECTION

Fresh off of their On the Road Again Tour and departure of former bandmate, Zayn Malik, One Direction released their fifth album “Made in the A.M.” Everything fans love about the pop boyband culminates to keep fans satisfied as the quartet begins their year-long hiatus.

One Direction dips into every successful style that they have tried over their five years without the album feeling directionless. Cutesy pop songs play among swoon-worthy ballads and rock-inspired sounds.

Harmony-driven tracks like “What a Feeling,” a hazy dream of a love song with Fleetwood Mac-inspired sounds, prove that the group has not lost depth after the departure with vocal powerhouse Malik. This sound is contrasted by the rockier “Temporary Fix,” a cheeky tune where the band reveals that not every interaction is about love. Both tracks complement the softer “I Want to Write You a Song.”

Lyrically the high point of the album is the tear-jerking goodbye to Malik, “Walking in the Wind.” The song’s sincere verses frame the powerful chorus that tell a story of a painful goodbye, but only for now.

One Direction has successfully matured their sound with themselves, without losing touch with what makes them so likeable. Although fans will not have a chance to hear the newest musical installment echo in stadiums, it will still blast out of car stereos. “Made in the A.M.” has solidified One Direction’s already undisputed position as the top boy band of the 2010s. — Kelly Krajewski

culture | movies

REVIEWS: MOVIES “HUNGER GAMES” FINALE DISAPPOINTS

As the series comes to a close, a lack of intriguing characters and a dreary plot round off “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2.” review katy johnson | photography fair use

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A movie like “Mockingjay Part Two” is difficult to look at as just a movie, because it’s not. It’s a trilogy of books that was on the forefront of the young adult dystopian literature trope, inspiring numerous other authors of the genre; it’s the misogynistic question of “Peeta or Gale” posed over and over; it’s the trilogy that some elementary schools banned because of the thematic violence. Above all, though, it’s a worldwide phenomenon that’s conclusion has been eagerly awaited.

And this conclusion holds up to expectations fairly well. It ties up most of its loose ends; it retains the melancholic nature of the beloved book series; the effects are better than those previous—but overall, it lacks likeability at its core.

That’s not entirely the fault of the movie. Just look at the source material. “Mockingjay” is often regarded as the worst of the trilogy simply for its depressing tone, and the movie follows suit. Picking up where Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) tried to asphyxiate Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) during their first reunion, “Mockingjay” turns to the looming revolution in Panem. Katniss, Gale (Liam Hemsworth), and a mentally scarred Peeta reach the Capitol and begin a deadly trek to President Snow’s (Donald Sutherland) mansion in order to assassinate him.

The most prominent issue with the bits of the plot the movie plucked from the book is that important (albeit gory) aspects were disregarded so that the movie could retain its PG-13 rating. The imagery of the barbaric traps the Capitol set for the rebels as described in the written word is lingering; as viewed, it’s brushed over quickly. This detracts from the idea that the Capitol would stoop to hurting its own citizens, making its few acts of violence toward the refugees seem out of place while also removing some of the literary ambiguity around the events. Those remaining are so dreary that the last scene feels completely unbelievable, both in subject matter and in characterization. In addition, the pacing is terrible, and it’s not rare to turn from two characters having a hushed conversation to a brutal death scene in a matter of moments.

However, where “Mockingjay” really fails is with its characters.

Katniss isn’t a likeable heroine—and she’s not meant to be—but that means watching her try to captivate the audience for more than two hours is difficult to say the least. It’s unbelievable for her to say she loves Peeta when she’s constantly frustrated, scared or on edge with him. It’s rare for Katniss to show actual affection for anyone, so most of it is secondhand. In fact, this is evident in every character; only their words give insight to their emotions. This means there’s no one to root for; there’s no feeling of success when a character lives, and conversely, no sense of loss for those who die.

“Mockingjay” does manage to shine in effects and atmosphere.

Seeing the once-shining Capitol reduced to the war-torn front lines of

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THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 DIRECTOR: FRANCIS LAWRENCE RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 16, 2015 (USA) RUN TIME: 137 MINUTES the revolution is an incredible transformation, and the explosion and fire effects have exponentially improved from the juvenile ones in the initial “Hunger Games.”

At this point, the Hunger Games franchise is ride-or-die: this movie won’t make sense to those who haven’t seen the previous three, and by now, fans are the only ones invested enough to see it to its conclusion.

movies | culture

CREED DIRECTOR: RYAN COOGLER “Creed” is the inspirational story of Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), who never knew his famous father, world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, who died before he was born.

Adonis heads to Philadelphia, the site of Apollo Creed’s legendary match with the Italian Stallion, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). Adonis got his shot at a title, and when he boxes against “Pretty” Ricky Conlan (Anthony Bellew), Adonis has to take the name Creed in the fight.

This movie had an exciting yet predictable plot, and the film sets itself up for a sequel, which keeps the audience interested and wanting more. The acting was outstanding. Stallone and Jordan let the audience in and portrayed their characters very well. The characterization and development of the plot really enticed the crowd.

“Creed” could easily be called Rocky VII: Creed, but the movie, like Johnson, is reluctant to take the name. It wants to be a boxing film about more than just boxing. The movie fits into a very precise mold of the Rocky movies, but it also gives a fresh perspective of the boxing world from the other end of the ring. In the end, the audience can only hope to see Adonis on the screen for just as long as Rocky. — Kaily Hauck

VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN DIRECTOR: PAUL MCGUIGAN A fresh perspective on the same classic tale, Paul McGuigan’s “Victor Frankenstein” tells the story of Dr. Frankenstein’s (James McAvory) descent into madness and the true reason why Frankenstein wishes to create life out of death. Igor (Daniel Radcliffe), a hunchback and medical genius, is rescued from the circus by Frankenstein after he saves the circuses trapeze artist and Igor’s love interest Lorelei (Jessica Findlay).

Igor becomes Frankenstein’s partner, helping to correct mistakes in Victor’s experiments that allow him to create life.

Rather than just seeing a madman, the audience gets to see a more sympathetic side to Frankenstein. Radcliffe and McAvory’s chemistry makes it easier to believe the characters are good friends. It is also very good at combining several different movie genres without throwing too much at the audience, such as having several action scenes followed by a smooth transition to horror with a dark atmosphere and jumpscares.

While this movie gives a fresh perspective that allows audiences to see Frankenstein as a person, the plot toward the end of the film only reenacts the classic tale without any new twists.

“Victor Frankenstein” is a well-told story with amazing chemistry among actors, overshadowing its retelling of an old tale that had never been fully explained. — Bailey Spaulding

LOVE THE COOPERS DIRECTOR: JESSIE NELSON “Love the Coopers” is a subtle comedy for a mature demographic, taking a step away from overzealous and racy comedy and back to something that is family friendly. The star-studded cast creates characters that are relatable, yet the plot is not riveting.

Charlotte (Diane Keaton) brings together four generations of the Cooper family to have one last perfect Christmas before breaking the news of her divorce to her husband of forty years, Sam (John Goodman).

With new characters added into the family dynamic, unexpected events and lingering problems, the Coopers rediscover love and family bonds.

Each scene that follows a different character’s story makes the movie choppy. It was difficult to follow along with age differences in the actors, especially for Charlotte and her sister Emma (Marisa Tomei). However, each character was developed through their struggles and successes making them well-rounded and lovable.

Without any magic or gimmicks, the Coopers were able to find their holiday spirit, making the classic theme of rediscovering the four different types of love—family, friendship, romance and charity—seem realistic. Overall, the movie was average; it would be worth watching on the Hallmark channel, but paying to see it in theaters: no. — Maddie Alsip

THE GOOD DINOSAUR DIRECTOR: PETER SOHN “The Good Dinosaur” is the latest addition to the Pixar movie franchise family, depicting what life would be like if the annihilation of dinosaurs did not happen. The movie follows Arlo (Raymond Ochea), a young dinosaur who is afraid of everything imaginable.

Once Arlo is swept away from his family’s farm by a devastating current is when the real plot begins to unravel as Arlo must find his way home.

The heartwarming film is darker at times. Some things might be a bit too deep for children to understand, but it stays fairly humorous. As the movie progresses, the audience sees Arlo’s character grow as he becomes more fearless with the help of his new found friend Spot (Jack Bright), a human child that acts like a dog.

The relationship between Arlo and Spot starts out sour but ends up with them being attached at the hip. This shows how two different characters from two different backgrounds can get along. This point is great for kids to learn growing up in today’s society. It is a little too raunchy for their younger demographic, because, for example, the movie hinted at drug use a couple of times.

The animation was absolutely stunning. When Arlo is running on the rocky cliffs near his home, the environment around him takes the viewer to another world. Arlo helps his viewers believe that people can conquer their fears when they are put to the test. — Morgan Kile

HOURS OF OPERATION:

Monday - Thursday: 3:00 PM 9:00 PM Friday: Closed Saturday: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Sunday: Closed

755 Reading Rd #1 Mason, OH 45040 (513) 770-1257

44 lakotaeastsparkonline.com December 2015

“While he is a great shooter, he is also a great competitor. Over the last couple years, he has really become a great rebounder, better ball handler and a better defender.”

—David Moss, Sycamore Head Coach

Q&A

GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL EDIE BREWER

interview alexis saliba

Alexis Saliba: What first got you interested in volleyball?

Edie Brewer: My mom played volleyball from third grade through college, my dad played after college, and my two sisters were already playing, so it was just natural for me.

AS: Who’s been your biggest supporter?

EB: My biggest supporter has been my mom who got me started in the sport. She even coached me in third grade and freshman year.

AS: Biggest inspiration?

EB: My biggest inspiration was a player at Stanford a couple years ago named Cynthia Barboza. I remember watching her and wanting to be her. But my biggest push is definitely my teammates because they set the bar high for me and don’t let me fail them or myself.

AS: How did it feel winning the GMC? EB: It felt like a weight was lifted when we won the GMC because that wasn’t frequent at East but it was one of the goals we set to accomplish, so it made me want to work harder to accomplish other goals.

AS: Did your transfer to East better you as a player?

EB: Coming to East has made me a better player and teammate because I get to push more people to achieve their best while they push me to achieve mine

DOUBLE PLAY

story peyton cox | photography maya wells

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s he signed his name on the dotted line, declaring his intent to play baseball at Lake Erie College, East senior Ryan Middendorf was also preparing for his senior season of basketball. Middendorf has been a two-sport varsity athlete as a pitcher in baseball and a shooting guard in basketball since his sophomore year.

“It takes up a lot of time doing both sports, so I try to do as much as I can with both of them,” Middendorf says. “Although basketball takes up a lot more of my time, my love for basketball and baseball is perfectly even.”

East basketball coach Clint Adkins says he sees Middendorf ’s hard work ethic every day in the gym and watches him translate that to his game. Middendorf ’s three-point average his junior year was 37.5 percent. Shooting the ball is one of Middendorf ’s greatest strengths, according to Adkins.

“He’s the type of guy that shows up every day and works hard,” Adkins says. “He cares if his team wins or loses but ultimately he is willing to do everything he can to help their team win, regardless of individual recognition.”

This fall, Middendorf earned individual recognition when he committed to play baseball at the Division II level for Lake Erie College. Middendorf chose to play baseball

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over basketball in college because he received more offers for baseball. When Middendorf was touring colleges, he says Lake Erie felt like the best fit.

“When I took my visit there, [Lake Erie College] really stood out to me,” Middendorf says. “I really like the campus, and I really clicked with the coaches and felt at home. I knew it was the right place for me.”

Andrew Emrick, a longtime teammate and friend of Middendorf, says he is proud of Middendorf ’s hard work and accomplishments.

They have played together since the fifth grade.

“Growing up to see [Ryan] become so good at two sports is so amazing,” Emrick says. “I’ve witnessed first-hand his consistency when it comes to how hard he works. He always has a mentality of getting better and that’s what makes him exceptional.”

Middendorf ’s field goal percentage was 45.2 percent in the winter while later achieving a 3.03 earned run average in 34.2 innings pitched during the spring. Lakota East baseball coach Ray Hamilton says he knows the potential that Middendorf has and has no doubt that he will excel at the next level.

“He’s a nice kid, works hard, and helps in a leadership role with us, because everyone knows how good he is,” Hamilton says. “He is that good of a person as well.”

scouting report | sports

SHOOTING FOR A DREAM

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ver since she was in the fourth grade, East girls’ basketball captain Sam Rodgers dreamed of playing basketball for the University of Cincinnati. Little did she know that nine years later, after turning down offers from multiple universities, she would be sitting in East’s conference room on Nov. 11 signing her national letter of intent committing to the school of her dreams.

“I’ve grown up going to UC football, baseball and basketball games,” The 6-foot forward says. “I also know so many people that have gone there to play sports. It was almost a no-brainer for me. After visiting UC, I compared it to every other school I visited. I think I did that because I knew in the back of my mind that that’s where I’d end up.”

When it came down to her two final

story hanna sylla photography sydney rader

schools, Rodgers was torn between going to Harvard for the Ivy League opportunity or taking advantage of a full-ride scholarship to the University of Cincinnati.

“Harvard’s campus blew me away,” Rodgers says. “The facilities were amazing and the coaching staff was really supportive, but I just couldn’t see myself there.”

With her senior season approaching, Rodgers says her goal is to strengthen and lead the team to success after a 19-7 record in 2015. As the first ever local women’s basketball commit to the University of Cincinnati, Rodgers’ mentality on and off the court is one aspect of why her team looks to her as a role model and leader, according to East varsity coach Jill Phillips. Three-year teammate and current team manager Oula Daas says Rodgers

has made an impact on her in her time playing basketball at East.

“Sam is a really good player, and she brings a lot of passion to the team,” Daas says. “The way she plays makes you want to become a better basketball player. She’s definitely an inspiration to all of us.”

Rodgers’ statistics have attracted many Division I colleges, including Akron, Florida Atlantic and High Point. Ranked 14th in rebounds, 13th in scoring and 12th on offense in the Greater Miami Conference last season, Rodgers proved her substantial presence on the court, averaging 10.3 points per game. Phillips says Rodgers’ positive attitude and dedication to the team has been conducive to the team’s success in previous years.

“Coaching Sam for the past two years has been great,” Phillips says. “I think she’s a talented basketball player, but she also works very hard. She’s a leader on the court; she pushes everyone to do better.”

STAT FOCUS LAKOTA EAST ATHLETICS 215

Number of kills by Spenser Parks (senior, girls’ volleyball)

“Sam is an extremely talented basketball player that has worked very hard to get better each and every year.

She has worked hard to expand her game and has become a good shooter from the distance.”

—Rob Matula, Mason Head Coach

11

Goals this season by East freshman Kate Larbes (girls’ soccer)

15:11.00

Time of East boys’ cross country runner sophomore Dustin Horter

37.93

Average score of East senior Zach Tenerowicz (boys’ golf)

24.1

Average receiving yards

by East senior Austin Hatfield (football)

TACKLING TWITTER

East alumn Kyle Morrison is now working for the Cleveland Browns as the Digital Engagement Coordinator. a series on east alumni

ALUMNI PROFILE B

efore the Cleveland Browns faced the Cincinnati Bengals in a Thursday night matchup on November 5, East alumnus Kyle Morrison was one of the first on the field at Paul Brown Stadium. As the Digital Engagement Coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, Morrison manages all of the official social media accounts and provides live coverage of games for millions of Browns fans.

In May, Morrison became the Browns’ first employee dedicated to conducting social media after applying right out of college. Morrison says that the Browns hired him in order to step up their online presence. As the voice of the Browns to more than a million fans of Facebook and more than half a million fans on Twitter, he says that he plays an important role in the Browns’ program.

“Aside from on-field performance,” Morrison says, “The way a team portrays itself on social media the most important way that it connects with fans.”

Morrison’s job description includes attending all of the Browns’ football games and travelling with the team around the country.

Morrison says travel is one of the best parts about his job.

story tyler bennett photography used with permission from kyle morrison

“I got to hop on a plane, fly out to San Diego and hang out there for a night before working the game,” Morrison says. “It’s a really cool experience to see different cities, and it’s something I wouldn’t have gotten to do with any other job.”

Before every game, Morrison is down on the field taking videos of the players coming out of the tunnel and warming up before going up to the press box to live-tweet the game.

Morrison says that covering the gameday events is his favorite job. During the rest of the week, Morrison posts links to articles on the Browns’ website or posts from the Browns’ sponsors on all of the Browns’ social media platforms.

Morrison started his career in digital marketing during his senior year of studying Strategic Communications at The Ohio State University (OSU) when he was hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets in Aug. 2014 to be the digital marketing intern during the 2014-15 National Hockey League (NHL) season.

With the Blue Jackets, Morrison was a writer and photographer as well as a social media contributor. In addition to classes, Morrison says he spent more than 40 hours a week working at Nationwide Arena, but says

48 lakotaeastsparkonline.com December 2015

his internship was the best part of his college experience.

“The Blue Jackets internship was really just the coolest experience of my life,” Morrison says. “There wasn’t a day where I didn’t enjoy going to work.”

In March 2015, Morrison applied for the Browns digital engagement job. It was the only job to which he applied out of college, and he found out he was hired on Easter. Morrison says the first thing he did when he got the job was call his parents. Kyle’s father, Tim Morrison, says that Kyle can do anything he puts his mind to but was surprised that Kyle’s only job application was a success.

“We were already thrilled Kyle was working in the NHL,” Tim says, “When we found out he was hired by a National Football League (NFL) team right out of college, it blew us away.”

After graduating from OSU in May, Kyle moved to Cleveland and began working. During his time with the Blue Jackets, he became fascinated with the culture of the NHL, but this season, he had to adjust to the different audience in the NFL. Kyle says the larger audience and 16-game season in the NFL, in comparison to the 82 games in an NHL season, make each game a more significant event that he gets to cover.

“It’s just different audiences and different personalities,” Kyle says. “I think the NFL audience is more reflective with the general population because it’s so big, but with the NHL it’s a more niche interest.”

Kyle brought the distinct social media voice he used with the Blue Jackets to the Browns. Though he says it’s controversial, Kyle communicates with other teams and fans from the Browns’ Twitter account. He describes the posts made before he was hired as standard and unauthentic, but now he believes the posts are better suited to the culture of social media. “[The Browns] didn’t have distinct voice before [I was hired],” Kyle says. “When I first started posting with the new voice, I got a couple of comments saying that it sounded a little weird coming from the Browns account.”

Kyle says he thinks Browns fans have become more open to his voice on the different social media accounts.

“The Browns twitter is very interactive with the fans,” East senior and Browns fan Kari Tobak says. “I like it because it makes it seem like the fans are really important. Knowing an East alumnus is the one who runs it makes it even better.”

In the future, Kyle says that he hopes to stay in the digital marketing industry, but right now he is focused on communicating with the Browns fans. Kyle says he reads all the comments on social media and nobody knows the fans like he does. “[Browns fans] are some of the best fans in sports, and they’re really passionate about their team,” Kyle says. “I have to find the best way to communicate with them.”

A YEAR OF SUCCESS After one year of coaching, Rob Long resigns as East’s head volleyball coach and the search for a replacement begins.

East girls’ varsity volleyball celebrates after winning the GMC title.

story aly thomas | photography sydney rader

W

hen East junior volleyball player Emma Huntey walked out of an unplanned meeting and heard she would be getting a new coach for the third time in her high school career, she was welcome to new changes for the East program but was frustrated to have to adjust to another new coach.

After falling to Mount Notre Dame in the Sweet Sixteen of the state tournament, Huntey and the rest of the varsity team found out that their head coach Rob Long resigned after one year of coaching at East.

“When I found out [Long resigned], I was surprised,” Huntey says. “The way he talked, it seemed like he'd be in the program for awhile.

I liked him as a coach because he is my sand volleyball coach as well. I'm disappointed that he won't be coaching next year.”

According to Long, he enjoyed coaching, but it came at too high of a cost because he spent too much time away from his six kids.

Under Long’s leadership, the team went 22-4 and clinched the Greater Miami Conference (GMC) championship.

“I missed out on most of [my kids’] fall activities, which was hard for me to take,” Long says. “It only comes around once, and I had to weigh the cost of coming back to coach another season. In the end, I chose to enjoy the family time.”

Long will continue to coach Ohio Valley Beach Volleyball Club, and he says he hopes to repeat being USA National Champions in 2016. For the East volleyball program, athletic director Rich Bryant is searching for a new

coach that will maintain the standard that the volleyball team has set in previous years with being three-time GMC Champions with consecutive winning records since before 2004.

“Being a head coach at this level requires a significant commitment,” Bryant says. “This commitment requires time away from family and in many ways away from the manner in which individuals actually make a living. I appreciate the time that Coach Long devoted to LEHS this year.”

Previous head coach Casie Garland resigned after a five-year coaching career at East. Garland is now currently teaching Physical Education at E.H. Greene Intermediate school in Sycamore Community Schools and coaching eighth grade volleyball at Sycamore Junior High School.

“The hours and commitment it takes to be a successful varsity head coach is consuming,” Garland says. “ It was taxing and was difficult to run a program and not have any staff at East.

People think it's just a ‘fall sport’, which is not the case. There is a lot of time spent in the off-season workouts, camps and administrative work that people don't always see.”

Long also discovered the underlying jobs a head coach has to do when coaching at the varsity level. He says it wasn’t something he wanted to continue doing.

“There is a lot of politics involved in high school volleyball,” Long says. “In the end, I found I am a better coach than administrator.”

Bryant says that the position is currently posted for individuals that are interested. The staff members that are within the district are

first to receive the opportunity to apply. The process of hiring a new coach will proceed at the beginning of the new year, and Bryant says he is hoping to have the process completed by March. The hiring shouldn’t cause any setbacks for the success of the volleyball team next season, according to Bryant.

“We are still very early in the post-season,” Bryant says. “We should have ample time to hire a high-quality replacement.”

Long says he thinks East volleyball will continue to have success in the future and believes that there are certain qualities in a coach that would better serve the program as East searches for a new hire.

“The next coach, in my opinion, should be an employee of the Lakota school system with their hand on the pulse of what is going on in the school’s day-to-day,” Long says. “I think it should be a female, and I think she should be motivated to coach by things other than just wins and losses. If they can find that person, East will thrive.”

Huntey says she is willing to welcome the new coach and see what they have to offer.

Huntey, the right-side hitter, says it is hard to build relationships with the coaches when they are temporary but doesn’t believe that a new coach will provide any setbacks to the success of the team next season.

“We still have all the athleticism and talent coming into next season,” Huntey says. “We had to adjust to a new coach this season and did well, so I believe we will be successful next year too.”

sports | freshman varsity

BEGINNERS BREAK THROUGH

East freshman athletes Kate Larbes and Jordan Stanley are among the 47 freshmen who have made their way onto varsity rosters this year. story allie church

L

akota East freshman Kate Larbes closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and slowly walks out onto the field toward her teammates as her name echoes through the speakers for the first time. The butterflies in her stomach intensify with every step she takes, but somehow her fears and nerves fade away, and confidence takes over. She knows she is where she belongs.

Larbes started playing recreational soccer when she was six years old. After developing a deep passion for the game, she joined the Cincinnati United Premier at age 11. Since then, the center midfielder has played highly competitive soccer across the country.

“I’m a very competitive person,” Larbes says. “I was always the person that wanted to play a sport with a team that would go far. With the amount of competition involved in it, I knew soccer would be that game.”

When Larbes tried out for East’s soccer program, she wasn’t expecting to make varsity, much less to be the only freshman to do so.

According to her mother, Colleen Larbes, Kate’s entire family was ecstatic about her accomplishment. “[Kate] exceeded our expectations,” Colleen says. “We had no idea she would even be considered for varsity, and when we found out she made it, we were thrilled.”

To East girls’ head soccer coach Tom McEwan, choosing Kate for the varsity roster was not a difficult decision. Her strong physical ability on the field and her mature attitude stood out to the coaches.

“There are just some players who naturally

love to play the game,” McEwan says. “Kate is one of those players. You can coach a lot of things, but passion is not one of them. She always gives 100 percent.”

In her first high school soccer game, Kate scored two goals to begin her 2015 season.

Though apprehensive to play against older, experienced girls, with help from teammates and coaches, she was able to calm her nerves and play the game she had loved for the past nine years.

“I was very nervous at the beginning [of the season],” Kate says. “I didn’t think I would be treated like the other girls, but my teammates brought me in, and I felt welcomed. They made my experience 100 percent better.”

Senior teammate Madison Dodd was one of many upperclassmen to help Kate in her transition from junior high soccer to varsity.

According to Kate, Dodd’s support and encouragement as a teammate and friend has really pushed her to work hard and succeed as a player.

“I liked to give her a hard time for being a freshman, but I continually told her how good she was,” Dodd says. “She was one of the best players and I wanted her to be confident.”

For East, Kate was a striker, a position she had never played before. According to McEwan, Kate adapted well to the change, and by the end of the season, she placed fourth in the Greater Miami Conference (GMC) with 11 goals, two assists, and 24 points.

To Kate, however, playing soccer for East wasn’t about individual accomplishments.

What mattered most to her was being provided

50 lakotaeastsparkonline.com December 2015

with the opportunity to meet new people, experience new things, and help her team to succeed as a whole.

“Kate would rather see the team win awards than win awards herself,” says McEwan. “That is the sign of a committed player.”

According to Colleen, the opportunity to play varsity soccer has made Kate humble, mature and confident—qualities she will use for her future in not only athletics, but also in life. Kate plans to play East soccer for the rest of her high school career, followed by collegiate soccer and possibly professional soccer.

“Soccer has definitely changed my life. I have the opportunity to be with great people and really great soccer players, and I want to take advantage of that,” says Kate. “When I see professionals play, it makes me think that if I put in the work now, I could be there someday.”

For Kate, one varsity season has been completed, and any uneasiness has fully disappeared. For another freshman much like her, however, the varsity experience is only just beginning.

East freshman and varsity basketball player Jordan Stanley attended Lakota Ridge, a West school, for junior high. Between her eighth grade and freshman year, her family moved homes into East territory. Although changing schools was difficult for Stanley, she says she has adjusted well and is content with the switch.

“I think I will have more success at East [than West],” says Stanley. “The coaches and players are really phenomenal.”

Stanley began her athletic career in the fourth grade after playing recreational

basketball for the Lakota T-birds. After training with West varsity assistant coach Carlton Gray and her father, she developed a strong interest in the sport. One year later, she joined the Ametuer Athletic Union (AAU) basketball and has been playing competitively ever since.

According to Stanley, the biggest influence on her in regards to basketball is her father, Anthony Stanley. For hours a week, they spend one-on-one time together at the gym, practicing various drills with the goal of becoming a more well-rounded player. He was also a factor in her original interest for basketball. Basketball, Anthony says, is a way for him to spend time with his daughter while instilling lifelong values into her.

“Basketball has brought out her leadership qualities and has taught her how to set goals and to work to achieve those goals,” Anthony says. “Since the sixth grade, she said she wanted to play varsity as a freshman. She worked really hard to give herself at least the opportunity to be looked at, and she was fortunate enough to have that happen this year.”

Jordan tried out for East basketball’s 2015 season and was the single freshman to make varsity. According to girls’ head basketball coach Jill Phillips, Jordan's work ethic, determination, and natural talent, specifically her ability to be a consistent spot-up shooter, made her a fitting choice for varsity.

“We love having [Jordan] here,” Phillips says. “She’s coachable and comes to practice every day to get better. She fits in great with our kids, and their chemistry is good.”

Senior teammate Sam Rodgers shares a similar experience with Jordan, being the only freshman to make varsity during the 2012 basketball season. Therefore, Jordan says, Rodgers was very influential in her adaptation to not only varsity, but also to a new school.

“I was always the person that wanted to play a sport with a team that would go far.

With the amount of competition involved in it, I knew soccer would be that game.”

— Kate Larbes, East freshman

“I don’t really have an animosity against people who transfer from West and I knew she was a good player so I was excited for her,” says Rodgers. “I feel like sharing my experience made her feel like she’s not the only one experiencing this sort of thing.”

In her first varsity game, nervousness that Jordan says she felt during scrimmages was non-existent, and she ended the game with four points. According to Anthony, watching his daughter play in her first varsity game was an indescribable feeling.

“She was very confident, and I’m very proud of that moment for her in her first high school game,” Anthony says. “I had a bunch of different emotions. I sat there watching the team warm up, and I was very excited and happy for her.”

Jordan plans on playing varsity basketball for her four years of high school and hopes to receive a college scholarship for basketball in order to fulfill her dream of becoming an architectural engineer. To get to that point, she says she is willing to put in any work necessary, an idea that is prevalent to her father.

“I took her to practice and I took her to

games and training, and there are a lot of people that have worked with her,” Anthony says. “But she’s the one that put the work in.

She’s the one that sacrificed doing things her friends may have been doing while she was training or playing games. She sacrificed a lot to get to this point, and to have it pay off, I am very proud of her.”

Kate and Jordan are joined by a multitude of other East athletes to make varsity their freshman year of high school. In the 2015 season, one boys’ soccer, three golf, 18 cross country, one girls’ tennis, 11 swimming and 11 wrestling have made varsity rosters as freshmen.

These athletes make significant contributions to individual teams and have time to develop skills in order to further their careers.

As is the case for Kate and Jordan, say their East coaches. According to their coaches, both players have bright futures ahead of them, and as long as they continue to work hard and never give up, they will find success.

“As a freshman, there will always be people who will tell you what you cannot do,” McEwan says. “My advice is to show them instead what you can do.”

East freshman and girls’ varsity basketball player Jordan Stanley runs down the court.

East freshman and girls’ varsity center midfielder Kate Larbes prepares for a goal.

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alumni column profile| opinion | sports

OLD MACDONALD’S FACTORY FARM KELLY KRAJEWSKI art julia sanders

G

rowing up in the farming town of Liberty Township, it is easy to assume that all the food that touches your plate comes from green fields and tiny, family-owned farms, where goats play in troughs and calfs roughhouse by their mothers. But, the idyllic scene of wideopen spaces for animals to graze is far from the actuality of most meat production in America.

The reality is one of mechanized factories where animals spend their short lives inside before being sent to slaughter and eventually end up on the plates of consumers across the country.

Acording to One Green Planet, 99.9 percent of chickens for meat, 97 percent of laying hens, 95 percent of pigs and 78 percent of cattle currently sold in the United States are produced on factory farms. These farms raise animals under strict conditions, many of them spending their entire lives in small cages that they quickly outgrow as a result of growth hormones. In these tight quarters, it is easy for disease to spread quickly from cage to cage and then to the slaughterhouse. In 2010, the crowded, unsanitary conditions at two Iowa egg companies caused a recall of more than half of a billion potentially salmonella-tainted eggs, according to NBC news. Even though livestock farmers are producing more animals at a faster rate, they are not reaping the benefit financially; overproduction has driven the cost

of meat down.

“We pay the lowest percentage of our per capita income on food than any country in the world. In the mid-1980s, it was about 12 percent,” says CEO of the American Meat Institute Patrick Boyle. “Today it’s below nine percent. And meat, which is a large part of our diet in this country—meat and poultry—is less than two percent of our disposable income.”

While these low prices seem like an advantage to the consumer, they come at a high cost. There are risk factors toward not only the animals and the consumers but also to the environment directly connected to factory farms. Food & Water Watch estimates that the livestock and poultry on the largest factory farms in 2012 produced 369 million tons of manure. Traditionally, farms would use the manure they produced as fertilizer on their fields. But since factory farms’ production of manure is too high for it all to be effectively incorporated into the soil, this excess waste product, in turn, must be stored. Most factory farm manure is stored in lagoons, these lagoons often leak or rupture polluting the surrounding land and water systems.

F

or example in 1999, the majority of North Carolina’s manure lagoons spilled over into waterways during Hurricane Floyd, leading to widespread water contamination. What

While these low prices seem like an advantage to the consumer, they come at a high cost. There are risk factors toward not only the animals and the consumers but also toward the environment directly connected to factory farms.

made matters even worse was that North Carolina, like most states, requires no treatment of animal waste. In fact according to a study done by North Carolina State University, 55 percent of manure storage lagoons on hog farms are leaking.

E

xcess waste product is only one of many environmental effects factory farms have on the environment. Excessive water use is putting a strain on the already limited resource. According to World Wildlife Fund, approximately 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. Most of the water used in factory farm facilities is not used for hydrating the animals but rather to clean out waste, running the flushing systems that clean excrement off the floors of dairy farms requires on average 150 gallons of water per cow daily. Reducing the amount of meat eaten by the average human could help to reduce the water crisis, according to a global study on water usage lead by Mika Jalava of Aalto University in Finland.

“Our results show that reducing the amount of animal products in the human diet offers the potential to save water resources, up to the amount currently required to feed 1.8 billion additional people globally,” said Javala. “However, our results show that the adjustments should be considered on the local level.”

The factory farming complex that has taken over the meat production industry is not a healthy or sustainable system. Animals are subjected to horrifying conditions that often lead to disease for the sake of mass production. While this level of production drives the price of meat down it does so at the cost of consumer and environmental health.

It is all too easy to ignore how food gets to the table, but if consumption continues to be thoughtless, soon there will be nothing for the plate at all.

column | opinion

GUN CONTROL MIND CONTROL VICTORIA NEGRON I

wake up and turn on the TV to come across the all-too-familiar sight of the name of a school I’ve never heard of on the national news. Throughout the day I hear whispers in the hallway as people constantly check their phones for updates. Hours continue to pass and the body count continues to rise, the only thought running through my head being “that’s the second one this week.”

The talk of mental illness being a factor emerges as well as talk of stricter gun control followed by immediate calls for protection of the second amendment. As President Barack Obama gives his 15th statement about mass shootings since taking office in 2009, it’s become routine with no sign of action being taken on either side of the issue. As a country we have become desensitized to the tragedy of mass shootings and blind to the fact that change is needed for our own protection.

“Somehow this has become routine,” said President Barack Obama in his address after the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College (UCC) in Oregon. “The reporting is routine.

My response here at this podium ends up being routine, the conversation in the aftermath of it.

We have become numb to this.”

The mass shooting that caused the deaths of ten people at UCC in rural Oregon is one of a staggering 294 mass shootings in 2015 alone.

The increasing frequency of these tragedies has created a numbness to such events as President Obama pointed out in his address. Terrorism has caused 3,380 American deaths since 2001 while firearms have caused 406,496 deaths in the same time frame. However, the sheer amount of shootings isn’t the only issue, it’s where blame is being placed.

“It seems like there is nothing like a mass shooting to suddenly spark political interest in mental health,” said John Oliver, host of Last Week Tonight. “The vast majority of mentally ill people are nonviolent and the vast majority of gun violence is committed by non-mentallyill people.”

As a country, we have become desensitized to the tragedy of mass shootings and blind to the fact that change is needed for our own protection.

With the most recent shooting in Oregon, Republican candidates such as Donald Trump, Ben Carson and Mike Huckabee strayed away from the discussion of gun control and turned to the need for better mental health programs.

While gun related violence committed by those with mental illness is present, it pales in comparison to the amount of incidents carried out by those without mental illness. The National Center for Health Statistics shows that fewer than five percent of gun related killings in the United States between 2001 and 2010 were perpetrated by individuals diagnosed with mental illness. “I think gun-free zones are a catastrophe,” said Donald Trump during the Republican Presidential debate on October 28.

“They are a feeding frenzy for sickos. They are target practice for sickos and the mentally ill, they look around for gun-free zones.”

D

onald Trump is only one example of those who hide behind the issue of mental illness to avoid the conversation of gun control.

The National Rifle Association (NRA), fearing the loss of their second amendment rights as a result of stricter gun control, uses mental illness to turn the conversation to a completely separate issue. What the NRA fails to realize is their second amendment rights will remain intact even with stricter gun legislation. In President Obama’s proposed plan to address gun control in the United States, he calls for

54 lakotaeastsparkonline.com December 2015

background checks for all gun sales and a ban on military-style assault weapons.

Combining the two separate issues of gun control and mental illness hinders the progression of change for either one. Those with mental illness continue to be feared by the general public, while high rates of gun violence continue to go unaddressed. The rush to diagnose shooters in situations of gun violence brings a false light onto mental illnesses such as Asperger’s disorder, autism, and schizophrenia through inaccurate diagnosis, thus further strengthening the stigma surrounding mental illness as a whole. As members of society see the media resorting to mental illnesses as the place to shift the blame for mass shootings, that becomes the first place they will look to as well as similar situations arise in the future.

A

s the routine coverage of mass shootings in the United States continues, progression for both safer gun legislation and improved treatment for mental illness remain stagnant.

Those against gun control continue to hide behind the second amendment and let it hinder them from seeing the truth that the problem behind gun violence isn’t solely mental illness, but lack of proper control for gun sales. The only way to elicit change for either issue is to break the routine and stray away from jumping straight to the conclusion that mental illness is the only explanation for gun violence.

column | opinion

A FEMINIST AGAINST FEMINISM CARA SATULLO T

The first time I saw the hashtag “Women Against Feminism” I had to read it three times to make sure it was real. At face value, this movement is a faulty contradiction. It embodies the idea that women are against the belief in political, economic, and social equality of the sexes, as feminism is commonly defined.

I couldn’t comprehend how someone would oppose this. Out of curiosity and a bit of anger, I clicked on the hashtag and read some of the posts.

Soon it became clear that Women Against Feminism is about the connotation of feminism, not the definition. Posts constitute an ongoing collection of photos finishing the prompt “I don’t need feminism because…” with many statements claiming that feminism advocates man-hating, victimizing, and hypocrisy. Women offer many opinions, including “I don’t need feminism because playing victim is not empowering,” and because “men matter too.” The more I scrolled, the more torn I felt. I agree that playing the victim is not empowering and that men matter too; however, I don’t identify as an anti-feminist.

This shows how deeply misunderstood the feminist movement has become. A portion of radical feminists have given the entire group a negative reputation, and taken the focus away from gender equality. People are more concerned with countering the extremists than with generating effective solutions, and this confusion is causing eighty two percent of people to opt out of feminism, as a recent poll conducted by Perry Undem found. With the goal of this movement becoming increasingly

clouded, people are turning a blind eye to the gender inequality that still lingers over society.

In wealthier countries, this oppression persists in subtle ways, whether it be through sexist comments or an unspoken patriarchy.

Women remain incredibly underrepresented in government, and while 50.8 percent of the United States (US) population is female, only 19.4 percent of Congress is made up of women, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union. This imbalance of delegation plays a definite role in the lawmaking process, and while women may have won suffrage in the US, the Equal Rights Amendment still needs passed.

T

he more obvious form of oppression, however, is directed towards minority women in unstable countries. They often face violence, and are denied basic rights to education, property, and jobs. One Pakistani girl, Malala Yousafzai, spoke to these issues and became the youngest ever Nobel Prize laureate after defying Taliban, who was attacking young girls’ schools in her hometown. The Taliban issued a death threat against her at age fourteen, and she was shot by a gunman who boarded her school bus in the year 2012.

Yousafzai survived, and her story illuminated the obstacles that women continue to face all over the world.

“I raise up my voice not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard,” says Yousafzai. “We cannot succeed when half of us are held back.”

These injustices can be found everywhere.

316 out of 559 East students surveyed support gender equality but do not identify as feminists.

In Afghanistan, the majority of brides are under age sixteen. Eighty seven percent of Afghan women admit to experiencing domestic violence, and more than one million widows live on the streets, frequently forced into prostitution. Human trafficking exists far past the borders of Afghanistan, and has become a worldwide practice. Since this is a covert operation, accurate data is difficult to produce; however, the US Department of State estimates that there are 12.3 million sex slaves around the world. The most vulnerable individuals are runaway girls who have previously been victims of sexual abuse, and according to Equality Now, females make up 98 percent of sex trafficking victims.

T

hese hurdles aren’t exclusive to only women. Double standards make it difficult for men to show vulnerability or interest in supposedly feminine activities, and it is challenging for a man to go public after being the victim of sexual assault. Emma Watson addressed these issues at a United Nations meeting in 2014, using her speech as a catalyst to kick of her “He for She” campaign that focuses on getting men involved in feminism.

“Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be strong,” says Watson in her speech.

“It is time that we all perceive gender on a spectrum, not as two opposing sets of ideals.”

These barriers need to be addressed, but the turmoil within the feminist movement is causing progress to grow stagnant. Therefore, I have decided that I am a feminist against feminism. I believe we should continue the fight for equality, but have grown impatient with the animosity manifesting between opposing feminist groups. These conflicts may have backing, but they distract from the big picture. Rather than continue a battle of semantics, we should throw out the phrase “feminism” altogether and focus on the real issue of gender equality.

opinion | guest column

THE UNUNITED NATIONS PAYTON SOUDERS W

hile playing dress up or make-believe, the Disney princess I always chose was Jasmine. During my preschool days, there was no black princess for me. There wasn’t much black girl anything in the strict amount of pop culture I was exposed to. The black girl heroes that I could latch onto, like Mariah Carey, Beyoncé and Alicia Keys, didn’t look at all like me in the weight or skin category, and the ones that did look like me were always the loyal sidekick. So that’s what I viewed myself as, the slightly larger, loyal black sidekick with the frizzy hair who always made mistakes and never got the boy. I accepted this position reluctantly but dutifully, feeling that this is where girls like me belonged: a background character in my own life.

On Wednesday, Oct. 21, delegates representing countries from around the world sat down for a very important meeting. Each assembled their country nametag and talked in hushed tones with their considered allies, preparing themselves for the bombardment of ideas that were about to be thrown around the room. With a call to attention by the council’s president, all talking suddenly halted, and the severity of the topic began to set it. The first meeting of the Lakota East Model United Nations (UN) club had begun.

Before conversing between “nations” had even started, I had already learned a valuable lesson from Model UN—the voice of students on world issues should not be silenced or discredited. We reached a decision faster than any governing body of the 21st century, and every country got the chance to be heard, even my seemingly insignificant assignment of Romania. Sadly, Model UN has also taught me that self-interest often guides the decisionmaking process of almost all politicians, while pure humanity takes a back seat.

In preparation for the Model UN meeting, each delegate had to do some homework.

While looking at the justifications of why some

GUEST COLUMN countries would not open their borders to Syrian migrants, I wondered if politicians had bothered to do any of their own. Specifically, the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Organ.

Instead of treating the refugees with kindness or at least providing them with necessities to get them through the night, thousands of migrants are instead met with denial and tear gas at the Hungarian border. Organ describes the refugees as “looking like an army,” and even goes as far as to say “the right to human dignity and security are basic human rights, but neither the German nor the Hungarian way of life is a basic right of all people on the Earth.”

Many people have taken this statement as what it is, both xenophobic and anti-Muslim.

As we are seeing quite often in world news, a new player has entered the game. This player is the ISIS-constructed attacks on Paris that shook soccer stadiums, restaurants and the world. One-hundred twenty-nine people perished due to the six suicide bombings and shootings, with an additional 352 wounded.

After these attacks a ruthless band of Muslim extremists, ISIS, was found to be the guilty party. A Syrian passport was found on one of the attackers, so people began to question the intake of these refugees, including the United States Congress. People did not stop at blaming this radical group and went on to discriminate against Muslims and Syrian migrants as a whole. The House has already passed a bill halting the intake of refugees without the personal approval of a top executive official. Additionally, governors from more than half of the 50 states say that they refuse to settle migrants into their states and urge President Obama to act similarly. Americans

56 lakotaeastsparkonline.com December 2015

are beginning to question what at first seemed like a humanitarian cause. Cincinnati native Christopher Cornell, who was arrested for planning an attack in Washington D.C. recently, claims there are already members of ISIS in all 50 states. Evidently, the United States government will struggle with eradicating ISIS from afar as well as within.

The situation in France seems almost synonymous to an event in America’s history, that took place on April 19, 1995: the infamous Oklahoma City Bombing. When word spread across the United States and the world that a prominent government building had been bombed leaving 168 dead, fingers instantly pointed toward Muslims and the radical groups within the peaceful religion. To the dismay of all those who had blamed the religion of Islam, the true man behind the attack was Timothy McVeigh, a white American citizen.

In the Paris attacks, 129 died. In Oklahoma City, 168. In the Paris attacks, French and Belgian nationalists were largely to blame. In the American city of Oklahoma, an American was to blame. In both cases, the same group was blamed, adding to the hostility that is so prevalent between the West and East. If history repeats itself thoroughly, as it often does, the path is paved for more senseless attacks and hatred among religions.

Unfortunately, the answer of how to stop terrorism is still at large along with the hundreds of terrorists roaming the streets of every country. The harsh reality is that no wall between nations or tear gas at borders will halt an attack. Families from Syria are turned away at every inn, while the rest of the world shuts their doors. Senseless death cannot be met with increased restrictions and hatred. The definition of terrorism is the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political gains. The extremists are getting what they have asked for: Congressional acts and world disharmony.

editorial cartoons | opinion

EDITORIAL CARTOONS

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from the editor | opinion

IMPRESSIONABLE

CHRISTINE SHI photography richard giang

S

unday morning, four-and-a-half-year-old Makayla slowly described in almost perfect detail her newest dress: an incredibly fluffy gown fit for the Disney ice queen, Elsa.

“It has a really, really good top and has a bunch of flowers and all these shiny sparkles and—” She continued until she was distracted by a few adults talking loudly outside of the nursery about how much they hated their jobs. “But I don’t have any other good dresses. I hate them all,” she finished, abruptly.

Surprised by her sudden mood change, I asked her why she stopped talking about her fabulous new dress that she had swooned over just seconds before. I asked her why her other dresses suddenly were not only inferior to the Elsa dress but also miserably unacceptable to a point that she would use the word, “hate.” In perfect toddler fashion, she quickly handed me a tea cup and plastic cookie and said, “I made this for you!”

As a young girl, Makayla shouldn’t be scolded for not knowing that she should be thankful for her other dresses and shouldn’t say she hates her other dresses just to sound like the “mature adults” outside the room. Makayla’s innocent impressionability is expected and is often perceived as a trait adults and some teenagers outgrow, but that is not always the case.

After about three days into the mission trip to Thailand, I quickly realized the extent to which adults can also be influenced. At the beginning of the trip, I began making up new slang and accents that went with the excessive amount of puns I was spewing to entertain the team and myself on our long flights to Bangkok. First, no one on the team could hardly stand the lame accents and jokes, but after about three days, almost everyone on the team spoke and acted like I did when we had down time. By the end of the trip, every sentence came with a voice and every conversation was loaded with puns.

Our impressionability is evident in how easily susceptible we are to picking up odd habits or new favorites from friends and family. And although harmless when the habits or opinions we pick up are puns, impressionability should not always be brushed off as a show of friendship.

In 2003, the University of Chicago observed two-thirds of children carry into adulthood the religion with which they were raised. Too often do we assume opinions as our own whether it be political, cultural, religious or social, without having researched or thought about them independently. If this generation truly wants their own future, we first must make decisions based on our own honest beliefs and therefore must check our own impressionability before establishing our opinions.

58 lakotaeastsparkonline.com December 2015

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