Lakota East Spark 2020-21 Issue 4

s ap k T T o as O e h ffi t o h n a c w m o m a n e h a n a d ac r il s S e s . s t te h o v o f e o ts

Spark Lakota East High School lakotaeastsparkonline.com May 2021 $5 Newsstand

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P r re o T te s i b m p s d u o o ts o i d w ld t n a n in hy se y p g d o s T is ur a h ru o n p f d ts ra th

PROTECTING PATRIOTISM West Chester Township Trustee Chair Lee Wong revealed his military scars at a Trustee meeting to prove his patriotism.

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 1

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 15

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Cincinnati Children’s Hospital has begun trials studying the COVID-19 vaccine in children ages 12 to 15 years old.

ONE MORE SHOT

ISSUE #197

East junior LeAnn Neiderman raised over 12,000 dollars for Leukemia Lymphoma Society Students of the year campaign in honor of her dad and his best friend.

KICKING CANCER

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Citizens remain in the dark about the daily responsibilites of police, so Spark pulls back the curtain on the typical day of a police officer.

52

Spark staffer Andie Madding gives social media influencer Emma Chamberlain’s podcast “Anything Goes” four stars.

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With a new coaching staff, 13 seniors graduating, and losing a season to COVID-19 last year, the East lacrosse team is rebuilding their winning team.

LIFE ON THE LINE

SINCERELY EMMA

REBUILDING A DREAM TEAM

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Spark staffers Olivia Rigney and Wudie Amsalu debate whether or not the 2020-21 school year’s transcript should be counted.

HEAD TO HEAD

photography cassandra mueller

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Spark 2020-2021 STAFF

Editors-in-Chief: Abbie Westendorf Shiloh Wolfork Business Manager: Riley Higgins News Editors: Rachel Anderson Megan Miranda Feature Editors: Frankie Stull Marleigh Winterbottom Package Editors: Mia Hilkowitz Ava Huelskamp Culture Editors: Ianni Acapulco Natalie Mazey Sports Editors: Mason Wise Evie Colpi Opinion Editors: Rehab Jarabah Olivia Rigney

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Spark, On May 5, Lakota Superintendent Matt Miller announced through an email to East parents, guardians, and students that the East Principal Dr. Yejide Mack had been placed on a leave of absence. Due to the recent nature of the decision, a majority of the stories published in the news section, as well as other stories this issue, used Mack as a primary source that speaks for East. Although she is not actively performing as principal, she will still be referred to as “East Principal” because her title has not yet been permanently changed.

While she is not currently representing the school, she did at the time the stories were written. Given that it is a personnel matter, the reason for the district’s decision has not been released, but the story on page 9 delves into more details surrounding the impact this leadership change will have on both students and teachers.

We realize that this was a sudden shock to the East community with it being announced three weeks prior to the end of the school year.

However, Miller believes that the other East administrators will fulfill the responsibilities Mack previously held in order to “finish the year strong.”

We want to thank our readers for understanding our decision to keep Mack in the stories with the title of Principal. Even though this is the last in-print issue of the year, we will continue to keep the community informed with as much up-to-date information as possible through our online platforms. —Spark Editorial Board

The Spark encourages letters to the editor. Letters can be sent to the publication at Sparkbusiness2021@gmail.com or delivered to room 118 at the Lakota East High School Main Campus. Letters must be signed, and the staff reserves the right to edit the letters for length, grammar, invasion of privacy, obscenity or potential libel. The opinion editor will contact writers for confirmation.

Photography Editors: Riley Higgins Cassandra Mueller

ON THE COVER

Art Editor: Cassandra Mueller

designer marleigh winterbottom

Graphics Coordinator: Mary Barone PR Director: Abbie Westendorf Webmaster: Shiloh Wolfork

Spark Lakota East High School lakotaeastsparkonline.com May 2021 $5 Newsstand

Copyeditors: Rachel Anderson Abbie Westendorf Shiloh Wolfork Advisor: Dean Hume

PROTECTING PATRIOTISM

West Chester Township Trustee Chair Lee Wong revealed his military scars at a trustee meeting to prove his patriotism and stand up against Asian discrimination. The viral video reached millions as Wong became a global

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This issue, Spark’s cover is inspired by a story in our feature section. On Mar. 23, 2021, West Chester Township Trustee Chair Lee Wong revealed his military scars at a trustee meeting. This bold display by Wong was meant to prove his patriotism and speak up about the discrimination that faces the Asian community. The story explains Wong’s experiences as an Asian American and analyzes how those experiences have influenced his perspectives. The images on the cover represent Wong’s identity as both a politician and a United States soldier.

chief column | opinion

PROTESTING PROGRESS

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he Boston Tea Party of 1773, the Women’s Suffrage Parade of 1913, the Stonewall Riots of 1969. From the first significant display of colonist rebellion against the British that led to the American Revolution, to the first major demonstration that stood up for women’s right to vote, to the series of protests that resisted social and political discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. The right to protest has historically played a key role in identifying and addressing injustice.

Due to the large impact that protesting has had and continues to have on American history, the fact that lawmakers are attempting to enact bills to jeopardize and punish protesters is astounding. According to the New York Times, as the nation learned about Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict, Republican-led states began to introduce new measures for handling protests. In Oklahoma and Iowa, Republican legislators have passed bills granting immunity to drivers whose vehicles strike and injure protesters in public streets.

A Republican proposal made in Indiana would bar anyone convicted of unlawful assembly from holding state employment, including elected office, and a Minnesota bill would prevent those convicted of unlawful protesting from receiving student loans, unemployment benefits or housing assistance.

These measures are known as anti-protest legislation, and if enacted, they would support the idea that politicians and lawmakers should respond to powerful protests by silencing and controlling their participants instead of

actually addressing the cause. Although they claim to target and prevent violence, these laws clearly strive to associate peaceful protests with the rioting and looting that occasionally results from protesting, thus undermining protesting altogether.

According to Truthout, a nonprofit news organization, they generally focus on criminalizing protesters and making it easier for people to harm protesters without consequences. According to USA Today, some of the laws will even ban “taunting police” and “camping” out on state property.

According to a 2021 article by Pew Research Center, the desire to pass these bills is largely connected to recent Black Lives Matter (BLM) rallies, including the violent riots that began on May 26, 2020. Widespread anger about George Floyd’s death led some protesters to set fires and engage in looting and vandalism.

Instead of finding ways to punish protesters for standing up their rights, we should be analyzing the sources of their frustrations and finding legitimate ways to address them.

According to BMJ, a global healthcare knowledge provider, police are three times more likely to shoot and kill an unarmed black person than an unarmed white person in the U.S. With a statistic like this, it’s not surprising that some of the protests have become violent.

However, these anti-protest laws are unfairly targeting the BLM

column shiloh wolfork photography cassandra mueller movement. According to an article from Upworthy, a social impact organization that shares powerful stories across business and society, more than 7,750 BLM protests have taken place from May 2020 to Aug. 2020. Of these, 93% included no acts of violence, and of the 7% of protests that did involve violence, some of the situations weren’t even incited by BLM supporters.

For example, one of the instigators of riots during the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis was found to be a white supremacist. White supremacists were also found to be responsible for the violence at the BLM protests in Richmond, Virginia in Jun. 2020.

On the other hand, it seems that rightwing extremist protests that were actually intended to be violent and aggressive, such as the storming of the Capitol building in January 2021, aren’t being equally met with cries for anti-protest legislation.

According to The Perspective, although protests alone don’t always achieve change, they bring socially and economically marginalized groups to the forefront. If passed, these anti-protest laws would make it more difficult for already underrepresented groups to fight for themselves. Additionally, by allowing lawmakers to discourage certain protesters and uphold others, they are given the power to pick and choose which movements are acceptable to protest. To allow this to happen is a grotesque assault on the democratic system and a violation of the First Amendment rights to free speech and freedom of assembly.

Instead of operating and validating a system that silences minority groups and ignores glaring injustices, legislators need to learn to place equality before their own pride and politics.•

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news | photo captions

LAKOTA

derson caption rachel an b vanatta le photography ca

caption and photography marleigh winterbottom

o are planning to 36 student athletes wh the e rat eb cel to y wa a s xt school year, East at the collegiate level ne student was participate in athletics ony on Apr. 30. Each rem Ce g nin Sig tic hle held an At in the main gym s, and they all gathered est gu e fiv to up ed allow akfast, which included ed a boxed Panera bre joy en ey Th . a.m 0 at 7:3 watching each student juice, and water while , ies str pa it, emony and fru s, gel ba t was set up for the cer tha ge sta the on go Mahon, who is and their family rs. East senior Avery pe pa ir the d ne sig y pose as the s soccer, was excited iversity to play Women’ Un ine rm lla Be g din atten her family and friends. her commitment with e rat eb cel to le we continue ab be to classmates celebrate as low fel my all see to at school,” Mahon “It was gre eers at each individual car c mi de aca d an ic our athlet id off.” • t all the work really pa said. “[It] showed tha

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n Wednesday, Apr. 26, East’s French and Spanish Clubs gathered on the football field for their annual game of soccer, only this year due to COVID-19, they played kickball. The French Club team, only having three players in attendance, was outnumbered by the eight in attendance for Spanish Club. In order to maintain equal teams, French Club team captain Lucy Laude and Spanish Club team captain Anderson Nguyen took turns picking players for their team.

French Club held the trophy from last year, but ultimately ended up handing it over to Spanish Club after their defeat in this year’s kickball game. “[The kickball game] was a really fun experience that I recommend all future members of Spanish and French clubs take part in,” East junior and Spanish Club member Courtney Henson said. •

caption ben stowe photography rehman kh

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caption isha malhi photography riley higgins nspired by the Mason High School Meditation room, the East Muslim Student Association (MSA) meditation room was a decision introduced by the former president Ekra Khalid. Preparations for the room which was formally the photography classroom began last year but came to a halt due to the pandemic. The students started using the room on Apr. 13, 2021. The club has continued to meet every other Thursday since Sept. 2020. The room provided students who once had to pray under the stairs and in abandoned classrooms a safe and clean place to express their spirituality. The room is open to students during lunch time to accommodate those who are fasting.

“We knew we needed to create a solution for this problem,” MSA President Nasma Jarabah said. “The solution was the Meditation room.”•

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n Sunday, Apr. 18, East’s sidewalks were lined with personalized yard signs for the gradu ating class of 2021. All 700 signs were purchased for over $2,000

by Lakota’s Parent Teach Student Organization (PTSO). Eac h was marked with the senior by East Principal nam e of a Dr. Yejide Mack’s reques t, according to the PTSO Senior Sign and Sch olarship Chairman Amy Rupp. A number of students have expressed their appreciation for the signs, one of which was East senior Lin dsay Patton.

“I was very excited that everyone would be able to have a sign because in the past years no t every senior had one,” Pat ton said. “I am very thankful for what the school has done.”

The school decided to dis play the signs around cam week, asking students to pus for the leave them until Friday, Apr. 23. They did this instead of delivering them individually in the spirit of giving the class of 2021 a proper sen d off. •

RECAPS

briefs | news

TEACHER OF THE YEAR SELECTED

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he winner of the first Judy Buckenmeyer Educator of Excellence Award for the 20202021 school year was East government and psychology teacher Justin Dennis. He was presented the award at Senior Awards night on May 5.

Previously named the The Lakota East Teacher of the Year Award, it was established in 1997 when the building was opened to recognize educators nominated by East students. The award gives recognition to teachers who motivate, share ideas, inspire, support, create and go above and beyond in the community.

Many teachers have won this award over the years; their names are listed on Main Street.

Last year East math teacher of 19 years, Judy Buckenmyer, won the award. Buckenmyer passed away on Jun. 2, 2020 at the age of 59.

She had touched many students’ hearts over the years, and in her honor, this award was renamed “The Judy Buckenmyer Educator of Excellence Award.”

“So many of us used her as her example [She] is the best of us,” Innovation Specialist Kate Joseph said. “So the teachers voted to [change the name].

The award was presented by one of Dennis’s students and Hope Squad member Allison Browning. Dennis was honored to be recognized by one of his students because of how much he cares for them, but he also felt honored to be given the award named after Buckenmeyer.

“One of the most meaningful aspects is that it is named after Judy Buckenmeyer. You meet people in life who just have a kind soul, and that lady had an unbelievably great soul,” Dennis said. “That is the number one honor.”

This year, East accepted nominations from seniors in either video format or a written essay. Students were able to partner up to submit their entries. Joseph said the virtual nomination option was added due to COVID-19 restrictions and efforts to move to a safer form of entry.

“I think people are nervous about COVID-19,” Joseph said. “And as we’ve gotten better technology, kids are more comfortable on screen.”

The videos were sent to a selective committee consisting of students and Lakota staff to be reviewed. This committee decided the winner of the award. Some of the factors that go into

choosing the winner include how strong the student’s argument is for the teacher or how many times that teacher has been nominated before.

“There is a panel that includes our dean of students [Richard Hanes], and a couple faculty,” East principal Dr. Yejide Mack said.

“And then we have some senior students who if they volunteer to be on the senior committee that we typically have, or just two or three kids if they want to volunteer and beyond that, and then they’ll decide.”

As a former teacher, Dr. Mack believes that being an educator is an important job that touches many students’ lives. She says it is important to show appreciation to teachers for what they do. The main reason for this award is to thank and congratulate the teachers.

“Think about how you feel when somebody tells you ‘thank you’ or when somebody tells you ‘I appreciate what you did that helped me.’ Those kinds of things mean a lot,” Dr. Mack said. “ Most educators don’t need a huge celebration. Just to hear a thank you is huge.” •

-Rehman Khalid

RELAY FOR LIFE WITH A TWIST

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fter months of preparation for the annual Relay For Life event, an all-night charity walk for cancer, it was officially canceled

by East on Apr. 13. Last year’s event was held virtually and still gained a lot of support despite the complications due to the pandemic.

The Relay For Life committee decided to coordinate with Niederman Farm and The American Cancer Society to hold the event as a community instead of through the school.

It was held at Niederman Farm instead of the traditional East Track on Friday, Apr. 30.

The event raised more than $15,000 dollars in donations and still had support even with the last-minute change. The reason for the cancellation is unclear, but Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Richard Bryant was disappointed in the decision.

“I do not have a lot of detail to provide,” Bryant said. “The decision was made based on ‘senior only’ events approved in the spring. When combined with the number of underclassmen in the Relay initiative it was impossible to hold the event.”

East senior and Relay for Life Committee Chair Ellie Ford and East senior Relay committee member Mary Mislansky along with other members made the event possible.

One of the cancer survivors that spoke at the event was Kathy Knauff, Mislansky’s aunt.

Wearing a pink boa that was passed down from her mother who wore it every Relay, Knauff spoke about her experience fighting cancer.

“Your emotional fight helps our physical battle,” Knauff said. “Even though your school canceled the event two weeks before it happened, every one of you persisted, and that shows true character.”

Mislansky’s take on this change remained hopeful. Committee members spent a lot of time making sure the event was safe and followed COVID-19 precautions, “I was really disappointed when I learned that our event at East would be canceled,” Mislansky said. “I didn’t want to give up. I wasn’t going to take no for an answer.”

Mislansky and Ford worked to get the word out about the event and raise as much support

as they could.

“Relay is so important as it continuously raises money for cancer research while bringing the community together,” Ford said.

Members walked around the track until 10:30 p.m. and participated in activities such as Zumba and Luminaria. Luminaria represents and recognizes all of those who lost their battle with cancer. Each lantern that is placed on the track has a name attached, all handwritten by their loved ones. According to Mislansky, it’s one of the most important and emotional parts of the event, and moves everyone who participates.

“The night was incredibly special and meaningful to those who have felt the harsh effects of cancer,” Mislansky said. “It means the world to me that I could help provide a place to honor those feelings.” •

-Andie Madding

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news | new teacher contract

East Spanish teacher Maria Maine teaches her sixth period class.

CONTRACT APPROVED The Lakota Local School Board passed the three-year “Master Contract Agreement” with a three to one vote. story and photography mary barone

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he Lakota Board of Education passed the “Master Contract Agreement” with the Lakota Education Association (LEA) on Apr. 26, by a 3-1 vote. The contract is effective July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2024.

The district took a risk last fall by opening all schools to in-person learning, despite the ongoing pandemic. Given the staff’s dedication to extra cleaning procedures and safety precautions, teachers will be receiving a 2.5% appreciation bonus in the upcoming school year. On top of the one-time bonus, teachers will receive a 2% salary increase each year. The yearly increase is not as high as previous years; salaries increased by 3.5% in 2018 and 3.25% in 2019 and 2020 according to the 2018-2021 master contract.

Board Member Brad Lovell abstained from the vote. He expressed concerns for a conflict of interest as his wife Kristin Lovell is currently employed at Independence Elementary.

However, he said he hopes the contract is “a demonstration that we do appreciate our staff and our teachers.”

Board member Lynda O’Connor voiced her concerns before voting ‘no’ for the contract, pointing out the 14.5% increase in total compensation over the next three years puts the district in a spending deficit.

Fellow board member Julie Shaffer disagreed, arguing the district’s $100 million in reserves should be put to use through creating more opportunities for students and offering competitive pay for their teachers.

The district is required to keep two months’

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worth of expenses in reserves, amounting to approximately $30 million. The district currently has nearly $108 million in savings according to its five year forecast; this means the district has $78 million that could be spent before it truly reaches a deficit.

“Ideally we would never be in deficit spending to allow our reserves to grow and grow,” Shaffer said. “But at some point, our taxpayers question why we’re not creating student opportunities with the over hundred million that we are holding in their taxpayer dollars.”

Shaffer and O’Connor worked closely with 11-year LEA President Sharon Mays throughout the negotiation process. Mays explained that the union’s objective is to promote recognition of the importance of educators and advance the interest and welfare of teachers.

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n an unprecedented initiative, Mays and LEA Vice President Kevin Carlin surveyed all 960 union members to pinpoint the staff’s concerns. They were able to narrow them down to three areas: the elementary and 7-12 workday, special services (art, phys. ed and music at the elementary level), and virtual learning.

“It’s not really [my] contract. It’s up to the union’s 960 members, I just represent them,” Mays told Spark. “[The survey] kept us very busy, but I think it was really good because we heard from a lot more people than we usually do.”

Mays and Carlin formed committees of

union members, each meant to address a specific concern of the staff. After four weeks of Zoom calls, the committees consolidated their ideas, which Mays then brought to the board.

As a result of this collaboration, elementary schools gained a sixth special called social and emotional learning, meant to inform students on healthy habits and give teachers a break from their classes. Middle and high school teachers also benefit from the new contract, gaining a free period in the day they can use for planning.

According to East Assistant Principal Matt MacFarlane, this additional planning period may result in a schedule change for grades 7-12 in the upcoming school year to include seven classes in the school day rather than six.

Whether this new schedule will consist of bells zero through six or one through seven is still up for consideration.

“We know that if we get rid of the zero bell, everyone would have to report to school around 7:30-7:45,” MacFarlane told Spark. “It’s really trying to figure out the best interest of everyone in the building.”

Virtual learning language was crucial in these negotiations, as the previous contract was written pre-pandemic. The LEA introduced capsizes to virtual classrooms, protecting teachers from overwhelming online class sizes.

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ast Spanish teacher Maria Maine was split between virtual and in-person classes for the 2020-2021 school year. In August, she began with 99 online students split between two classes. She said the large class sizes combined with online teaching made it difficult to get to know students.

“Getting to know students takes time, it takes effort,” Maine told Spark. “I don’t want them to be a student ID, I want to recognize their face and know who they are.”

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 97% of Lakota staff eligible to join the union are a part of it. However, all qualifying staff members will benefit from the outcome of this contract regardless of their membership status. Mays explained the extra benefits of being a union member include having a voice in the negotiations and access to legal assistance.

“The dues to be an LEA member pay for themselves if you ever need protection against an accusation,” Mays said. “It would only take a couple hours of getting a lawyer to surpass the dues you have to pay.”

The contract proposed to the school board by the LEA passed through the union on Apr. 22 with 81% of members voting yes. Mays said that although they did not get everything they were hoping, they were very fortunate that the board listened to their concerns.

“Ultimately it comes down to the wellbeing of the teachers and students,” Mays said.

“And we’re very fortunate that the board sees eye-to-eye with us in that way.” •

leave of absence | news

PLACED ON LEAVE

story natalie mazey | photography cassandra mueller

East principal Dr. Yejide Mack was placed on a leave of absence with two weeks left in the school year.

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n May 5, Dr. Yejide Mack was placed on a leave of absence after serving as East’s principal for nine months. Before East, she served as assistant principal at Sycamore High School from 2014-2020. East students and parents were informed of this change in an email from Superintendent Matt Miller that afternoon. Teachers were informed during a meeting held after the school day with Miller and members of the East Administration team.

Teachers received an email that day from Miller stating there would be a meeting in the cafeteria immediately after school at 2:50 p.m.

“We don’t get emails like that, so of course we took that seriously,” an East teacher, who wishes to remain anonymous, said. “I know it’s a new developing thing, but what exactly is the issue? Rumors are flying everywhere, and I don’t really understand it.”

Multiple teachers feel this way but were not willing to publicly comment on this story.

“Paid administrative leave means that an employee does not perform his or her job duties while inquiries are being made into his or her job performance,” Director of School and Community Relations Betsy Fuller related to Spark. “During this time, the employee continues to be paid.” The investigation deals with procedural issues not criminal issues.

The role of principal has not been filled at this time, but East’s administrative team including Assistant Principals Matt MacFarlane and Dennis Smith, Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Richard Bryant, and High School Building Coordinator Richard Haynes will share the responsibilities through the final two weeks of the 2020-21 school year. Assistant Director of Curriculum Deana Moss will aid

in the transition alongside the Central Office team, according to the email from Miller.

“While I understand that there may be questions, we are not at liberty to discuss details related to this matter,” Miller said in the email. “I have the utmost confidence that the administrative team can handle this unexpected change.”

Dr. Mack is prohibited from having contact with staff or students, along with being banned from district property and school events. Endof-the-year events will no longer be led by Dr. Mack; National Honor Society (NHS) Induction was led by Miller, while both graduations will be led by Bryant.

the school year.

Last month, East seniors who ordered white caps and gowns received black caps and gowns, causing an uproar. The email from Dr. Mack said the change was to “exemplify Thunderhawk Pride.” The situation has now been resolved by the superintendent, and female students received white gowns, per tradition. According to a source at the faculty meeting, Miller said that this was not the reason for the decision; that it was a personnel decision that included more factors.

Dr. Mack’s attorney, Kelly Mulloy Myers, told Spark that Dr. Mack has navigated this year as a first-year principal with success during these unprecedented times. Her 18 years within education has left her as a dedicated and talented principal, according to Myers.

“Dr. Mack is respected and well-liked by students, teachers, and staff,” Myers said.

“There is no legitimate basis for placing Dr. Mack on a leave of absence. We look forward to a full investigation and prompt resolution.”•

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n an interview with WLWT News 5, Dr. Mack explained she’s an educator “who leads strictly with students in mind,” and she is unsure about the reasoning for her being placed on leave.

Because the district is not revealing information about the cause of the leave of absence, a student explained rumors are running rampant. Students want to know why Dr. Mack was placed on leave, especially with a mere two weeks left of

Right: Dr. Yejide Mack sitting at her computer in the main office while she was still the principal at East.

www.lakotaeastsparkonline.com

CELEBRATING SENIORS story natalie mazey | photography megan miranda

Typical senior activities, such as Prom and graduation, have had to adapt to accomodate COVID-19 restrictions, while still allowing the Class of 2021 to celebrate their accomplishments.

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 9

According to Lovell, it did not make sense to ask the community for money to fund the MFP last March, causing them to temporarily stop conversations.

“Many of our families were hit really hard financially [during the early months of the pandemic]. So, one of the things that we want to make sure that we’re doing is being responsive to the community.” Lovell said. “And so carrying on a conversation about investing in our buildings [last March] probably wasn’t the right point in time to be doing that.”

T West Freshman Campus is Lakota’s oldest buiding; it was built in 1959.

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE The Lakota district has asked the community for more feedback on their Master Facilities Plan after pausing the plan in March of 2020. story and infographics rachel anderson | photography cassandra mueller

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fter almost a year of pressing pause on Lakota’s Master Facilities Plan (MFP), conversations surrounding the age, conditions, and size of the 25 buildings in the district started again early this year.

Lakota board member Brad Lovell said that the MFP is a way to “strategically invest your dollars for future growth.” The 25 buildings in the district are valued at more than $400 million. Without a plan, the district would invest in immediate repairs, such as a roof that needs replaced. There would be no strategy or even distribution of money. With a plan, the district knows exactly how much money they can spend to build, repair, redistrict, or redesign schools.

“Having a master facilities plan allows us to be a little bit more strategic in how we invest our dollars, meaning we can continue to pour money into buildings like West Freshmen, which is extremely old. Or we can say ‘hey, long-term facility, we know that we may need to take that building offline.’ And that’s just one example because it’s going to cost more to maintain than it would to build a new building or do something different with that space,” Lovell told Spark. “So again, having a Master Facilities Plan gets your district to have really good conversations, and then you’re strategically investing your dollars around a plan that’s really specific and everybody knows.”

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his school year, however, Lovell admits to being very outspoken on the need for the school board to start talking about the MFP again.

“Whether or not we go to our taxpayers for money in the future to build, grow, redesign, or whatever it is, yes, that’s going to be a conversation. I think it’s irresponsible for us as a district to just stop conversations because we’re worried about having the conversations,” Lovell said. “Having a facilities plan in place, whether you choose to fund it or not, is the right thing to do.”

The average age of all of the district buildings is 33 years old. By 2025, five of the buildings will be over 50 years of age. By 2045, all 23 schools will be at least 30 years old, and 13 of those will be over 50. The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) rated all of the schools either satisfactory, deficient, or borderline; eight schools were considered deficient and three were borderline.

“The buildings aren’t getting any younger.

There’s still some of them that are fairly old

However on Mar. 13, 2020, after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced that schools were going to temporarily close in order to control the increasing number Top ThoughtExchange Themes of COVID-19 cases, band (3.9 star score) Lakota immediately top comment: Keep the band, theater, started to put all choir, and art programs: both in school of its attention and as extracurriculars (4.4 stars) into the education and wellbeing of its students while class sizes (3.9 star score) learning in a virtual top comment: Having smaller student environment. This groups is so important for connecting meant that the with students... (4.2 stars) district had to hit pause on other items classroom space (3.9 star score) on their agenda, top comment: ... having enough space including the MFP. and staff to have more classrooms to “Our primary spread out the kids (4.0 stars) focus when COVID-19 hit was kids specials (3.8 star score) to see the best way to top comment: We need to fight to educate our students keep kids in school as much as possible and how we could and keep Specials alive... (4.0 stars) do that remotely,” Lakota Board President Kelley learning kids social (3.8 star score) Casper told Spark. top comment: That socialization “Then this year, how and in person learning is essential for we could [educate proper development (4.0 stars) the students] safely.” source my.thoughtexchange.com

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master facilities plan | news and need to be have something done to them,” Casper said. “There are some really old buildings; Liberty Junior, Hopewell Jr., Hopewell ESC, and some of those schools are pretty old and need some work, so we’re just trying to figure out the best use of our money.”

In December of 2019, the school board passed a resolution with a 3-2 vote to participate in the OFCC’s Expedited Local Partnership Program (ELPP). The program is a non-binding agreement that allows Lakota to receive up to a 26% state reimbursement for improvements. The ELPP that was voted on in the 2019 meeting expired in December of 2020, but the rate of partial funding remains at 26%.

The district is recommending that the board reapply for ELPP in the future. However VSWC, the architects with whom the district is partnering, told the Lakota MFP committee that Lakota should have a finalized plan prior to signing the ELPP, according to Lovell. The MFP committee includes Lovell, board vice president Michael Pearl, Lakota Treasurer Jenni Logan, Lakota Superintendent Matt Miller, and Lakota Chief Operations Officer Chris Passarge.

“Funding for a master facilities plan would most likely come from a bond issue, which would require approval from our community,” Logan told Spark. “Our general operating fund is reflected in the five-year forecast. Finding the right balance with our operating budget and needs and our facilities is always a priority.”

E

ven though conversations about the MFP started again in January, and the district held community meetings recapping all that happened in early 2020, Lovell says that the plan has almost come to a pause again.

“At this point, because we don’t have the plan - we put it on pause - it doesn’t make sense to go forward with signing the ELPP agreement until we really are moving more forward with our plan,” Lovell said.

Because it had been so long since the district had conversations with the community about the MFP, the district decided to hold another ThoughtExchange in order to gain more insight on the pandemic’s impact on the buildings.

The question asked “When thinking about the future of education, what lessons have you learned through the COVID-19 pandemic that we should consider in our master facilities planning?”

“We had gained momentum prior to March, sharing information with our community and getting their feedback,” Miller told Spark.

“After pausing for eight months, we have to reengage our community in the process and do it virtually.”

The ThoughtExchange had 140 thoughts and 244 participants, most of which were current parents or guardians, but also included, former parents and guardians, staff members,

students, community members, and business leaders. The top comments mentioned extracurriculars, class sizes, classroom space, flexible spaces, and the need for outdoor breaks in all grade levels.

Although the district is expected to grow a small amount in the upcoming years, Casper says that there does not need to be a seat for every student. This is because not every student in the district goes to a building every day due to students taking College Credit Plus (CCP) classes online or at a college, seniors’ flexible schedules, and students who choose to take the Virtual Learning Option (VLO).

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ne of the themes on the ThoughtExchange was VLO. The comments talked about ways to improve VLO for next year, why they believe in-person learning is better, and why VLO should be offered every year.

According to Casper, the district was working on a VLO option before 2020, but the pandemic accelerated the process. Lovell said continuing to offer VLO “radically changes the building usage.”

“What we want to do is be very aware of the future trends and what that looks like, and then as we start to think about right sizing the district through the facilities plan, what is the right approach to do that,” Lovell said. “So we really haven’t regained any momentum from the work that we have been doing. However, we’ve had great conversations about the impact of the pandemic and on the future of what that plan might be.”

Another factor that has contributed to the current pause of moving forward with the plan, beyond community feedback, is the allocation of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) I, II, and III funds provided to schools by Congress’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed on Mar. 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriation Act (CRRSA) passed on Dec. 27, 2020, and American Rescue Plan Act, passed on Mar. 11 2021 respectively.

Lakota’s allocated funds that they will receive will total approximately $19, according to Logan, and the allocation is determined by the number of students in the district who are economically disadvantaged. The money can be used for district-wide initiatives, but is not allocated to any specific building.

“We need to keep having conversations right now just around what are the impacts of COVID-19, but we’ve got to push our timeline back,” Lovell said. “We’re in kind of a holding pattern and waiting to see what some of those federal funds might fund, if they fund anything at all. The other thing too that we knew we wanted to wait for was the impact of some of these COVID-19 relief dollars on our fiveyear forecast, and really getting a really secure financial model.” •

OFCC’s Ratings of the Schools satisfactory schools: Liberty Wyandot Cherokee Endeavor Independence Union Van Gorden Plains Jr. East Freshman East H.S. West H.S.

grades: PK-2 PK-2 3-6 3-6 3-6 3-6 3-6 7-8 9 10-12 10-12

borderline schools: Shawnee Woodland Ridge Jr.

grades: PK-2 3-6 7-8

deficient schools: Creekside Heritage Hopewell Adena Freedom Hopewell Jr. Liberty Jr. West Freshman

grades: PK-2 PK-2 3-6 3-6 3-6 7-8 7-8 9

source lakotaonline.com

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 11

news | new fire dpeartment

Captain Matt Knollman and FF/ EMT Brendan Dzigiel who is riding backstep, putting their gear on in the new fire station.

STATION RELOCATION

Liberty Township’s Fire Department relocated Station 112 and will have its upcoming grand opening this spring. • story and photography audrey allen

T

he alarm bell rings mid afternoon. The firefighters drop everything that they are doing. They quickly switch over to emergency response mode as quickly and safely as possible and assume their assigned roles. Thanks to their daily morning equipment checks at 7 a.m., everything is ready to go. They board the fire trucks and take off out of the fire station.

Even though firefighters have been operating out of the station since March, the new building for Station 112 will have its grand opening “sometime in the future” according to Christine Matacic, a Liberty Township trustee.

“Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we did a soft opening on May 4, 2021, with staff and the neighbors,” Matacic told Spark. “We are hoping to have an open house when some of the restrictions are lifted.”

Liberty Township Fire Chief Ethan Klussman did a few presentations to the Trustees on why a single larger station could serve the entire eastern portion of the township

12 lakotasparkonline.com May 2021

and save tax dollars by moving the existing outdated Fire Station 112. On Aug. 21, 2018 the Liberty Township Board of Trustees approved a resolution to enter into a contract for an option to purchase property located at 7655 Princeton Road to relocate fire station 112. The designers for the new station were MSA Architects, and the firm they contracted with to manage and construct Station 112 and the renovations to Station 11 and Station 113 was Bilbrey.

“When we contracted to have Station 112 built, we also needed some renovations to Station 11 and Station 113,” Matacic said. “For cost effectiveness and efficiencies, these projects

were bundled together.”

The approved contract with MSA was $530,000, and the approved contract with Bilbrey was $5,020,436. The total contracted for Station 112 and renovations to Station 11 and Station 113 was $5,550,436. The amount spent to date with MSA is $510,075.37 and the amount spent to date Bilbrey is $4,795,698.

Total spent to date for the station and renovations is $5,305,773.37. The Township will have more invoices coming in due to the timing of their billing and the payment of those invoices, but anticipate that they will not exceed the contracted amount.

This station was previously located at 6957

“If the grade schools ever want to come here, we’re better suited to have people come here and do station tours, The other station wasn’t very user friendly when having outsiders come in. We have the ability to do that here with the larger space.”

- Liberty Township Fire Department Chief Klussman

new fire departmnet | news Right: The new Fire Station - Station 112 - is located at 7655 Princeton Rd. in Liberty Township. It is 1.2 miles away from East.

Yankee Road and was built in 1974. The property was purchased in late Dec. 2018 and construction started in Mar. 2020. It will continue to serve the east side of the Township.

This includes all of the neighborhoods and businesses within the borders of Butler-Warren road to the east, the City of Monroe to the north, Hamilton-Mason Road to the south, and Mauds Hughes to the west. Station 112 also handles multiple miles of I-75, as well as State Route 129. The relocation was driven by the growing fire company and Liberty Township.

“The old station was old and outdated. It wasn’t sufficient for running a modern fire company. It was too small and didn’t have enough room to store equipment,” Assistant Fire Chief of Liberty Township David Greve told Spark. “So we were luckily able to find that property up on Princeton road that was close to the old [station] but gives us a little bit better access to that Northeast corner of the township as well.”

Station 112 opened when the Liberty Township Fire Department (LTFD) was a volunteer department and was not originally designed to house firefighters/paramedics on a 24-hour basis, but was modified several times in order to accommodate the changes to a paid fire department. It was serving a population of about 5,000. Today, Liberty Township has about 40,000 residents and more than 400 businesses. With that growth in population it is necessary that the LTFD grows with it.

“So we tried to plan for future growth as well as meet the needs for the existing Township.

If we ever want to expand station 112, which we have zero plans to do, we can,” Greve said.

It includes a shield standing out in the front as the chest plate for the thunderhawk.

“One of the things that I talked to the superintendent about was ‘how do we lussman used a mapping software called incorporate this design into bringing the Lakota Geographic Information System (GIS) to East school system and us closer together?’ find a better location for station 112 to Whether it’s selling t-shirts or stickers with the cover both the North and South portions emblem on it,” Klussman said. of Liberty Township.

Lakota Superintendent Matt Miller stated “So we started looking for land with the that it is “always beneficial” to have a fire mapping software and fortunately, the family station in close proximity to Lakota buildings that lived here had just happened to be wanting in case of emergency. to sell their five acres,” Klussman told Spark. “It “Our partnership with the fire department had exactly what we needed.” helps keep our students and staff safe,” Miller This location puts the station closer to said. “Representatives from both West Chester Lakota district schools especially the East and Liberty Township’s fire departments are Freshman Campus, Independence, and members of our district safety committee and Wyandot Elementary. meet with us several times a year to review our “If the grade schools ever want to come safety plans.” here, we’re better suited to have people come It took about four months to design the here and do station tours,” Klussman said. “The station. They went through 10 or 12 different other station wasn’t very user friendly when design pieces to come up with the current plan. having outsiders come in. We have the ability People from the department as well as some of to do that here with the larger space.” their administration personnel were included Each station gets the ability to design to ensure that they spent the right amount a station emblem. Station 112 of money, but they also incorporated their incorporated Lakota personnel to make sure the station had what East into their they wanted. design.

“This is their house for 24 hours and that’s how we look at it. So we want the people that live here to be comfortable and have high morale,” Klussman said. “We want to make sure we provide all the necessities that make their job efficient.”

One of the things that was important to include was a social space for the firefighters to talk about their life and get to know each other while eating meals in the new kitchen. There is a living room across from the kitchen with a Above: Liberty TV and chairs for socializing.

“The most important piece was how we Twp. fire truck designed the kitchen, the living room area, and Station 112 is equipped the dining room to be like a house. It’s wide with supplies for any open, it’s functional, and it’s more of “We’re still relatively close to Liberty Center, the hospitals, and most of our Southeast corner, which are mostly fully-developed areas.”

K

emergency.

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 13

news | new fire dpeartment

“I speak for the firefighters that work here, we’re very thankful. It just feels like a privilege to be in this facility. It’s nice to feel supported by the community.” - Captain of Station 112 Matt Knollman that family atmosphere to where you can hang out,” Klussman said. “They get to sit and tell stories about their families and about their day. We want to make sure that it was a welcoming space and very usable.”

Captain of Station 112, Matt Knollman said that it is “really important for them to eat meals together.” They try to cook and eat lunch and dinner as a group. As well as having a nice social area, they each have a bunk room. They currently have 10 bunk rooms in Station 112 and a place to clean their fire gear.

It is very important to properly clean their gear. Cancer is a leading cause of death among firefighters, and research suggests firefighters are at higher risk of certain types of cancers when compared to the general population.

In 2010, researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), launched a multi-year study to examine whether firefighters have a higher risk of cancer due to job exposures. The study included nearly 30,000 career firefighters from Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco who were employed at any time between 1950 and 2009. NIOSH researchers found that, when compared to the number of cancers expected using U.S. population rates, the firefighters in this study had an increase of nine percent in cancer diagnoses and a 14% increase in cancerrelated deaths. Firefighters can come into contact with chemicals by breathing them in,

getting them on their skin or in their eyes, or by ingesting them. That is why it is very important to properly clean their gear.

“It’s a big push in the fire service with cancer awareness to make sure that you clean your gear after every incident. The only place we could clean our gear was at Station 113, but now there is a cleaning system at Station 112.

They also incorporated a quarter master room, which will store all the uniforms and gear that we distribute out to people,” Greve said. “It also has a really nice workshop and a cascade system, which is the system that fills our SelfContained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) bottles, the air that we bring into fires. So we have the ability to fill them at Station 112 when prior the only place was at Station 113.”

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tation 112 is staffed 24/7 with a minimum of five firefighting personnel. All of the responders are cross-trained as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) with at least two on-duty paramedics. Station 112 houses the Township’s only light rescue engine (Engine 112), an ambulance (Medic 112), and an auxiliary support or staff vehicle (Car 112).

“So the primary job here of all of our firefighter EMTs is to make emergency responses. So that may be fire suppression and extinguishment or motor vehicle collisions,” Knollman told Spark. “I want to say 85 to 90 percent of our runs are actually Emergency

Medical Service (EMS) runs or a run that results in an EMS response.”

Firefighters have taken occupancy and moved into the new building on Mar. 27, 2021. That was their first day making runs directly out of Station 112. Functionally the station is complete but they still have things to hang on the walls and finishing touches to add.

“It is very exciting to see that all the hard work over the last 10 years in planning and executing the updating/new construction of the facilities for Fire, Police, Road/Parks, and Administration is finally completed. We are a rapidly growing community that was working out of small, inefficient, and sometimes ineffective facilities,” Matacic said. “With this work completed, we are able to provide a safe and efficient environment for our employees to serve the needs of our residents, businesses, and guests today and into the future.”

The community and the trustees’ support has allowed them to bring a service that will last somewhere between 30 and 50 years.

“I speak for the firefighters that work here, we’re very thankful. It just feels like a privilege to be in this facility. It’s nice to feel supported by the community,” Knollman said. “We have a room to train properly, we have the room to store all of our equipment, and the room to exercise. So I would say the biggest thing I feel, and I think the crews would agree with me, is thankful.” •

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14 lakotasparkonline.com May 2021

ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS!

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covid-19 | vaccine

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ONE MORE SHOT

Above: A Moeller High School student receives his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital has begun trials studying the COVID-19 vaccine in children ages 12 to 15 years old.

story and photography mia hilkowitz | additional photography rachel anderson

A RETURN TO NORMAL PART II

ince the COVID-19 vaccine was approved for emergency authorization use in December 2020, biomedical companies like Pfizer and Moderna have been continually trying to lower age restrictions in hopes of increasing vaccinations worldwide.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital has worked to reach authorization for a younger age group: 12 to 15 year olds. The nationally recognized hospital is running trials to test the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on participants in this young population to expand the number of citizens eligible for the vaccine.

Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Robert Frenck has been directing these trials through the Gamble Center for Research. Frenck says that his department has been working for months to test and develop the vaccine.

“When COVID-19 started, [the National Institute of Health] contacted us to start working with them on the vaccine,” Frenck told Spark. “Pfizer [also] talked with us to ask us to help them with their vaccine testing.”

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital has participated in numerous other vaccine trials this year, first focusing on the adult age group then transitioning to a younger population.

According to Frenck, about 1,400 people have enrolled in the different Cincinnati Children’s trials. Currently there are 350 12-15 year olds in the ongoing trial. Frenck described the detailed process that’s used to study the COVID-19 vaccine.

“First you have to assess that you have the resources you need such as the number of study personnel, that we have enough space to be able to store the vaccine, and that we have the room to be able to have people come in,” Frenck said. “Then we have a protocol which says how we’re going to do this study, and the protocol is then submitted to a review body called the Institutional Review Board.”

The Institutional Review Board is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) organization that reviews and monitors biomedical research involving humans. The Institutional Review Board must approve an organization’s protocol before trials can begin. After approval, Cincinnati Children’s started the search for its young participants.

“We put out advertisements letting people know about the study. They come in and talk to us and see if they’d be interested in participating,” Frenck said. “If people come in and say yes, that they would like to know more, we review with them the informed consent document.”

An “Informed Consent Document” is the form used in a clinical trial that explains to potential participants the risks and benefits of a study, as well as the rights and responsibilities of participants and researchers involved.

According to the FDA, an Informed Consent

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 15

news | covid-19 vaccine

“It’s very important that there is a high uptake of the vaccine so that we can get out of this pandemic and get out of our rooms and Zoom calls.” - Director of Infectious Diseases at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Paul Spearman participants in a study. Following the review and signing of this document, participants undergo a background check and begin the trial. “[First] we would get some blood from [the participants] because you need to know what their antibody level and immune response is before they have a vaccine,” Frenck said. “Then they get a dose of the vaccine and come back in three weeks. Then [they get] another blood test to see how the immune response is so far and get another dose of the vaccine. Then they come back and we get another blood sample and see how the second dose affected their immune response.”

Following the initial trial, researchers follow the participants over time to monitor symptoms and side effects and to make sure the vaccine is appropriately preventing infections.

diseases affect the young and old most severely, so it’s great to learn and better understand that young people did not have the same severity of illness as many older people.”

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, as of May 6, over 3.85 million children in the U.S. had tested positive for COVID-19 since March 2020. Only 0.11.9% of child COVID-19 cases resulted in hospitalization. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the highest rate of hospitalization is 12% among those 85-years-old and up.

“Generally, most children have more mild effects of COVID-19,” Burkhardt said. “Many have symptoms for several days, but they make a full recovery. We have seen that other children are affected more significantly, often children who have other underlying illnesses.”

According to a Cincinnati Children’s study released Mar. 31, the vaccine was 100% effective in preventing COVID-19 infection in children aged 12 to 15. On May 25, the FDA approved emergency use for those 12 to 15-year-olds. Frenck believes that the vaccine will be widely available for the age group before the start of the 2021-22 school year.

C

incinnati Children’s Hospital Associate Division Director of Primary Care and Pediatrics Mary Burkhardt thinks that these types of studies on COVID-19 are beneficial to the pediatric field.

“At the beginning of the pandemic, COVID-19 was new to all of us,” Burkhardt told Spark. “We were not sure who would be impacted and what the short and long term implications of infection were. Often infectious

Common Side Effects of the COVID-19 Vaccine

malaise

0.5%

nausea

1.1%

injection site redness injection site swelling fever joint pain chills muscle pain Headache fatigue pain at injection site source pfizer.com 16 lakotasparkonline.com May 2021

The trial demonstrated 100% efficacy for 12-15 year olds

9.5% 10.5% 14.2% 23.6%

The trial enrolled 2,260 adolescents

31.9% 38.3% 55.1%

62.9% 84.1%

Director of Infectious Diseases at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Paul Spearman said that coronaviruses are not necessarily new illnesses in the medical field. For instance, the first human coronavirus was discovered in the mid 1960s, and now scientists have identified seven different strands of the virus.

“We see coronaviruses that don’t cause nearly this degree of illness,” Spearman told Spark.

“They are commonly seen in kids and generally just cause an upper respiratory infection.”

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imilar to adults, common symptoms of COVID-19 in children include fever, fatigue, headaches, coughing, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, abdominal pain, and nausea. Spearman, who initially ran an Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection lab, has transformed his department to begin studying COVID-19 and assist in the testing and development of the vaccine.

“Our group has been involved in numerous COVID-19 vaccine trials during the last year,” Spearman said. “We turn a lot of resources to the problem of the moment. There needed to be such a large effort. And then there are people who have worked on coronaviruses for years who can do more of the complex experiments.”

An April 2021 Reuters report found that 55% of U.S. parents said they were interested in getting their child vaccinated against COVID-19. Spearman said that the concerns of the other 45% should still be addressed.

“There is a substantial minority of the population who have reservations about vaccines for a number of reasons and I think that’s very important to recognize,” Spearman said. “It’s important to get the right information out so that everyone can evaluate for themselves the safety track records of the vaccines and how well they work and make a decision to hopefully get the vaccine. It’s very important that there is a high uptake of the vaccine so that we can get out of this pandemic and get out of room and our Zoom calls.”

Spearman believes that it is important for parents to receive accurate information regarding the vaccine, and he offers a message to those with hesitance.

“The first thing I would tell them is that I would give it to my kids,” Spearman said.

“My kids are adults now and when they were younger we always vaccinated them. We know how important it is for kids to be protected from things like influenza, and for COVID-19 it’s, at the moment, even more important that they get protected.” •

The Cincinnati Children’s Liberty Campus is located 0.5 miles away from East.

VACCINATING LAKOTA story olivia rigney photography riley higgins

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incinnati Children’s Hospital has reached out to Lakota to potentially host a vaccination clinic for East and West students who are 16 and older.

On Apr. 21 an email was sent to students’ parents with a survey to gain feedback to see if there will be any plans moving forward.

Superintendent Matt Miller has been in communication with different vaccination center opportunities.

“We are open to partnering with one of the healthcare providers in our area to host vaccination clinics if necessary,” Miller told Spark. “But nothing has been planned at this time. If this were to happen, parent consent would be required.”

Ever since the COVID-19 vaccine became available for 16-18 year-olds on Mar. 29, many East students and teenagers all over the country have done their part to get vaccinated. According to the district parent survey, 30% of the 1,200 responses said that their child has already received the vaccine.

According to the Ohio Department of Health, there are five different vaccinations that students must receive to enter grades kindergarten to twelfth grade as of Fall 2020. These vaccinations include the polio vaccine, MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, HEP B, Varicella, and the MCV4 vaccine.

Although these are a few immunizations that are required, the COVID-19 vaccine is not currently required for school attendance. East Principal Dr. Yejide Mack says that there are not currently plans to make the COVID-19 vaccine required.

“I don’t know if [the vaccine] will be mandatory. We’ve not even had those discussions” Dr. Mack told Spark. “It’s important for each family and student to do what’s best for them and their family, and we do not want to take that decision away.” •

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 17

news | vlo transcripts

East junior Myriam Alexis logs into HAC to see her transcript.

TRANSCENDING TRANSCRIPTS Due to the pandemic Lakota has faced an increase of failing grades, forcing the administration to find solutions. • story and photography megan miranda

F

ollowing a year of increased student absences due to quarantines and new learning environments for students, there has been an increased amount of students struggling with grades in not only Lakota, but nationwide.

Lakota Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Keith Koehne believes the decrease in passing grades for students is due in part to COVID-19.

“Similar to most school districts this year, Lakota has experienced an increase in students who failed courses,” Koehne said. “The pandemic has been hard for our students, our staff and our families. Students and staff had to learn how to shift to remote learning on a dime last March. This fall, they had to adjust to new safety protocols in our buildings or how to learn through the Virtual Learning Option (VLO). On top of that, there has been an impact on the social and emotional needs of our students.”

Koehne feels the largest struggle is the environment not being the right fit for students’ particular learning style.

18 lakotasparkonline.com May 2021

“VLO is not for everyone. The nature of the program requires a student who is independent and comfortable with working on their own.

Those who demonstrated that they were not engaged with this format were asked to return to in-person learning after winter break,” Koehne said.

East junior Evie O’Brien experienced both the VLO and in-person learning styles this year, and she noticed how each style affected her grades. After beginning the year in person, she decided to do VLO, but after a hard journey navigating that type of education and going back and forth between in-person and VLO learning, O’Brien was urged by school officials to return in-person following Spring Break.

“Last year we had remote learning, and I was good at that. At the beginning of the school year, I was in school, but I switched to VLO because it just felt like it was so sad here.

It felt like it was a jail. No one was talking in class anymore. Everyone just felt down and the school was so gray and empty,” O’Brien said.

“So I was like, well we are just doing computer

work the whole time in the classroom so I can just do this in my own house.”

O’Brien primarily struggled with finding motivation to do her work and didn’t learn well in the environment.

“It felt like it was summer because every day I was sleeping in, I was waking up, and going shopping with my friends. So I think that finding the motivation to get up and do it probably was the hardest part,” O’Brien said.

“It was hard for me to learn too because when you’re in class you raise your hand when you need help. In VLO, you email and you have to wait for the response, and by that time there is no point.”

Although O’Brien’s situation is difficult to face as a student, East principal Dr. Yejide Mack views the situation as a predictable and easy slope for students to fall down.

“I think it’s stressful to do online work. I’m not an online person. The only class that I got a B in in grad school was the one I took online, and it was the easiest class. But I couldn’t bring myself to turn things in on time. It just was not for me,” Dr. Mack said. “Online learning while

vlo transcripts | news it sounds like ‘oh my gosh I can stay home and I wake up at nine and then be done at two,’ in your mind, it just doesn’t happen. And then once you get so far behind, [you’ve] already drowned.”

Mack acknowledges the more prominent struggle of student failures as one not belonging to East alone.

“Lakota is not the only school that has a lot of kids struggling this year, Ohio is not the only state, it is a nationwide thing,” Mack told Spark. “But honestly, that doesn’t make us feel any better because the bottom line is we don’t want [students] to fail at all. The hard part about it is trying to reach 2,000 kids and trying to figure out what each one needs.”

Following O’Brien’s recent transition to inperson learning, the hardest aspects have been getting back into a normal routine.

“One of the hardest parts is getting up and getting my sleep schedule back on track because I’m so used to staying up all night, sleeping all day, going to lacrosse, and doing the same thing,” O’Brien said. “There were times when I just typed in random stuff, and they’d [my teachers] give me 10 out of 10. So, coming back and having to actually do the work and listen and learn [was difficult].”

After recently distributing an online survey for East students to take, Mack notes that the feedback reflected a “COVID-19 fatigue.”

“So [students] talked about outside stressors, meaning your parents may have gotten laid off or your parents may not be able to work as much because you have smaller siblings who they now have to make sure that they’re getting through school,” Dr. Mack said. “A lot of [those] factors I know affect students [because] while we say they are adult issues, they affect students too.”

Lakota students are not facing academic hardships alone. Kings School’s Department Chair of the Counseling Department Heidi Murray acknowledges the similar situation taking place at Kings.

“Our failure rate has increased. Not just with our students who are remote because we have students doing APEX and zooming into their classes, and then we have students that are here in-person,” Murray said. “It’s really a mixed bag because for some of the kids that are here, when they’ve been quarantined, it

has really thrown in a wrench for them and it’s made it difficult to catch up.”

With students in and out of in-person and online learning at Kings, they have gone from about 75% of students in-person in the first semester to 85% of students in the second semester out of approximately 1,400 students.

According to Lakota board members and administration, VLO will not be leaving anytime soon. However, other schools have yet to make definitive decisions on what remote learning will look like for future students.

“I know that there has been some [discussion] about [whether or not remote learning is possible]. But, our focus really will be getting our kids back in the building so that we can have that face-to-face relationship and culture,” Murray said.

M

urray has seen COVID-19 and online learning not only have a definitive impact on students but also teachers who are having to adjust to new ways of running the classroom.

“The biggest impact of remote learning is on our teachers because they have kids in front of them and then they have kids on the computer at the same time. Their attention is divided,” Murray said. “Our teachers beat themselves up, but I’m incredibly proud of them. I think our staff is doing wonderful, but I do think that having that blend of remote and in-person [learning] has taken a toll, and for the kids who are at home I think that has had an effect.”

East English teacher Richard Schmaltz has felt teaching VLO and in-person students to be a tricky thing to navigate and balance this year.

“The actual doing of the class on my end has been really amazing. What’s really hard is just [figuring out] the ins and outs of learning how to do APEX,” Schmaltz said. ” I have some seniors who are working and doing other things [because] they only need math to graduate, so school is tertiary to what they are doing right now. It’s kind of hard for them to get into a rhythm and eventually pick up [if they get behind].”

Although Koehne relayed that Lakota has no intentions to drop student transcripts, they have instead implemented ways for students to get help and improve their grades.

“We have been supporting building based

teams at each high school all year to address this need. We have hired additional tutors and added support. We have increased the number of online credit recovery seats available. We have also set up a system to have teachers and staff members attached to each student at risk of failure,” Koehne said. “Secondary students who have struggled this year have a dedicated staff member who is enacting a specific learning recovery plan with them. We also have a summer recovery plan in place for our students in all grades who need the most assistance.”

Dr. Mack believes one large benefit in handling this year has been having a great team engaging in discussions and actions to solve any problems.

“The great thing is that we have a really good building leadership team which consists of administrators and department chairs,” Dr. Mack said. “[We meet] twice a month, after school, and we do make [student failures and transcripts] a piece of what we’re talking about.”

Kings schools have also created solutions to student failures including recovery programs and summer school.

“We have a credit recovery program where we use a standalone program, and we’ve got a staff member whose task is to oversee those kids as they make progress towards recovering credits,” Murray told Spark. “As far as making up credits from this school year, we’re looking ahead to a more robust summer program with more in-person learning. It will be a blended concept where they’re using programs but they’re going to be with a teacher to help fill in gaps with instruction. It’s possible we’ll be looking at some trailer courses and offer the second half of a course, first semester. I don’t know if that’s going to happen because of staffing, but that’s something that we have discussed.”

Despite this year’s hardships Dr. Mack has seen an increase in overall unity at East. In the recent survey distributed to East students, Mack saw an increase from last year to this year in terms of connection and culture.

“I think that [students] have done a phenomenal job in supporting each other,” Dr. Mack said. “There are a lot of students following the rules [and] staying up on each other in terms of what’s right and what’s wrong and what you should and shouldn’t be doing.”•

“It felt like it was summer because every day I was sleeping in, I was waking up, and going shopping with my friends. So I think that motivation to get up and do it probably was the hardest part [for me],” - East junior Evie O’brien May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 19

Students prepare for their AP Language exam in class.

EXAMS DURING A PANDEMIC

East students and administrators reflect on how this year’s testing differs from previous years because of COVID-19. • story frankie stull | photography mia hilkowitz | infographic cassandra mueller

E

ast senior Brennan Postich sits at his desk; colorful pens scattered around him as he furiously scribbles into his blue notebook, paying close attention to every word that is displayed across the messy whiteboard in front of him. It is 2:25 p.m. when the bell rings, dismissing them for the day. However, for hardworking students such as Postich, this bell does not signify an end to learning. In fact, it will not be until several hours later when Postich finally decides that he completed the adequate amount of studying in a day required for his upcoming Advanced Placement (AP) exams. There is no time to waste, as his first exam is only a couple of days away and he is aiming for an exemplary score.

The AP exam is an opportunity for students to measure how well they have mastered the content and skills of their specific AP course.

In addition to this, these exams are a way for students to earn college credits that go towards their eventual degree. The tests are graded on a five-point scale. Any score that is three or higher is considered a passing score, although some colleges and universities may require students to receive a four or five on the exam.

Due to the extra material covered, added

20 lakotasparkonline.com May 2021

homework and harder curriculum, AP classes tend to be much more challenging than regular classes. Even so, for students like Postich, who happens to be one of four quadruplets, taking advantage of the AP exam’s rewards is a necessary step needed to save their families and themselves money. Earning 10 AP credits correlates with a reduction of about $1,000 in student loan debt. This means that students can put the money that they save towards transportation, living accommodations, books, toiletries, food and other various essentials.

“I definitely believe that the college credit the exam earns you is worth taking the AP class. As an example, for classes such as AP economics, that accounts for two different semesters of college-level economics,” Postich said. “It’s so much easier to just get it done in high school rather than try to get through college-level micro and macro economics where you probably won’t even know the professor,” Similar to other classes and extracurriculars at East, the AP exams were forced to operate on a different basis when the entire country was shut down on account of the pandemic last year. COVID-19 greatly affected how the AP exams were administered and taken. Since

the exam was unable to take place in-person, students were obligated to rely on their own Internet and take the test in the comfort of their own homes. Consequently, many of the AP exams were altered in an attempt to prevent students from searching up the answers.

Educators such as AP English Language teacher Kathleen Foldy were shocked to hear of these sudden and abrupt changes.

“Typically, we have a 60-minute multiple choice section, a ten minute break, and then a two hour and 15-minute long essay where they read for fifteen minutes and then write three essays for 40 minutes each,” Foldy said. “Last year, they only had one essay to write. And that was the test.”

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his year, the AP English Language exam took place at 8 a.m. on May 12. Although most people would assume the opposite, the last-minute decisions made by the College Board last year may have had a negative impact on student’s final exam scores.

Teachers including AP Government’s Tisha Grote-Menchhoffer (Mench) have voiced their concerns.

“Last year, I had students score the most

ap exams | news twos, which is not passing. I never have that many students not pass, so it was very frustrating. The exam was just so different from what we had prepared for the previous three quarters of the year,” Mench said. “When it wasn’t the same, it was like, either this is going to be a piece of cake, or this is going to be really difficult.”

This April, students prepared to take the much-anticipated AP exams. AP class U.S. Government & Politics was the first exam taken by students at 8:00 a.m. on May 3. On the other hand, the AP class Statistics took place at 12:00 p.m. on May 17 and served as a conclusion to the in-person exams. In spite of the disappointing scores received last year, teachers and students alike are remaining hopeful in the face of adversity. Although East Principal Dr. Yejide Mack was not present during last year’s AP exams, she is very aware of the changes that were made and has been working with staff in order to prepare for the testing this year.

“The good thing about East is that we have a very veteran staff, and most of our AP teachers have taught their individual classes for a long time. They pretty much know the drill, or preparing students to be appropriately prepared, allowing them plenty of opportunities to practice, and covering content as they should,” Dr. Mack said.

AP Human Geography teacher Matt Newell has spent the past few weeks of class reviewing old material and studying AP style with his students in preparation for the exam. The Human Geography test took place on May 4 in Room 200.

“In a normal year, we have a number of different sources that are available to [students] including stuff from the College Board and AP Classroom. Canvas has made it really easy to create a database of review materials, including trusted YouTube channels,” Newell said. “I try to set my scheduling so that the last two the three weeks of the year before the AP test I can devote to review from earlier units.”

This year, the AP exam is returning back to normal and will be the same as students are accustomed to. However, because of the block schedule on which East has been operating, not everything has been as easy as it once was. Some students and educators believe that the block schedule has been detrimental to the learning process, making it harder for students to retain the information that is being taught. Depending on the week, teachers will frequently go for four days straight without seeing their students. Unfortunately, this makes it incredibly easy for students to forget what was taught in the prior class.

“I don’t want to go in thinking that kids are going to do poorly, but sure, it’s a possibility,” Newell said. “I think that it will come back

to what steps students are taking to apply themselves outside of class for the test. As with every year, that will be a primary indicator on whether or not they’re going to succeed. That’s not something that’s changed. I’m not all doom and gloom about it, but certainly, I wish that we would have more time. That would be helpful.”

D

espite the challenges, East counselor (DH) and AP coordinator Andrea Bryant has high expectations for students and is anticipating superior results.

“I think that the students have been given great opportunities, same as they would have in the past. Their teachers have been flexible through the school year and I believe that the students will do well [on their exams],” Bryant said. “It’s primarily the same teachers that are teaching them and so they are able to adjust

and adapt and have the students ready for their exams.”

Regardless of the less than optimal situation that has been placed upon schools around the world this year, students and teachers at East are choosing to persevere through the challenges.

“Obviously, the situation is less than ideal this year, and me and other students have had our concerns,” Postich said. “I think that teachers are just trying to do their best in order to get through the year. A lot of this is not their choice and is purely due to the schedule set by the school administration. For example, my AP Economics teacher Mrs Florence, she’s essentially offered to teach any student who needs help afterschool and we also have bootcamp days on Wednesdays. It just makes me appreciate having these amazing resources and teachers available to me during this time.” •

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 21

feature | senior profile

JAKE RATLIFF

East Senior Jake Ratliff plans to pursue a college education at Ohio University majoring in Psychology before continuing to further his entrepreneurial pursuits. story rehab jarabah | photography riley higgins

H

“

ungry for more, hungry for better, hungry to succeed.”

That’s the mentality of East senior Jake Ratliff as he strolls into the INCubatorEDU classroom and greets his team with a bright smile under his mask.

His team opens their computers and pulls up all their needed documents for their startup business that they created, Gemini Clothing, an upcoming clothing company that aims to reduce textile waste from fast fashion.

But this isn’t Ratliff’s first time being an entrepreneur. Ratliff’s father, (add name) Ratliff, works in construction management.

Ratliff has been going to work with his father since he was 13 years-old, which is what sparked his interest in entrepreneurship.

“I’ve always had a pretty good relationship with him being my first experience in the workforce,” Ratliff says. “It’s definitely influenced me to want to pursue entrepreneurial type jobs.”

Ratliff has already created his own photography business before Gemini Clothing, and hopes that after pursuing psychology at Ohio University, to open his own practice.

“Jake has a tendency to do whatever is in his mind. If he has an idea he’s the type of person to go and actually do his idea,” East senior and Gemini Clothing partner Ream Awad says. “ I definitely see him continuing to go into entrepreneurship and having his own business off of world problems trying to make a difference.”

Although Ratliff has a passion for both photography and business, he has a few reasons he wants to pursue a further education before turning it back into a business.

“My main reason for not majoring in business, entrepreneurship, or in photography in college, is because it’s stuff that I’m already good at. If I’m paying a good sum of money that’s as great as [college tuition], I’d like to learn something that I’m interested in, rather than expand on stuff that I already have Local

experience in. I have interest in pursuing psychology but I’m not as experienced in it as I am in photography or business,” Ratliff says.

INCubatorEDU teacher and Gemini Clothing’s advisor, Kevin Keen, constantly reminds his students that being an entrepreneur does not mean you have to create a startup business.

“Entrepreneurship can be anything,” Keen says. “I think creation is a big part of it but if you’re going to be a psychologist and you want to start your practice in psychology, you’re running a business, you’re an entrepreneur. It doesn’t matter what field, there’s potential to run your own business and be your own boss.”

After news broke out that Gemini Clothing is one of the five groups moving on to final pitch night, the group is more than ready to provide their solution to fast fashion; however, since Gemini Clothing consists of four senior members, each member will go their own respective ways, but hope to keep Gemini afloat while they pursue their futures after graduation “If possible I would love to pursue Gemini and keep it running. That’s something we have to figure out sometime soon, in terms of my other pursuits like how else I’m going to pursue my entrepreneurial future,” Ratliff says.

With a class like INCubatorEDU, students can further their interest in entrepreneurship while also catering to any future career paths. “[Everyone should] take a class like INCubatorEDU. You never really know what’s going to happen because of it,” Awad says.

As Ratliff’s senior year comes to an end, he reflects on taking a class like INCubatorEDU. “I think the Lakota district has done a really good job introducing a class like INCubatorEDU. It gives [students] an opportunity to expand on the limited programs, which is a move in the right direction,” Ratliff says. “But overall, I think I really learned [from Mr.Keen] If you aren’t passionate about your project, why the hell are you doing it?”•

Percentage of High School Graduates Planning to Start a Business

2.4%

Statewide

.37%

Nationwide

.31% sources bureau of labor & LEHS survey of 85

22 lakotasparkonline.com May 2021

senior profile | feature

ETHAN CALLENTINE

East and Butler Tech student Ethan collentine plans to pursue his college education at Sinclair Community College through Clippard’s co-op program.

story riley higgins | photography riley higgins

S

itting idly in the traditional classrooms of East never felt like the right fit for Butler Tech senior Ethan Callentine. Instead, his real education started when he first took a tour of the D. Russel Lee (DRL) campus of Butler Tech his sophomore year in 2019. “[Sitting for eight hours] just wasn’t my thing,” Callentine tells Spark. “Getting to skip school for even an hour to see [Butler Tech’s] presentation was great for me and my friends.”

With parents working in insurance and nursing respectively, Callentine was not sure how they would take to his idea of working a blue collar job. After bringing home information about Butler Tech from his tour, Callentine says they were nothing but supportive. “[My parents] were sold,” Callentine says.

“They wanted me to do anything that I was happy and able to do.”

This tour ultimately led to his enrollment in the precision machining program his junior year. Now, getting to work with his hands everyday, Callentine says he has finally found something that he enjoys doing.

“I didn’t really see a lot of hope in [going into the military or to college],” Callenine tells Spark. “[Asking myself ] what I was going to do caused a lot of uncertainty.”

Halfway through his junior year, novice machine worker Callentine was recruited by Clippard Instument Laboratory to partake in their co-op program. Now, his student experience looks nothing like his first two years of high school as he switches out his sweatshirt and sweatpants for the grey collared shirt and navy cargo pants of the Clippard uniform.

There, he learns from other employees how to improve his precision machining.

“It started out small, [Clippard] came out and picked me up and they taught me CNC (computer numerical control) machines and bigger things that I could have never imagined,” Callentine says, who has sinced helped work on

ventilators for Ford.

According to Jason Powers, who has led the D. Russel program since December 2019, the precision machining program aims to provide the foundational education in machine manufacturing for students to obtain a position or an entry level job in engineering, CNC machining, or manual machining. The program’s goal is to partner students with local companies to gain knowledge and experience through internships or co-op programs.

According to East principal Dr.Yejide Mack, East’s goal is to “prepare the whole child.”

“For us, that is building rapport, and it’s building relationships with your teachers and each other,” Dr. Mack tells Spark.

Callentine spends most of his weekdays out of the classroom and in the workshops at his job, earning something more than credits: money. Butler Tech’s program allows students to earn credit by submitting the number of hours worked each week, as well as a short report on skills or knowledge acquired while working. “[Callentine’s] classroom is at Clippard,” Powers says. “He calls me up when he’s having problems at work to ask what I would do in a certain situation.”

Callentine, a now experienced machine optimizer, will receive 100% compensation for his collegiate education at Sinclair Community College through Clippard’s co-op program. He plans on taking college classes to broaden his knowledge of manufacturing engineering while being a full-time employee at Clippard after graduation.

“Ethan’s got a bright future,” Powers says.

“He is a go getter, he asks good questions, he learns from his mistakes, he keeps pushing himself, and he seeks guidance.”•

Percentage of High School Graduates Going to the Workforce Local

15.3%

Statewide

22%

Nationwide

17%

source bureau of labor & LEHS survey of 85

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 23

feature | senior profile

EMILY DEVILBISS

After graduating from Butler Tech with a focus in criminal justice, East senior Emily Devilbiss will go on to serve in the U.S. army as a combat medic. story natalie mazey | photograpy riley higgins

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utler Tech senior Emily Devilbiss has been talking about joining the military since she was in fifth grade, but the dream became reality when she enlisted in the army December of her junior year.

“She’s basically giving up her freedoms so that we can have our freedom,” Devilbiss’ mom Kim Devilbiss says. “She’s not going off [to] college right away, she’s going into the military, and I think that’s admirable.”

Traditional school consisting of worksheets and sitting at a desk never enthralled Devilbiss; a path outside of that seemed intriguing and engaging, while also fulfilling her passion for serving others.

“I never want it to be a situation where we are saying, everybody has to go to college. That’s not for everybody and everybody doesn’t have to go to the military either,” East Principal Dr. Yejide Mack says. “If there are military recruiters who do want to come into the building, they have the opportunity to be here to talk to our students.”

During her junior year, recruiters visited Butler Tech. After talking to people involved in the armed forces, Devilbiss was even more confident that joining the military would be the right path for her to take.

“I knew I wanted to be a part of the military in some way. After I did a lot of research, I realized that the Marines [was] just going to be hard. The Air Force and Navy didn’t really have jobs that I felt like would fit me,” Devilbiss says. “I felt like the Army would be the best [for me].”

While joining the military was always a far off goal, as she progressed through high school, she began to realize the practicality and benefits of enlisting.

“When she started listening to recruiters and talking to them about the opportunity and the benefits that were involved, it just made a

lot of sense,” Kim says. “She’s got some great goals and she wants to graduate college debt free. Being able to combine serving our country with being able to go to school was a huge driving factor for her.”

Devilbiss’s interest in the medical field led her to choose the job of combat medic, someone who provides “emergency medical care in the field in both combat and humanitarian situations,” according to the U.S. Army. With the knowledge of patient care Devilbiss will gain during her time as a combat medic, she hopes to become a firefighter or an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) after she retires from the military.

“Looking at the jobs when I went to NEPS, a military entry process place, I just decided this is my job. I want to be a combat medic,” Devilbiss says. “I’m really interested in it and that’s all I want.”

Devilbiss is part of the split program; she completed her 10 weeks of basic training during the summer of 2020 and will complete her 16 weeks of advanced individual training this upcoming summer. During her job training, where she’ll learn the intricacies of being a combat medic, she’ll be stationed in Texas from June until Nov. 2021.

“I really like the medical field, but I knew that going to college and doing something in the medical field would be incredibly difficult and just not my thing,” Devilbiss says. “[Being a combat medic] is very hands on, it’s learning through doing.”

Enlisting was the final step towards actualizing the vision she has held for her future for years, allowing her to pursue a passion while making a difference.

“She’s a little bit stubborn, but I think that that will serve her well, that she’ll be able to stick to her values and her goals,” Kim says.

“That’ll carry her far but her perseverance will serve her best. She has a heart of service and wants to serve our country.”•

Percentage of High School Graduates Going into the Military

24 lakotasparkonline.com May 2021

Local

Statewide

Nationwide

2.4%

2.3%

4.8%

source dayton daily news & LEHS survey of 85

senior profile | feature

BRI HARRIS

East senior Bri Harris is drawn to politics and plans to study business at the Ohio State University after graduation before going to law school. story shiloh wolfork | photograpy riley higgins

E

ach morning before school, her eyes barely move from the TV as her dad switches between CNN and MSNBC. In between quick bites of sugary Froot Loops, she eagerly absorbs every weather update, scientific finding, and celebrity controversy. However, she is most drawn to the political updates. With the announcement of each new plan and program, she imagines herself introducing her own policies as the future President of the United States.

While most seven-year-olds enjoy spending their mornings watching cartoons, East senior Bri Harris has always preferred the news.

Harris’s avid desire to stay informed has largely fueled her political aspirations.

“I’ve always been interested in politics, but as I grew up, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to be involved in it for my whole life,” Harris told Spark. “I took a few career interest surveys and my results were lawyer and CEO, so after a lot more research into law, I found myself falling in love with it.”

Bri’s mom Deanna Harris says Bri has always loved to argue and support her stances. Ever since she was little, she would argue her points from bedtime, to curfew, to doing the dishes.

“I decided that I would make sure that Bri was exposed to all types of activities and learning experiences,” Deanna says. “Bri is a brilliant, intelligent, beautiful young lady, and I’m so excited for her to pursue her dreams.”

For Harris’s former Advanced Placement (AP) Government teacher Tisha GroteMenchhoffer, Harris’s decision to become a lawyer was not surprising in the slightest.

“Bri is one of the most academically outgoing students,” Mench told Spark. “She’s constantly inquiring about how to advance her goals and how to follow her dreams. Even though I stress law school a lot in class, I just know who in class has a knack for it. Based on her comments and questions, I always knew that Bri was one of those students.”

Harris’s motivation to be a lawyer comes from her desires to promote equity within the law system.

“I’d love to be able to reunite families or help domestic abuse victims get out of their situations,” Harris says. “I could also see myself doing immigration law and helping people gain citizenship or international law and litigation.”

According to 2Civility, an Illinoisbased organization that strives to promote inclusion, professionalism, and integrity among lawyers, as of Jan. 1, 2020, there were 1,328,692 active lawyers in the U.S. Of these lawyers, 86% were white and only 37% were women. Only 5% of all lawyers were black, 5% were Hispanic, 2% were Asian, and 0.4% were Native American.

Harris hopes to contribute to the cultivation of a more diverse, inclusive atmosphere.

“Especially now, we’re seeing more prominent African American women like Kamala in [major positions of power],” Harris says. “Seeing [influential women of color] being represented really drives me to not only be a part of that group, but to also grow it so that [there will be a day when] we’re not a minority anymore. I want to be able to motivate more black people and people of color to pursue legal careers.”

Harris plans to study Business Economics and potentially double major or minor in Spanish, International Business, Political Science or Philosophy at The Ohio State University before attending her dream law school, Columbia. Even if Harris faces doubts or challenges, they won’t stand in the way of her unwavering ambition.

“I feel really driven to succeed as a lawyer someday,” Harris says. “It’s important that I know how things work. As young people, we’re going to be voting at some point, so we should at least try to have an idea of what’s going on.

We need to be able to watch the news and be informed about how democracy works because that’s how we form opinions. It’s a civic duty.”•

Percentage of High School Graduates Seeking Higher Education Local

80%

Statewide

Nationwide

55%

58%

source higher education & LEHS survey of 85

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 25

feature | piening family road trip

MAKING COVID-19 LEMONADE Taking advantage of the option to work remotely amidst COVID-19 events, the Piening family set off to travel the country in an effort to turn 2020 lemons into lemonade. story ianni acapulco | photography used with permission | infographic marleigh winterbottom

I

t was on the way home from a weekend spent in Michigan when the COVID-19 stars began aligning for Dan and Jaime Piening.

Heading home towards their kids after their anniversary celebration, the couple had been making their way down a state route in Indiana when they started seeing signs for a Camping World, a company that specializes in selling recreational vehicles.

Never before that moment had the Piening family considered themselves to be into camping culture, and they’d never owned an RV, either. But within hours they were talking to a sales guy and the idea of traveling for the year was beginning to take root. An idea that the pair pitched to their kids that very same night, garnering positive response and excitement.

Entirely on board with the idea was their

Below: (left to right) Dan, Daniel, Elle, and Cami Piening pose in front of a Cross Village, Michigan mural in September 2020. illage

cross v

eight year old son, Daniel, who had already been insisting that their family purchase a camper. Before their trip, Daniel had seemed intent on obtaining the camper on sale within their neighborhood, which they had to pass in order to get home.

“He’s like, ‘Mom, we need to buy that camper,’” Jaime says. “I’m thinking, ‘You’re crazy—what would we even do with that?’ He would just not let up on that, and it’s funny looking back, because it’s almost like he had a premonition. Like he knew we were doing that.”

On the other hand, their seven year old daughter, Cami, had a few reservations.

Although initially excited at the prospect, Cami paused when she realised she would be distanced from her friends.

“Everybody has those normal feelings to work through,” Jaime says. “You’re leaving something familiar and doing something that you’ve never done before. It’s scary.”

Traveling the country was a plan that Dan and Jaime originally intended to play out after retirement. Then, when they realized that Dan could complete his work remotely and that their children could remain Lakota students niagra

MI

falls st

atepar k

through the Virtual Learning Option (VLO), the couple saw an opportunity open up and they took it.

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hey sold their three cars and rented their house out for a year in preparation for the trip. In exchange, they acquired a Ford F250 pick up truck and a 37-foot long Coleman Lantern 337BH travel trailer that would house them on the journey. The family of five took off in Sept. of 2020 along with their Labrador Retriever Bailey, planning to return in June or July of 2021 once the lease on their house ended.

“We call it making COVID Lemonade,” Jaime says. “This terrible thing, COVID-19, has been so frustrating and devastating, and such an interruption to normal life. But, it has really brought an amazing opportunity for us, which we’re super grateful for.”

However, their plans were not without concerns.

“There’s risk associated with what we’re doing,” Dan says. ”There’s a lot of [us] needing to be resourceful and figuring things out. But it wasn’t a hard decision.”

According to Dan, the hardest part was the matter of connectivity. In places such as state campgrounds or national parks, internet

Below: Dan, Cami, Elle, and Daniel Piening visit a military ship at Fort Sumter in November 2020.

mter

fort su

NY 26 lakotasparkonline.com May 2021

Above: (le ft to righ t) Daniel Pie ning enjoy Elle, Cami, and their visit Falls in O at Niagra ctober 20 20.

SC SC

piening family road trip | feature connection sometimes leaves much to be desired, which is detrimental when work and education depend on it for completion. The family has a hotspot with Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T, but even then, connection would sometimes elude them.

There would be moments Dan would find himself sitting in his truck parked inside the city, utilizing the free wifi from outside a McDonalds because people weren’t allowed to linger inside.

“There’s hardships,” Dan says. “But it’s worth it when you’re walking the dog and you see a million stars out.”

Ten-year-old Elle says that it can be a little difficult to get back into the swing of things once Monday rolls around after a weekend of travel and sightseeing, but she appreciates the flexibility that it offers her. Sometimes, she can finish her school even before lunch time, and on other days she and her siblings can decide to skip it and complete it the next day.

Being in a camper that is a ninth the size of their 2,700-square-foot house has changed a few things for them, and it has not always made for an easy time.

“It’s really stressing,” Cami says. “Because then you have to record something and you can’t because other people are on calls and stuff.

It’s hard.”

Jaime says that one of the things they have had to do is learn to live minimalistically, conscious of what weight they bring onto the camper with a weight limit of 11,176 lbs.

Because of this, each member of the family has only 10 outfits packed that they rotate out.

“You can’t just go and buy a cool knick knack,” Jaime says. “We’re very conscious that [when] something goes in, something must Below: (left to right) Jamie, Elle, Daniel, Cami and Dan Piening stand in front of the Martin Luther King Jr. Monument in January 2021. martin

luther

come out, weight-wise.”

Fortunately, this rule still leaves some room for Danny to own a penny passport for each of the pressed penny souvenirs he’s gained within each city.

“I have one from everywhere we go,” Danny says. “I have one from Niagara Falls and the Kennedy Space Center. Some are from waterparks, and some are from museums.”

The family uses each Sunday to travel, settling in each place for only a week before they are making way for their next destination.

Packing up each Sunday and moving locations is admittedly not an aspect the kids are a big fan of, but this allows them to be settled and set for Monday in terms of school and work. They pack up camp, travel four to six hours between destinations, and set up camp once again all in one day in order to maximize Saturdays to explore what their destination has to offer on the weekend.

Although the family maintains their weekly schedule, their list of destinations is not necessarily strictly planned, nor is it set in stone. When they first set off, they had chosen to head north and visit Michigan in the fall before it got colder. After that, they chose the next destination as they went rather than planning ahead, deciding on places that looked interesting. Sometimes National Parks played a factor, but sometimes the family also headed to places that were obligatory, such as when they headed to Pennsylvania for a fundraising event related to Dan’s work.

“We do things that people typically can’t do,” Dan says. “When you look at the pictures of the family and the fun that we get to have…

That’s when it comes to me that this is all really

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neat. There’s so many times that we’re doing something and we’re like, ‘who are we that we get to do this? This so weird.’”

Although the family is able to participate and explore many things others have not, the family still maintains what is generally a mundane routine.

For Elle, the journey has allowed her to sleep in and linger on her ipad on the weekdays when typically she’d be up and already aboard the bus for school. Still, the family tries to keep a schedule, typically beginning to work on school once it is nine o’clock.

The journey their family has taken has allowed Dan to knock off a few things from his bucket list. Their visits include things that he recognizes from textbooks when he was younger. One such example involved Mesa Verde National park, where there are cliff dweller Native American drawings.

Jaime says that the coolest parts of what they’ve experienced are often those that weren’t planned at all.

“We were just mapping things out,” Dan says. “At one point I was like, what if we went up to Alabama for Civil Rights [history] for the kids and educated them on that.”•

continued on page 55

Below: (left to right) Elle, Jamie, Cami, Dan, and Daniel Piening on Monarch Mountain in April 2021 as the kids take skiing lessons. monarc

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NM May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 27

Left: LeAnn Neiderman sits in front of her home in her Leukemia Lymphoma Society t-shirt after raising more than $100,000 in donations. couple events around that, and this year marks like the 10 year passing in December.”

If candidates met their goals they were awarded one portfolio for their fundraising effort which accounted for all the money raised to be donated in someone’s name. For Neiderman her first portfolio was in honor of her father.

“If I got to $55,000 I could fund a NonHodgkins research portfolio in his memory through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, so that was my end all be all. I didn’t care about winning. I just wanted to hit that portfolio,” Neiderman says.

F

KICKING CANCER East junior LeAnn Neiderman raised over $12,000 for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society Students of the Year campaign in honor of her dad and his best friend story megan miranda | photography riley higgins

W

hat are you going to ask from Santa for Christmas?” a question often asked in the chilly time of December. For seven year old LeAnn Neiderman the answer was simple; she wanted her dad to come home for christmas.

Her wish was granted when her father, Bob Neidernman, was able to leave the hospital for a few days in the midst of his battle with blood cancer in 2011. However, shortly following, he passed away.

Now an East junior, Neiderman points to her dad as her inspiration and the person who started her journey with Leukemia Lymphoma Society (LLS). LLS raises money every year for

28 lakotasparkonline.com May 2021

those with blood cancer and holds a program for high school students known as Students of the Year, which Neiderman became involved in and fundraised for this year.

Neiderman knew the fundraising wouldn’t be easy but with a determined mindset she set her goal to 55,000 dollars in a mere seven weeks from Feb. 17 through April 9.

“In the seven weeks, I set my goal to be $55,000. I was like ‘good Lord, how am I gonna achieve this number?’ but thankfully people were very generous,” Neiderman says. “So I chose 55 because this year would have been my dad’s 55th birthday. His birthday is March 22 and it fell during the campaign so I centered a

or the fundraising Neiderman was a leader of a 12 person team. For the program, each candidate can pick a group of people to help fundraise and raise awareness for the cause. Working together during the seven week process, the group held meetings via zoom, helping Neidernman with events, organizing fundraisers, and ultimately raising money.

“I got my team together, probably after Christmas, right before the campaign started.

I went around and I was like ‘hey I’m doing this thing for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Would you be interested in joining me?’” Neiderman says. “I mixed it up so I had a couple of people from school, then I had a couple of adults, and a lot of people from my church. Also, my dad’s best friend, [who] is currently battling Multiple Myeloma, so it’s not full blown cancer yet but it’s going to be.”

East junior Courtney Reindflesh joined the team excited to help Neiderman accomplish her goal and raise money, as she knew the effects of cancer first hand.

“I didn’t really know what I was signing myself up for, but I’m really glad that I said yes to the opportunity,” Reindflesh says. “I have a connection to cancer, and LeAnn thought I would be a great edition on the team because I’m dedicated and passionate about the topic.

But I just wanted to help out at any way possible, just help her and support her.”

Neiderman notes her journey not only to her teammates, mom, and sister, but also to her mentors. This year LLS began a program for candidates to have mentors guiding them and there for support throughout the seven weeks. Because the fundraising candidate is from one highschool in the area, the hope was for a previous candidate from the school to get involved with helping the present candidate.

“During this process, I had two mentors.

There was a group of three boys last year from East who did it, and two of them signed up for

leann neiderman | feature their new mentor program,” Neiderman says.

“My LLS contact said ‘you really struck out good with these ones because a lot of the other mentors, who weren’t texting back.’ Ryan and Jordan go to [the University of Cincinnati, and they were involved. They helped at one of the events, asked if there was anything I needed, and gave me advice.”

Ryan Campbell and Jordan Boudinet, the 2020 Students of the Year LLS East Candidates excitedly agreed to take on the roles of Neiderman’s mentors. “[Our responsibilities] consisted of checking up on her progress and showing up to events to help out,” Campbell says. “We were there for any advice she needed from our own experience last year and gave advice.”

With a team of 12 adults and fellow East students, mentors, and family, Neiderman got to work. She began by sending letters, emails and posting through social media in order to encourage donations.

“Those seven weeks were pretty much spent on this campaign,” Neiderman says. “I did a bunch of different things during the [the campaign]. I started planning before that too, so I had ideas and I had meetings where I said, ‘Well, how am I going to get to this goal?’”

Neiderman had collected more than 200 addresses for mailing as well as e-mails to more than 100 people. For sponsors Neiderman produced a PowerPoint presentation to relate her cause. Those sponsors will get an LLS recognition as well as a personal recognition made by Neiderman to be on display at her family farm, ‘Neiderman Farm’.

She also held fundraisers at the family’s farm such as an easter egg hunt over the entirety of Spring Break. Team members, such as Reindflesh, volunteered their time and talents wherever Neiderman needed.

“I tried my best to promote it and when I didn’t get a ton of feedback I found other ways to help, and push to make a difference in the campaign,” Reindflesh says. “I may not be the best public speaker, or be the most outgoing but I can make good cupcakes if LeAnn is like ‘hey girl I know you bake, will you help me out here?’”

Not wanting to waste precious time, Neiderman sought out areas where she could raise the money. She held a dine and donate at Texas Roadhouse because it was always where they went to eat on her dad’s birthday. Other fundraisers ranged from paypal and Valentines Day events to a successful easter egg hunt that sold out within a day.

Over the course of the first half of the fundraising journey, entirely shocked, Neiderman received the alert that she had already met her goal of $55,000, which she attributes to the generous donors who were impacted by her dad. So instead of stopping

there, she and her mom made the decision to keep fundraising, as well as set a new goal for $100,000 and a second portfolio.

“A lot of the [donors] have no clue who I am but donated because they loved him. My dad was the guy who if you walked into a room not knowing someone you walked out knowing someone,” Neiderman says. “During the halfway point, people from LLS were like ‘you’ve been given the opportunity if you reach $100,000 you can get a second portfolio.’ So then I was thinking that I don’t really need a second one, but I know my dad’s best friend has cancer, so I wonder if I can get two different research portfolios and make one in honor of someone who’s still alive.”

W

hile so much money had been raised, Neiderman notes the last stretch of the fundraising was long and slow.

However, she was not going to give up just yet, instead making a last effort to go to businesses and ask for donations.

“I kind of made like a final push going out to businesses and I talked to, probably 10 to 15 businesses in person like I walked in and said ‘hey this is what I’m doing,’” Neiderman told Spark.

Although the process was difficult,

teams that went above and beyond and got to $100,000,’” Neiderman said. “ [My team] didn’t know that I was doing the second portfolio. [After it ended] I announced to him ‘you are my dad’s best friend, always there for our family, and like a second dad to me. That’s why the second portfolio is gonna be in honor of you,’ and everyone was really emotional together.”

While her time as the second place candidate ended with two portfolios, $112,300 individually, and a group total of over $600,000, Neiderman has decided her journey with LLS has not come to an end just because the seven weeks had.Next year, continuing, with Campbell and Boudinet, Neiderman intends to become an East mentor and help the next candidate soar.

While feeling incredibly grateful over the amount raised, Neiderman notes that even with such a large amount it only covers one person’s average cost for cancer treatment.

“Blood cancer patient is expensive. The amount that I fundraise in seven weeks would hardly cover one person’s treatment. And I don’t think people realize how expensive it is not just just like the medicines alone but also the traveling and hospital visits,” Neiderman said. “That’s why the Leukemia Lymphoma

“[Mike Wandersee], ‘You are my dad’s best friend, always there for our family, and like a second dad to me. That’s why the second portfolio is gonna be in honor of you.’” -East junior LeAnn Neiderman Neiderman’s perseverance was prevalent and noted by those around her.

“Leadership is a huge factor in this campaign as well as dedication,” Campbell told Spark.

“She wasn’t just dedicated enough to reach her goal and surpass it but also had the skills to coach her team and inspire them to go the distance.”

On Apr. 9, a banquet was held to celebrate the end of the fundraising and crown those who had raised the most and met their goals. While it looked different than banquets prior due to COVID-19, her team made the zoom call just as special and a formal event. Neiderman left with one of LLS’s citizenship awards and second place but the highlight of her night came from surprising .

“So the way that they did the zoom, they were like, ‘we have had five teams reach the $50,000 portfolio and not only that but they each surpassed $75,000 and we had two

Society helps with treatments and getting FDA approvals and things like that but they also have their urgent need program so they help with the travel costs, they help with the treatment costs.”

Overall, Neiderman has been honored to raise money for such a cause and has found joy in fighting against cancer the best she can in honor of her father.

“When you are so young it doesn’t fully process. Then, when you get older you start to realize what you don’t have. and you start to see what other kids have. There’s always going to be that missing piece of your heart.

Really it’s just the what ifs; the things that I’ll never get and the time that we’ll never have,” Neiderman told Spark. “One of the great things that this campaign brought was I got to talk to a lot of different people and hear stories and hear comments [from people] saying ‘you are so much like your dad’ like ‘he was such a great guy.’ Those are the best comments.”•

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 29

told if he wanted to sue for further justice, he would have to go to civil court, but as a college student working two jobs, he did not see that as a possibility.

“That experience changed the course of my career because I felt that the police had failed me and the judicial court system had failed me,” Wong told Spark. “That really confused me because at that time, I came to this country and always heard that the U.S. is the most civilized, fair country for our great policemen.

But yet, I found it very barbaric. If they don’t like you, they will kill you or hurt you. That was my first experience.”

A Above: West Chester Township Trustee Chair stands at his Township meeting seat where he publicly took a stand and revealed his military scars to millions.

PROTECTING PATRIOTISM

West Chester Township Trustee Chair Lee Wong revealed his military scars at a Trustee meeting to prove his patriotism. The video reached millions as Wong became a global celebrity. story and infographic marleigh winterbottom photography riley higgins

A

t 20-years-old, West Chester Township Trustee Chair Lee Wong recalls the moment his life changed in the blink of an eye. Shortly after immigrating from British Borneo at the age of 18 to attend college in Chicago for pharmacy, Wong was walking across campus and spotted an older man crossing the street, positioning himself behind a towering oak tree. Wong thought that

Wong immigrates to the United States from British Borneo.

1970

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he was coming over to greet him, but before he knew it, the man had his hands around his neck, shoved him to the ground, and beat him in the face. The damage caused Wong to be hospitalized.

The man appeared in court, continuing to call Wong racial slurs. He got off on one year of non-reporting probation and what Wong describes as a “slap on the wrist.” Wong was

Wong is attacked by a man in Chicago while attending college.

1972

fter being let down by the justice system, Wong shifted his focus from pharmacy to joining the police force, in hopes to change it from the inside.

“I wanted to get out and do something good for the community to pay back because I was one of the attacked ones,” Wong says.

“Before I even walked out and filled out the application to be a police officer, I could hear them throwing a garbage can and laughing, saying ‘He wants to be a cop?’”

At that same time, as Wong was living in his professor’s basement for $15 a week with no heat, relatives, or family, he spotted a flag for the United States Army. He made his way to the recruitment office to learn more about the military to find that every representative from each branch was out on their lunch break except for the Army recruiter. He offered Wong a coke, they talked in his office, and Wong decided to join.

Wong spent the next 20 years finishing his education and then traveling with the military as a Special Agent in the Criminal Investigation Division alongside his wife of 39 years, Terri Wong, until he was eligible for retirement.

“We traveled all over the world because he’s been stationed around with the military,” Terri says. “We’ll go into a city and always buy a shirt that has the subway or the trains [that Wong would wear] and we’d unbutton it and look where [to] go. If we got lost, we’d find a Chinese

Wong decides to join the United States Army where he serves for 20 years.

1975

lee wong | feature restaurant and he’d just walk right back into the kitchen, in the native mother tongue, and he’d get where we had to go and come back out.”

While stationed in Germany, Wong served with Terry Tanaka, a U.S. Army Major. “[My first impression of Wong was that] he was very honest, safety conscious, and hard working,” Tanaka says. “He was very diligent and professional about his work. He did everything by the book.”

Wong’s time serving in the Army taught him many lessons he would carry on later in life and in his work as a Township Trustee including the importance of involvement.

“Inclusivity is something that I learned early on in the Army,” Wong says. “I would play basketball with a commander and throw him all the balls, even though he was a lousy shooter, but he would remember, ‘Wong is always around.’ This is all a little politics, human interaction, you have to know how to play and if you don’t, you are not participating.

I started very early on in basic training, when they asked for volunteers, I was right there. And guess what, after a few tests, I was selected as platoon leader and I graduated as a distinguished graduate.”

As Wong and his family moved to West Chester Township in 2001 after serving in Shanghai, he experienced a new wave of increased racism.

“We moved here a week before 9/11 and we didn’t even have a TV connected. Then, our daughter came home from school early and told us and we didn’t believe it at first,” Terri says. “We were brand new to the neighborhood and Wong would jog or ride a bike, and every time he went out, a police escorted him home because the residents were calling the department reporting a terrorist because everyone was scared.”

Still, as he continued to see injustice, Wong was introduced by his neighbor to Township Trustee meetings. Wong would attend meetings and sit and listen to everything going on in his community in an effort to learn more about local government.

The predominant lesson was apparent.

“Our democracy is a participatory democracy, you must get involved,” Wong says.

“You can’t just sit there and expect someone to do things and fall from the sky. You have to participate.” Soon after, Wong began his year tenure as a township trustee.

W

hen a West Chester Township Trustee seat opened up in 2005, Wong jumped at the opportunity. With little money to spend on his campaign, Wong took to a more personal approach, aiming to get to know each individual in the community.

“I had no money at the time and I used a bicycle and went around knocking on over 18,000 doors,” Wong says. “There were a lot of people running, but I think my hard work paid big dividends.”

In order to ensure he didn’t miss any houses, Terri enlarged maps of West Chester Township on the copier and cut them out. In their empty dining room, the maps with all the streets were plastered on their wallpaper and available for Wong to cross off each house as he went.

East Advanced Placement (AP) Government and College Prep (CP) Government teacher Tisha Menchhofer-Grote (Mench) agrees, stating that it is essential for people to get involved in civics in different forums in order to get their voices heard.

“I feel like I need to be teaching [CP] government as a whole year long class because there are so many things that you can do to get involved in civics,” Mench says. “It’s not just voting, it’s taking a stance on an issue that’s important to you and voicing your opinion whether it’s popular or unpopular, wherever that forum might be.”

Mench commends Wong for going the extra mile to introduce himself and be involved in the community because she notes it isn’t something she sees often. “[Wong] is constantly out in the community,” Mench says. “A lot of people have no idea who their trustees are, so if they themselves can go out and tell the community

who they are and their goals, that is important.”

While many people were open to talking with him, Wong was occasionally met with doors slammed in his face.

“He has been bitten, cursed out, had things thrown at him. But, the harshest one is when they’d just crack the door open to let the dog out to bite him on purpose,” Terri says. “And then when they finally opened the door, they would say ‘Oh, we didn’t know it was you.’ But, they knew it was him.”

Despite any backlash and setbacks Wong faced, he came out victorious in the 2005 election and has been a Trustee ever since. He is now in his fourth term and has served on the board for 16 years.

While Wong has been a prominent figure in the West Chester Township community for several years now, his reach has recently extended on a global scale. A viral Facebook video of Wong removing his shirt to show his scars he obtained from barbed wire in his Army training received attention from millions. In the video, he speaks of his experiences being questioned of his identity as an American due to his Chinese heritage. He comes back at these remarks after showing his scars by asking: “Is this patriot enough?”

“My talk was about patriotism. People challenged me, they came to my face, the last couple years. I would be walking by and they would tell me I didn’t look American. I stood out there with my flag and U.S. Army retirement jacket even and they would blow that in my face and walk away,” Wong says.

“I don’t know what I did or what the problem was. The last couple of years [were] the worst and that culminated. I felt that I really needed to say something.”

But to Wong, patriotism is about more than being American or looking a certain way.

Instead, it’s about your accomplishments.

“The fatherland doesn’t mean much here in America because we all came from different lands,” Wong says. “Therefore, patriotism is what we accomplish. We are a melting pot of different cultures and heritages. We came here,

Wong and his wife, Terri, get married after going on only one date.

Wong takes office for his first term on the West Chester board of trustees.

Wong takes a stand and reveals his military scars at a trustee meeting.

1982

2006

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 31

2021

feature | lee wong all mixed together and we can enjoy each other, yet still keep our heritage.”

West Chester Trustee Ann Becker found an even greater respect for Wong after learning of struggles he has faced due to his race.

“When Lee spoke about his scars, it was a very powerful moment. It’s a reminder to everyone that you never know what is going on with people, even people you have known for years, completely,” Becker told Spark. “I have always been proud of him for his service to our country, but this took it to another level.”

Following the Atlanta shootings on Mar. 16, 2021, in which six of the eight victims killed were Asian, Wong had people in the community coming to him for assistance.

“After the Atlanta attack, one Chinese restaurant in our community got over 100 death threats,” Wong says. “People would call in a large order and would refuse to pick it up and then call back and tell them to go back to China and laugh. They deliberately tried to hurt them.”

T

I remember talking to my aunts and mom saying, ‘Oh, yeah, I’m not alone.’”

Terri was proud of Wong for his bravery to speak on the racism he had experienced, but she was shocked to hear he had revealed his scars. For the entirety of their marriage, up until now, Wong insisted on wearing a shirt at the beach and pool because people looked at him strangely when they saw his scars. So, Terri never expected to see him show his scars, reaching millions of people across the globe.

Jokingly, Terri notes that if she had known he was going to reveal his scars, she would have made sure he was wearing a nicer undershirt.

“He would always swim with t-shirts on and he would never take them off. So, when he told me about [him taking his shirt off], I was like, ‘You did what?’” Terri says. “Then, I saw the video, a couple days later, and I got angry because he had that dimpy grey looking t-shirt that had holes in it, that’s what I saw. I was like, “No, the world saw that thing?’ So, I know it

in Kentucky, the following Friday, to get her a new ID card for a military dependent. Wong was stopped by a man telling him he was famous, showing him that the video had gained millions of views within the first four hours it being uploaded the previous night.

“I came back [to my office] Saturday and there was a meltdown on my computer with a lot of requests for an interview,” Wong says. “It just blew up on the internet. I felt like [taking the interviews] was the right thing to do, so I did it. I feel the obligation to educate [others] now.”

F

rom the New York Times to Shanghai to Australia, media coverage on Wong’s statement was quickly spread worldwide.

While he received a plentiful amount of positive responses, some criticized Wong saying he did it to make a political statement and gain attention for the next Trustee election. However, Wong does not feel that they have the right to make that claim if they haven’t experienced it themselves.

“Until you walk in my shoes, you are not qualified to make that claim; you are just sour grapes. Until you have this face and you’re beat up and kicked, you have no idea,” Wong says. “I didn’t want people to view what I said as political, but I felt this could affect the good citizens of our township.”

Mench is glad to see Wong speaking up about injustice he has faced because she hopes it will help open people’s eyes to others’ experiences.

“Unless people actually use their voice to speak out against issues, we too often tend to put our blinders on,” Mench says. “Change has to come from us. It has to be regular, everyday people. I’m not sure the government’s doing a good job at shining lights on things like this until we say there’s a problem.”

The main message Wong wants to get across from this statement and the media coverage to follow is to be kind to one another.

“We are all human. Be kinder and be gentler to one another. Respect each other with dignity. That should be the way to go,” Wong says. “There is no room for bigotry, hatred, prejudice, or racism in America, especially in a democracy. We are all equal, but yet we are also able to share our heritage. Variety is the spice of life.”•

“All of that frustration, anger, and pain that was pent up in me was hard to get out. My hands were shaking. I jumped in the water, but I didn’t know it was so deep.”

-West Chester Trustee Chair Lee Wong

erri is saddened by others’ actions of discrimination such as this and hopes that one day, Wong’s message to be kind to one another will hold true.

“I’d like to see the world be a nicer, friendlier place,” Terri says. “Let’s follow the golden rule that we learned as kids. What happened to it?”

While seeing the impact of events such as the Atlanta shootings had on our community, Wong felt an obligation to speak on the subject at the Trustee meeting. However, he did not plan to go as far as to reveal his scars.

As his emotions began to take over, Wong did not realize the depth of the topic.

“I knew I needed to say something, but once I opened my mouth, I realized, ‘wow, this is a very tough subject’ and I was struggling for words. All of that frustration, anger, and pain that was pent up in me was hard to get out. My hands were shaking,” Wong says. “I jumped in the water, but I didn’t know it was so deep.”

Many Asian-Americans, including Tanaka, resonated with his message.

“I was on Facebook and there was a community of Japanese Americans and someone posted a video of [Wong revealing his scars] and I was like, ‘Oh, I know that guy! That’s Wong!’,” Tanaka says. “I was glad he spoke up about it, I can relate to it a lot.

32 lakotasparkonline.com May 2021

wasn’t planned because I would have known it before he went and I would have made sure he had nicer undergarments on. Typical mom.”

Menchsaw the video soon after the meeting took place, before the media attention began to pick up speed. After teaching her students about Wong since he began his first term as a Township Trustee in her local government unit, shejumped at the opportunity to discuss the event with her students.

“I wanted to make sure my students are in tune with who is actually representing them,” Mench says. “I feel like we often assume here in Westchester and in Liberty Township that it is going to be all white males, all the time. And so for me, that is one of the reasons why I teach about local government.”

Wong didn’t realize the extent of the reach his video had achieved until he went with Terri to Fort Knox, a United States Army installation

DEAR SPARK READERS, In this issue, Spark continued our yearlong coverage of the Black Lives Matter movement, but from a new perspective: the police. The staff has spent months learning more about the West Chester Police Department’s role in our community and how employees’ lives have changed in the year of protests and calls for change following George Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020. This package reports on topics including how police departments reacted to the months of protests, law enforcement training, and the daily lives of officers. However, we encountered several obstacles in our sourcing due to the sensitivity of the topic. Our editors contacted the Evendale, Middletown, Hamilton and Mason police departments for our investigation and were denied requests to interview. Our editors were granted the opportunity to interview Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones, but we were denied interviews with other Butler County Sheriff’s Department officers. Spark acknowledges the complexity of this topic and fully understands and respects the decisions of local departments to decline interviews. Spark is committed to covering our stories completely and with non-biased reporting and our most recent police in-depth reflects this standard. •

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 33

THE OTHER SIDE

WCPD officer Paul Lovell makes a traffic stop.

In the wake of the increasing popularity of the Black Lives Matter movement, police departments all over the country are under a microscope. story ava huelskamp photography mia hilkowitz infographics mary barone April 7 2001

April 9-13 2001

September 27 2001

NO JUSTICE NO PEACE

POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE DO NOT Black teen Timothy Thomas reaches for his pocket while running from police. Officer Steve Roach takes this as pulling out a weapon and shoots Thomas.

34 lakotasparkonline.com May 2021

Protests erupt in Cincinnati in response to the shooting of Timothy Thomas, rioters loot buildings and set fires until a downpour of rain stops them.

Officer Roach is acquitted in the killing of Timothy Thomas. Judge Winkler heard the trial without a jury and deemed his actions reasonable for the threat Thomas imposed.

umbrella | package

“At the end of the day what I havce to realize is that when I’m a police officer I’m black, and when I’m not a cop I’m black. I know for a fact that I [have been] treated differently [at other departments] because of my race. This is why I wanted to do the job, but the reality of it is I can’t let my past dictate my future.” - WCPD Officer Henry Dawkins

O

n Jun. 2, 2020, three West Chester Police Officers stood in the middle of a crowd of protesters with signs and sweat soaked faces. Gathering beneath the clock tower in Union Center Square in West Chester, Ohio, the demonstrators only had one goal in mind: protest until they could not protest anymore.

In the weeks following George Floyd’s policeinvolved death on May 25, 2020, protests and riots sparked across the country. Cincinnati, Ohio was no different. As a citywide curfew of 8 p.m. grew closer, demonstrators decided to take the protests North to West Chester who, at the time, did not have a curfew.

“I got a phone call from the Cincinnati assistant chief,” West Chester Police Department (WCPD) Chief of Police Joel Herzog told Spark about the night of the protests. “[He said] ‘they’re coming Joel,’ and I said ‘who’s coming?’ and he said ‘the protestors.

They’re coming from City Hall.”

According to Herzog the township trustees held an emergency session and decided to enact a curfew for 10 p.m. As a response to the phone call he received from Cincinnati Police earlier that night, Herzog went down to the square with two other WCPD officers dressed in regular gear to greet the protesters, but it was not a warm welcome.

“The people I was greeting, some of them didn’t want to say hello to me,” Herzog says.

The officers stood in the center of the crowd as the peaceful protesters hurled insults like “F the police,” and “all cops are bad.” As the 10 p.m. curfew started to creep in, WCPD officers fielded questions from the angry crowd.

“[The protesters] were like ‘are you going to arrest us at 10 p.m. when this curfew goes into effect?’ And my response was ‘If you’re being like you’re being right now, absolutely not,’” Herzog says. “This is just open dialogue. You can yell at me, you can curse me, you can vent your frustration. I’ll sit here and I’ll listen to you. I’ll pray with you. I’ll be outspoken with you.’ And I was outspoken that night.”

Slowly, the crowd dispersed and the temperature decreased. Despite the harsh, initial anger, there were no arrests that night.

Herzog says that having conversations with the public about racial issues sparked future relationships for him, including one with a local barber.

“I still keep in touch with a couple of people that I met that night,” Herzog says. “I go get my haircut at a [black-owned] barber shop [X-Quisite Cutz] every now and then. [The barber] was shocked when I came walking in because he’s like ‘Chief, I had no clue that you were going to keep your word when you said I’ll stop by and visit you.’ If you don’t do that outreach and are not willing to step out of your comfort zone, then you’re not the right police Chief in the society we have now.”

While the protest in West Chester that night remained peaceful, the nationwide outcry

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against police brutality continued to boil. In the summer of 2020, citizens all over the country took to the streets to spread the Black Lives Matter (BLM) message. According to Herzog this included spreading a negative narrative about the police force, but he says that he fully agrees with the BLM movement.

“I was disgusted watching the video [of George Floyd’s death]. That was a mere [act of ] ‘I’m going to show you who’s boss, you’re not going to fight with me,’” Herzog says. “There was a struggle before that none of us got to see on the initial video. That is disgusting to watch. That was a policeman overstepping his boundaries, inflicting pain to prove a point to somebody, and it ultimately cost a person their life.”

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CPD Police Officer and School Resource Officer (SRO) at Endeavor Elementary School Nick Gattermeyer has been policing for 13 years and says that he wants to change the stereotype of police that has been created, as he is fully in support of BLM. “There’s not a single officer [at this department] that will tell you they don’t like this Black Lives Matter thing. We truly believe in it,” Gattermeyer told Spark. “The things that people may be saying in the media and the things that [police officers] see day in and day out are truly not the same thing. I wanted to get out there and I want people to see this side to us, that this isn’t what they’re seeing on TV.” These stereotypes often revolve around how officers are trained to handle certain situations. De-escalation and use of force

July 13 2013

T CROSS POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE Neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman fatally shoots black teen Trayvon Martin. He is injured during the encounter and claims self defense.

A call for the arrest of George Zimmerman results in a petition on Change.org. It receives over 1.3 million signatures and leads to a trial.

George Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting of Trayvon Martin.

After deliberation, the six-person jury renders not-guilty on all accounts. source new york times May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 35

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2% Black 3% Hispanic 95% White 6% Other 8% Asian 7% Black 79% White

Racial Representation A comparison between the WCPD’s ethnic makeup and West Chester’s total ethnic composition. sources WCPD and data USA training has become especially important in a time where the actions of police officers are under a microscope. WCPD Police Officer Kevin Watson is a defensive tactics expert and does most of the de-escalation training for the WCPD. “We really concentrate on live action scenarios when we do training,” Watson told Spark. “We roleplay and do scenarios where we start you just like you would on a normal call, come in and get information. If you do a good job with the de-escalation, the scenario may end with no physical contact at all.”

uch discussion in the media in accordance with BLM issues centers around the discussion of necessary uses of force against a person by police officers.

According to Herzog, use of force is not the first tactic police officers are trained to use in a high stress situation, but rather a last resort.

“Instead of using force, communication and establishing a rapport with the person [can de-escalate a situation]. It can be the simplest thing, like finding out [someone is] veteran, and you have an officer that is also a veteran,” Herzog says. “[Communication has] been

icebreakers many times in situations where then they can start talking and establish that rapport, to get the conversation going.”

According to Herzog, the WCPD has more than 2,000 total arrests every year, and of those arrests the use of force instances are in the single digits. According to the WCPD Policy Manual, in order to stop a citizen, an officer has to have either probable cause or reasonable suspicion.

According to the Fourth Amendment of the U.S Constitution, a person’s right to be secure in their houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, cannot be violated. This means an officer is not allowed to stop just anyone.

“Reasonable suspicion is when I might be looking over at somebody saying ‘that doesn’t look right,’” Herzog told Spark. “We want to make sure officers fully grasp that so they’re not arbitrarily stopping vehicles because if they’re arbitrarily stopping vehicles, they are violating people’s rights that are guaranteed by the constitution.”

For WCPD Police Officer Henry Dawkins, the discussions around BLM drummed up some internal conflicts. As a black police officer, this time of unrest led to having some

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difficult conversations with loved ones about the movement.

“I can’t tell you how many friends that I’m not friends with anymore because our stances are not the same. Just because you call it ‘Black Lives Matter’ doesn’t mean that every black person has to agree with it, and that’s where the conflict comes in,” Dawkins says. “I don’t agree with burning and tearing down stuff. But the [First Amendment of the] Constitution gives us the freedom of speech, and there’s nothing wrong with standing out and protesting what you feel that you’ve been through.”

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awkins says that he has seen firsthand how the controversy surrounding the BLM movement has changed people’s ideas and relationships and how racial differences have driven a gap between many of his friends.

“I have a lot of friends -- white and black -- that are arguing all the time now, because everything is a racial issue,” Dawkins told Spark.

“I try to stay out of it for the most part, because at the end of the day what I have to realize is that when I’m a police officer I’m black, and when I’m not a cop I’m black. I would be lying telling you that there are not horrible

DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS POLIC More than 1,000 people protest in Times Square about the acquittal of George Zimmerman, blocking traffic amid calls for federal rights charges to be filed in the case.

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The Black Lives Matter movement begins when #BlackLivesMatter goes viral on social media following the death of Trayvon Martin.

Unarmed black motorist Walter Scott is fatally shot by Officer Michael Slager, setting off a wave of protests over racially biased policing and use of lethal weapons.

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“It’s disheartening. You feel alone. The support [police] have in this area is tremendous, but when you see what the media is putting out nationally or what’s on social media. It’s easy to think ‘we’re not appreciated,’ or ‘we’re not supported.’” - WCPD Chief Joel Herzog cops out there. I know for a fact that I [have been] treated differently [at other departments] because of my race. This is why I wanted to do the job, but the reality of it is I can’t let my past dictate my future.”

As a result of racial profiling, Dawkins feels there is often a microscope placed on him at work. He feels that his previous position in Lincoln Heights, Ohio placed a type of Scarlet Letter on him when applying for positions in different departments.

“When I come to work, I have to be better than what everyone expects an African American police officer to be. The reality of it is that after years, I can tell you how many agencies that I applied for, and I didn’t get hired for,” Dawkins says. “I have no criminal record and I did everything right. I’m a stand up guy but because I had the stigma of working in Lincoln Heights I didn’t get a chance.” ince the summer BLM protests, many police departments across the nation have reformed their department and training in several ways. The Center for American Progress reported on Jun. 2, 2020 that The Minnesota Department of Human Rights intended to file a civil rights charge against the Minneapolis Police Department and investigate the police department’s policies and practices over the past 10 years.

In addition to several policy changes, WCPD is looking to make meaningful changes for the future. According to Herzog, the Field Training Officer program only requires that training police officers ride with an officer for 90 days. This has been the same requirement for

20-30 years, and Herzog believes the program should be extended to 120 days.

“When people talk about police reform, I can honestly say I have seen nothing but reform over the years. If you look at policing in the 60s, what they did and how they handled situations, people would be losing their jobs for that right now,” Herzog told Spark. “Reform is happening and will continue to happen.

With the state getting involved, I just wish I’d see them actually mandating [trainings] for everybody, not just suggesting that those types of trainings occur.”

“Some of the policing needs to change, like the amount of force [officers] use with some of their arrests,” Roberts Medical Uniforms, a local business, manager Melanie Frank told Spark. However Frank also says she has worked in West Chester for many years and has never personally had a problem with the police.

Holding the WCPD accountable as a whole is only step one to more efficient policing. Much of the necessary change will only happen from looking inside departments at fundamental issues, like the WCPD was forced to do in July 2020 when former Captains Jamie Hensley and Joe Gutman filed complaints against Herzog on the basis of making sexist and racist remarks, favoritism, and retaliation.

According to the WCPD policy manual, if a violation of policy is brought to attention, the Chief must decide if it will go to the internal Integrity and Development Department, or if it will go to a lower level investigator - the shift manager or supervisor. If the violation is severe, the Chief will hold a disciplinary hearing and decide on the punishment. Punishments can be

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as severe as termination.

When it came to allegations regarding his own actions, Herzog sent the investigation to an outside agency. West Chester Township hired private attorney Doug Duckett to look into the allegations against Herzog, who describes the quality of the investigation as “excellent.” From the investigation, Duckett concluded that the allegations made by Hensley and Gutman were invalid, but that some of Herzog’s behavior around the workplace was inappropriate.

“In times, I have joked around or made offhanded comments that were inappropriate especially in the workplace and in my position as chief. It’s something that I have learned from,” Herzog told Spark. “This last year I’ve grown tremendously as a leader as much as understanding that you might feel that you’re in a tight circle and that you can say something, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay. There’s a lot of comments, lessons and counseling, and discussions with other leaders.”

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aptain Hensley retired on June 23, 2020, before the conclusion of the investigation.

Performance plans were implemented for Herzog and Gutman, but Gutman resigned in January 2021. When asked about his comments in regards to BLM, Herzog says that he wants himself and his department to take a step further than just not being racist, but being antiracists.

“Every organization has an area for growth, including this one,” Herzog says. “I’ve done a lot since I’ve been Chief. I’ve done outreach to try to have those hard conversations. Even during this investigation, I’ve had open forums

September 23 2020

CE LINE DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE DO NOT CRO Ex-Officer Michael Slager pleads guilty to the death of Walter Scott, sentenced to 20 years behind bars for second-degree murder and obstruction of justice.

Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black medical technician, is killed in bed during an altercation between her boyfriend Kenneth Walker and Officer Miles Cosgrove.

The three officers involved in the Breonna Taylor shooting are not charged for her death, sparking civil unrest against police brutality and racism. source cable news network May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 37

package | umbrella in the community, where the first thing I say is don’t hold back. If you don’t ask me the tough questions, we’re not going to get anywhere with this. I have to be someone that can be trusted, someone that the community has faith in.”

While the WCPD is focused on updating training and policies, different police departments may not take the same approach.

Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones says that his department’s training is perfectly suited for the time.

“We’re very proactive and we do training, and we’re right where we need to be with the community,” Jones told Spark. “Our training always evolves; we’re always changing our training, and our training is right where it needs to be at this point.”

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A recent Spark survey found that 48% of participants held a negative view of law enforcement. Herzog believes that one contributing factor to law enforcement’s negative perception this past year was misinformation from the media surrounding the field.

“It is disheartening. You feel alone,” Herzog says. “The support [police] have in this area is tremendous but when you see what the media is putting out nationally or what’s on social

“Some of the policing needs to change, like the amount of force [officers] use with some of their arrests.”

- Roberts Medical Uniforms Manager Melanie Frank

enforcement since 2015. The study found that the main contributing factors to this plummet include the stress associated with the field and negative perceptions of the career. Jones feels that the narrative should shift to better represent the work of law enforcement officers.

“I try to think if there’s a shooting or a stabbing or a building burned down how many news media run into the building and try to save lives or run towards the gunfire. Let me think for a second. None. Zero,” Jones says.

“The police risk their lives and run in there, and the police don’t care what color they are; they don’t care if it’s a man or woman. They don’t care about their gender, they still run in and they try to save lives.”

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espite police department attempts to change and reform, police are often still under fire in the media. Dawkins says that the media can still influence citizens’ views on police officers. According to a 2017 Pew Research Poll, 81% of police officers felt that the media generally treated police unfairly.

“I wouldn’t call [the news] the bad guys,” Dawkins says. “But the way we are today in society, we need a lot of help seeing that there are a lot of good police departments and police officers that go out every single day and make sure we all go home at night. That’s what we need help with, but that’s not what the media is putting out.”

Constant scrutiny doesn’t just come in the form of the media. Citizens in the community also pay attention; more specifically the West Chester community. As opposed to the media backlash, many citizens are in support of the police in their community. “[Police] are very necessary, definitely not something we need to get rid of anytime soon.

They’re here to help people, and I wish more people would see that. I definitely think that there are some changes needed,” West Chester resident and Tanning Consultant at Palm Beach Tan Allison Turner says. Turner’s dad is a police officer, and she goes on to say that although changes are needed within police departments, getting rid of officers isn’t the way to do it.

media, it’s easy to think ‘we’re not appreciated’ or ‘we’re not supported.’ I’m looked at like I’m going out everyday trying to kill somebody and that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Jones agrees and says that this misinformation has had an impact on departments across the country.

“This is a profession where men and women risk their lives every single day,” Jones told Spark. “It’s not all what you see on TV. [Police officers] risk their lives when they put their uniform on and come to work. It’s gotten so crazy in the world now that there’s lots of disrespect [towards] police and talk of defunding the police, and it’s getting harder to recruit police.”

A 2020 Police Executive Research Forum reported that over 60% of police departments in the U.S. saw an average of 30% fewer applications pursuing careers in law

erzog says that one misconception is surrounding how to achieve reform within the law enforcement field. Defunding the police has been a common public outcry since the summer of 2020. According to an August 2020 Forbes report, 13 U.S cities have defunded or are working on defunding their police force.

“It’s frustrating when I see places [call to defund the police] because it’s not going to end well because the reason we have a good society is policing,” Herzog says. “I truly feel that there needs to be reform when you talk about racial injustice, but I feel that police are just targeted for inequalities that have happened across our society whether it’s housing or getting a job.

All that frustration was then focused on the police this year. What’s hard for us is to be the whipping post especially when I know how our department is and what we’ve done for reform.”

But Herzog says that there are ways to fix these misconceptions.

“If you have any questions, reach out to your local police department,” Herzog says. “I had parents come in concerned saying ‘My son is turning 16. He’s a young black male and is going to be driving. I’m scared to death.’ And we sit down, talk and explain our procedures.

But the big thing is to educate yourself on your local department on how they handle things.”•

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POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS POLICE LINE DO NO A video of Officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck goes viral, his death further encourages the Black Lives Matter movement.

Derek Chauvin is convicted for second and third degree murder as well as second degree manslaughter, facing up to 75 years for George Floyd’s death.

The first protests over George Floyd’s death are held in Minneapolis. Police respond to vandalism and arson with rubber bullets and tear gas. source ap news

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LIFE ON THE LINE

Officer Paul Lovell stages a pull over outside of West Chetser Police Department.

While true crime television and podcasts are increasingly popular, the public is still in the dark about the daily tasks of police officers. Spark pulls back the curtain on the typical day of a police officer. • story, infographics and photography mia hilkowitz

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n October 28, 2016, 776,000 viewers tuned in for the first episode of “Live PD,” a live television show following police officers during their night patrols and encounters with the public. The A&E Network show spotlights officers across the country performing daily tasks that the public may not their jobs entail.

West Chester Police Department (WCPD) Police Chief Joel Herzog, who has been policing for more than 30 years, knows this side of policing better than any other. His department responds to about 50,000 calls a year. Herzog says that the mental aspect of policing is just as tough as the physical side, partially due to the uncertainty of the job.

“You don’t know who you’re stopping at every [traffic stop]. It could be a soccer mom or it could be someone who just robbed a bank,” Herzog told Spark. “I tell my officers [when they are responding to a call] they should be running scenarios through their mind. That’s just what you have to do to prepare yourself because you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. Any call can turn violent at any minute.”

Herzog grew up in Reading, Ohio, and

started working at the WCPD in Feb. of 1991.

He started his career as a drill officer before switching to patrol. Later on, he was promoted to sergeant, then to a lieutenant, where he was assigned to the Special Operations Section.

This division included a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, an undercover and a K-9 unit. Following this, he was assigned to the WCPD Chief Office as an Administrative Lieutenant then promoted to a captain. Finally, he was selected as the WCPD Chief of Police in Dec. 2014.

“I grew up around [law enforcement].

My father was a police officer, so I got to see firsthand as a little kid what it entailed. After I graduated high school I was not sure as [to what I wanted to do], so I went into the military,” Herzog says. “At one point I was going to stay in the military, but in my job on flight crew I was never home. That’s why I decided it was time to get out and go back to my roots of law

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enforcement, so I went immediately into the academy.”

Herzog, like every police officer in Ohio, was required to enroll in and graduate from the police training academy. He also attended the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Academy for Command Police Officers. Herzog says that academy training is vitally important for ensuring safety every day in the field.

“The one thing I’ll say that the public doesn’t understand is that policing is not pretty,: Herzog says. “It’s violent at times, sometimes it’s horrific. Part of our jobs is not pretty. It’s dirty, it’s ugly, it’s violent, but that’s what has to happen to keep society safe. ” When a citizen calls 911, several pieces of information must be gathered for police to properly respond to the call. The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) recommends the call-takers should find out the exact location of the incident, a call back number, the type of emergency, time of occurrence, any known hazards and the identities of those involved. These calls can range in severity from traffic issues to weapon violence. The Center for

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 39

package | daily life American Progress studied call statistics from eight police departments across the country and found that the three most common calls were to report disturbances, suspicious persons or noise complaints.

Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones says that despite the plethora of information collected from a 911 call, police officers often go into dangerous situations.

“This is a profession where men and women risk their lives every single day,” Jones told

Spark. “[Police] help people. It’s not all what you see on TV. They risk their lives when they put their uniform on and come to work, even driving to work when they have that uniform on.”

According to the FBI 56,034 law enforcement officers were assaulted while on the job in 2019 and 89 of these officers were killed. Despite the risks, Herzog believes that policing “has to happen to keep society safe.”

Part of being a police officer is taking high stress calls, such as responding to drug and weapon violence, which can sometimes lead to traumatic situations for officers. According to a 2018 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s report, 7-19% of all police officers suffer from Post Traumatic Butler County West Chester Stress Disorder (PTSD) and 47.7% of law enforcement Sheriff’s Police officers experienced both Department Department depression and anxiety related to their work.

Sheriff’s Operates in the Community member and manager of Your New Puppy, West Chester Department has municipal boundary. a local pet store, Michael higest authority in Merrel says that having police the county. officers who are able to step into possibly dangerous situations is comforting for local businesses.

“I’ve had instances when a customer came into the store whether they were on Chief of Police is Sheriff is elected some sort of substance or appointed by to office by they were just acting very disorderly, which is very township trustees. county voters. harmful to the rest of the other customers that are just trying to peacefully shop,” Merrel told Spark. “[The police] came in and resolved the issue so we wouldn’t have anything Officers offer Operates the to worry about. Instead of Butler County Jail. extra security in it turning into a violent situation, it was peacefully municipal court. resolved; the police addressed the issue and everyone else could continue on without a scene being made.”

Despite the pressure that can come from high stress calls, these types of Funded by local Funded by revenue scenarios have allowed many municipal taxes. from the jail. police officers to make many meaningful connections.

TAX Herzog says going through tragic experiences with other $ people can often catalyze f new relationships.

“I’ve made so many source Butler County Sheriff’s Department and contacts over many years.

West Chester Police Department

$

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Unfortunately, some of those are because of tragic incidents,” Herzog says. “I’ve been out to dinner with [families], and we’ve bonded because of tragic situations. Everyone says they go into policing to help. It’s tough. It’s emotional. I’m an emotional guy, so I’m right there with them in a tragic situation. I’ll cry with them, and I’m okay with that.”

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ccording to a recent Spark survey of 68 participants, 71% of participants know someone who works in law enforcement, and 89% say they have had a conversation with a police officer. WCPD officer Henry Dawkins agrees that forming these relationships with community members is an important part of the job.

“I was born in Washington D.C, and it was pretty rough,” Dawkins told Spark. “If we would have had the community oriented policing of today back then, the response from communities, especially African American communities, would be a lot more positive.”

King’s Pharmacy manager Tatum King says that as a local business worker, having a relationship with local police is beneficial.

“There have been a couple of times when we’ve had to call [the police] when our alarm goes off and things of that nature. We [once] had an anticipated break-in we thought was going to happen,” King told Spark. “The police in our community have been very helpful anytime we’ve had any issues or had to call upon them; they’ve helped us out tremendously.”

No matter the situation, WCPD officer and Endeavor Elementary School Resource Officer (SRO) Nick Gattermeyer says that being able to solve problems and communicate are the biggest skills that a police officer must have. “[Police officers] are the ultimate problem solvers. Everything we run into is a problem that needs to be solved,” Gattermeyer told Spark. “We may not always be able to catch the bad guys. We may not always be able to give people the answer that they want. But we’re going to give them the answer that’s correct, not just tell them something that is false.”

Gattermeyer says he finds himself utilizing these skills not only while working patrol in the summer, but also in the learning environment in his role as an SRO. All 18 buildings within the Lakota District have an assigned SRO from either the WCPD or the Butler County Sheriff’s Department. According to a recent Spark survey, 91% of participants report having a positive view of their SRO. “Throughout the day I am visible to the classrooms and talking to these kids about whatever they want to talk about,” Gattermeyer says. “A lot of people might have the idea that a school resource officer [SRO] just goes [to the schools] and sits at a desk and waits for something to happen, but that’s not what we do. It’s so far from that.”

Gattermeyer says that he tries to be visible

daily life | package Even with community outreach, Dawkins to all of the students so that they will feel programs including the annual Martin Luther comfortable coming to him with any problems King Jr. Walk and the WCPD Citizens Police acknowledges that the job of policing is that may arise. He even carries around a Academy. WCPD officer Kevin Watson has difficult. Oftentimes, officers start their days basket of plastic silverware for students during participated in these community oriented unsure of how it will end, but Dawkins believes that the community connections make the job lunch everyday in order to form meaningful programs for several years.

“I’ve been on trampolines, I’ve been a part worth it. connections no matter how small, so that of soccer games, I’ve been a part of basketball “I sometimes ask myself why I still do the students can get to know him.

“I tell [the students] in this school setting games. It’s nothing to pull your car over to a job because it’s crazy out here. I’ve got a wife you don’t have to call me ‘officer’, you can soccer game with a bunch of nine year olds, and daughter at home, and we put our lives on just call me ‘Nick,’” Gattermeyer says. “Under and they love it,” Watson told Spark. “Every the line for people who really don’t care about this uniform is a person. I want you to feel Christmas [the department] does ‘Shop with us,” Dawkins told Spark. “But I love [my job] comfortable coming to me and talking about a Cop’ where a police officer goes with an because there’s a lot of people out there that anything you want. Just because you are talking underprivileged child on this shopping spree; actually say ‘thank you’ and show gratitude, and that’s the reason I come to work.” • to me or in the room with me does not mean It’s an amazing program.” you’re in trouble. People associate the [police] uniform with authority or trouble, but that’s not what I want, especially with kids that age.”

Endeavor Principal LeAnn Webber has seen first hand how Gattermeyer has impacted staff and Force: The application of physical techniques or tactics, students in his role as a SRO. chemical agents, or weapons to another person. (It is not a “[Gattermeyer] spends a good use of force when a person allows him/herself to be searched, chunk of his day just interacting with and getting to know the kids,” escorted, handcuffed or restrained).

Webber told Spark. “Sometimes students would rather talk to Deadly Force: Force reasonably anticipated and him instead of talking to me just intended to create a substantial likelihood of depending on who they are more comfortable with. He’ll help out causing death or very serious injury. anytime a student asks to speak to him.”

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ccording to Webber, Gattermeyer has also used his knowledge of the law to help students in the school. “[Gattermeyer] has met with students who have questions about legal issues,” Webber says. “Say there’s a student who’s encountered something in their neighborhood and didn’t know if they should have called 911. He will sit with us and process those things so the students know what to do if something happens.”

This outreach from Gattermeyer and other officers in the community does not go unnoticed. According to a recent survey, 52% of East students say they have a positive view of law enforcement officers.

“Parents feel safer having someone here on site with all the scary things that happen in the media,” Webber says. “We’ve had parents call about things that happen outside of school hours. If it’s our kids involved Officer Nick wants to help.”

But communication between law enforcement and the community does not stop at local schools. For instance, the WCPD participates in several community outreach

Officer: Police officers are employees of the Department who are designated as such by virtue of their oath of office, and are charged to carry out the responsibilities and duties prescribed to them by statute, ordinance, and policy.

Probable Cause: Probable cause is the existence of circumstances which would lead a reasonable prudent person to believe in the guilt of the arrested party; mere suspicion or belief, unsupported by facts or circumstances, is insufficient.

Reasonable suspicion: Reasonable suspicion means that any officer would suspect that a crime was in the process of being committed, had been committed or was going to be committed very soon.

Imminent Danger: Officer believes that death or serious physical harm could occur within a short time.

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FULLY PREPARED When training for real-life interactions in the field, officers must practice traffic stop situations just like this one.

As citizens call for reform across the nation, local police departments have continued to re-evauate and develop their own training. • story zach shultz | photography mia hilkowitz

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eing a police officer is a tough job. Officers need to be physically capable, they need to be able to interpret situations quickly, and they have to be able to understand and communicate with people. On top of all that the job is very unpredictable. Everyday, officers don’t know what they might have to face. In order to make sure they are fully prepared for any kind of situation, officers must go through lots of training, both physically and mentally.

To be an official officer in Ohio, there are a few different requirements. According to the Cincinnati Police Department, officers have to be a registered citizen of the US and be over 21 years of age. They need to have graduated high school and possess a valid Ohio driver’s license. Finally, officers must graduate from a police academy program.

According to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s administration, there are at least 55 stateapproved police training facilities in Ohio, and these academy programs are often the start of an officer’s training. The programs usually take five-six months to complete, with hundreds of hours in total. The Butler Tech Public Safety Education Complex in Liberty Township, Ohio, for example, is five months long and has three different academies during that officers

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can enroll in.

At these academies, participants learn the basics of what it means to be a police officer and what comes with the job. According to the Apex Officer police academy, officers are taught about various topics, such as state laws, criminal investigations, patrol procedures, firearms, traffic control, defensive driving, selfdefense, first aid, and computer skills, along with how to apply all of these skills.

West Chester Police Department (WCPD) Chief of Police Joel Herzog says that the state of Ohio mandates training for firearms, domestic violence, bias training, and de-escalation.

According to Los Angeles Times journalist John Wilkens, de-escalation training is used to teach officers better communication skills so they can better defuse situations that might otherwise turn violent. Many police departments in the U.S. have increased their de-escalation training since 2015, in response to criticism after numerous police involved civilian deaths.

POLICE

INDEPTH

According to Herzog, the WCPD has started their own mental health court to address mental health issues in criminal cases. “[Our training includes] a whole segment on mental health, because that’s a good portion of what we deal with. A lot of times when we deal with people they’re not necessarily a criminal,” Herzog told Spark. “They might have some mental health issues and are making poor choices. We might feel that the mental health problem is the root cause of the criminal offense. So we’ll make a mental health report and they’ll get treatment and then the case will be wiped clean.”

A 2017 Bureau of Justice Statistics report assessing mental health problems among jail inmates using self-report survey data found that 14% of prisoners and 25% of jail inmates had serious psychological distress in the past 30 days compared to 5% of the general population. The report also found that 37% of prisoners and 44% of jail inmates had a history of a mental health problem.

Also included in police academy curriculum are field exercises that include investigating mock criminal scenes, directing traffic, operating police vehicles, using firearms,

training | package fingerprinting, and interrogation methods.

Herzog believes all of these elements of training are important to his department, because officers need to be ready for anything.

“In policing, at a split second, it can change.

You can be sitting at UDF having a cup of coffee and all of a sudden something happens, like a fight at the gas pumps, and you go from 0 to 60. You were calm and relaxed a second ago and now you’re involved in this situation,” Herzog says. “So you have to be fully prepared, and that’s what the training does, it fully prepares you for that situation. If you’re not trained, you can’t react properly, but if you are trained, it becomes natural.”

H

erzog says he tells his officers to run possible scenarios in their minds when making their way to a call.

“That’s just what you have to do to prepare yourself because you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into,” Herzog says. “Any call can turn violent at any minute.”

WCPD officer and defensive tactics expert Kevin Watson directs training for physical restraint, de-escalation, and communication.

Watson says that in his role as a police officer, the more confident he is in his physical capabilities, the less fearful he is which makes de-escalation easier for him.

“We really concentrate on live action scenarios where we roleplay and set up scenarios that could actually happen. We’ll have officers come in and try to de-escalate the situation, and if they do a good job with their communication skills, things never get physical,” Watson told Spark. “We don’t just do static line drills where you come in and practice punches and talk about it afterwards.

We put all of our training into play just like you would in real life.” Watson says that in the roleplay scenarios, officers start out just like they would on a normal call where they have to find information about the situation themselves. If the officer does a good job with the de-escalation part of it, the scenario may end with no physical contact at all.

“When you combine the ability to communicate and the ability to be physical, and use control with the proper technique, it really makes a good officer,” Watson says.

The aforementioned police academy at Butler Tech is just one of the academy programs in the Liberty Township area. Here, in the academy, around 70 adults each year learn how to handle guns, handcuff criminals, and perform first aid. “[The Butler Tech Police Academy] gave me the tools necessary to do the job, and it helped show me a realistic view of what being a police officer is all about,” Scott Hughes told Spark.

Hughes, a graduate of the academy, is currently the Chief of Police of the Hamilton Township Police Department.

Butler Tech also offers the Criminal Justice

program at their D Russel Lee campus in Fairfield Township to prepare high school age students to enter the police academy. Since its formation in the early 1990s, the program has taught high school students interested in a job in criminal justice.

“Butler Tech is essentially trying to make kids college and/or career ready,” Retired Police Officer Aaron Fitzgerald, who currently teaches the criminal justice program, told Spark. “At the high school level in the criminal justice program, we focus on basic career skills that you would need to know to get into law enforcement.”

An average of 80 students apply for the criminal justice program during their sophomore year. Butler Tech selects 26 of those, who take four semester long classes during their junior and senior years that cover the American criminal justice system, correctional services,

forensic science and investigations, and police work. The class usually takes field trips to court cases and other places that fit in with the program.

After graduating, students can enroll in the police academy program at Butler Tech when they are 21 years old. When applying, trainees must pass a background check, drug screen, physical fitness assessment, and career readiness test to get accepted. 21 year old Ivan Miranda, a graduate of the high school criminal justice program, decided to enroll in the adult police academy at Butler Tech since he was already familiar with the school and the instructors.

“I basically grew up at Butler Tech, so I just wanted to stay true to my roots,” Miranda told Spark.

Hughes believes that taking the high school program first then enrolling in the adult academy, like Miranda, would benefit anyone

Different Sections of Canine Training

infographic abbey bahan source Custom Canine Unlimited

Drug Detection: These dogs are mainly trained to detect cocaine, methamphetamines, heroine, and merijuana.

Police Patrol: Canines need to experts in areas of control, gunfire, tactical obedience, area search, building search, and apprehension.

Scent Tracking: Police dogs are required to trace scents like human scent, reinforcing scents, and ecological odor until they are no longer traceable.

Bomb Detection: K-9’s are trained to detect all industry standard odors in vehicle’s, open areas, lockers, luggages, and packages.

“I think the number one benefit we get from the dog is the ability to reach out to the public. Everyone likes a dog.” -West 43 May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com Chester Sergeant Paul Lovell

package | training who wants to join the adult police academy.

He thinks that if students take the high school program and enroll in the academy, they would be more prepared than someone enrolling there with no prior experience. “[DNA testing, fingerprinting, building searches, traffic stops, etc.] were some of the same items that we covered in the academy, so it was more fresh in my brain and I was able to apply it better,” Hughes says.

Fitzgerald recommends anyone interested for a career in criminal justice to apply to the high school program. He believes that anyone from military officials, attorneys, private security, correctional officers and private investigators could benefit from that class.

There are even students who joined the program and have realized that a career in the law enforcement or criminal justice fields aren’t for them. Nevertheless, these students are still glad they applied.

“I think a big aspect of it is just learning professionalism. You very much learn how to talk with people you work with and you learn how to get things in on time,” Julian Askren, a current senior in the program who wants to pursue a career outside of criminal justice, told Spark.

Still, Askren is glad he joined because the program has taught him discipline and maturity.

“Go into it with an open mind. There’s a lot of people where they join the program thinking it’s gonna be very specific, but it’s a very wide area of subjects that we cover and a pretty wide area of activities,” Askren says. “So just go into it knowing that it’s not as easy as a lot of other classes are, but I would say it’s a lot more rewarding.”

Braedyn Nadzam is another senior in the criminal justice program. He says students are also taught the same de-escalation tactics used in the WCPD and other police departments.

“You listen to what they have to say, then you adapt to that situation,” Nadzam told Spark. “You’re not taking your own side, you’re not letting your biases be present, which, as we’ve seen, sometimes happens and those guys shouldn’t get away with it, but we’re taught to

be non-racially biased.”

After completing a police academy, a graduate can apply to become an official police officer. Their salaries vary, but for officers starting in the WCPD, it starts at $63,800 per year. Herzog also says that new recruits receive more training in the form of the “West Chester Way”, where they attend three more weeks of West Chester specific classes and are assigned to a training officer who the officer-in-training rides with for a minimum of three months.

A

t the end of a 90-day training period, recruits will be evaluated and be able to take to the streets on their own. Herzog says the staff tries to keep the recruits on the same shift as field training officers (FTO) so the FTOs can help them with any questions.

The FTO makes daily reports to evaluate their progress and determine if the recruit needs additional training. If more training does not help an officer, Herzog says that the best choice is to terminate them.

“We’ve had some that just weren’t quite grasping it. And we extend [their training] and it’s still not working so we have to release them from employment,” Herzog says. “It’s our opinion that it’s better to do that, it’s sad for that person, but we don’t want someone out there that’s not going to be the best. [West Chester] demands the best from us, so if we don’t give them the best, we’re going to hear about it.”

Sometimes, police departments have to change their ways of training to keep up with current events. The WCPD used to create their own policy manual, but now it has an outside agency called Lexipol LLC that provides their policy manual.

Lexipol was founded in 2003 to provide policy manuals, training bulletins, and consulting services to law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and other public safety departments. The company stated that as of March 2020, it serves 8,100 agencies across the U.S. Lexipol looks at state law, federal law, and case law. The agency updates the material

constantly and sends the updates to WCPD frequently. The department ensures that the officers work through the changes and figure out how to apply them in the form of daily training bulletins.

“The objective of [daily training bulletins] is to make sure our officers always know the policies and procedures, and the bulletins give scenarios that they have to read through, with a question that they have to answer correctly before moving on to the next,” Herzog told Spark. “It’s basically just to make sure officers know and understand the policies and read them everyday.”

Herzog says that it’s not only the officers that are required to do the bulletins daily, but the civilian employees that work at the department need to as well. Procedures can vary in different departments. While West Chester is a township that collects taxes to support a police department, the Butler County Sheriff’s department covers the entire county-including Liberty Township, which does not carry a police department.

Richard Jones has served as the Butler County’s Sheriff since 2005. He says that his department’s training policies have not changed after the Black Lives Matter protests this past year.

“We’re very proactive and we do training, and we’re right where we need to be with the community,” Jones told Spark. “Our training always evolves; we’re always changing our training, and our training is right where it needs to be at this point.”

Herzog sees change over time and in the future policy wise. He thinks social workers becoming more popular will bring some change in how officers do their job. He also says that there will be a lot more scenario training to make sure officers react in the right way to dynamic situations.

“We don’t train to get it right. We train to never get it wrong,” Herzog told Spark. “If you train to get it right, you’re only halfway there, but you have to keep on training until you never get it wrong. Because in our world if you get it wrong, someone might die.” •

Road to Become an Officer

1

Pass civil service test evaluating fitness and basic skills

3

Complete a minimum of 579 training hours

5

POLICE

Submit application to Police Department

44 lakotasparkonline.com May 2021

2

Pass medical examinations and background check

4

Pass Ohio police certification test

source ramussen university

new laws | package

As the influence of racial bias and excessive force within policing is becoming more clear, state and local lawmakers are considering new laws and reforms in order to improve police transparency and accountability. • infographic shiloh wolfork The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act: aims to end potentially deadly police techniques, including chokeholds and carotid holds. These practices would be banned at the federal level, and local and state police agencies who want to receive federal funding would need to outlaw them. • source nbcnews.com George Floyd was murdered by officer Derek Chauvin who knelt on his neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds. • art cassandra

Would invest in community programs designed to improve policing and promote equitable policies.

POLICE REFORM BILL

mueller

BY THE NUMBERS: 3.5x

Would create a national police misconduct registry, require local and state agencies to use federal funds to ensure the use of body cameras.

Has been approved by the Democratic-led House and has yet to receive a vote in the Senate. 10 Republicans would be needed for passage.

How State Policing Bills Have Changed Since the George Floyd Murder

how much more likely an unarmed black person is to be killed by police than a white person

many of the largest US 39% how law-enforcement agencies updated their use-of-force policies to include topics like de-escalation between 2015 and 2016

21%

how much officer-involved shootings declined among these agencies

many local police 40% how departments with their

State legislature not in session

own website actually provide the public with crime statistics source urban.org and nature.com

Bills passed No policing bills source themarshallproject.org source themarshallproject.org

Bills introduced or amended

The Justice for Breonna Taylor Act (“Breonna’s Law”): aims to ban no-knock search warrants which allow officers to enter a residence without first knocking and identifying themselves as law enforcement. • source Louisville Courier Journal and wikipedia.com Breonna Taylor, a 26-yearold black woman was fatally shot by bolice conducting a no-knock search warrant at her home in Lousiville, Kentucky. • art cassandra mueller

No-knock warrants raise concerns about the militarization of police, respect of civil liberties, and their disproportionate use of force against communities of color.

Roughly two-thirds of Americans support a ban on no-knock warrants, including 75% of Democrats and 52% of Republicans.

Currently Florida, Oregon, and Virginia have outright bans on no-knock warrants, and 13 states have laws that explicitly permit the warrants.

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 45

The WCPD badge on the front window of the department.

LABOR OF LOVE

Community member Hasani Gillispie tries to be proactive in a society struggling with racial diversity by creating Bridge of Life, an avenue for connection between African American citizens and police officers. story ava huelskamp infographic mary barone

46 lakotasparkonline.com May 2021

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e’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

A common phrase uttered in the instance of a problem that seems too difficult to solve in the moment. There are many of these so called “bridges” in life, but for Bridge of Life founder Hasani Gillispie, the racial divide between people of color and the police force is one bridge that just can’t wait.

West Chester resident Gillispie founded Bridge of Life during the summer of 2016, following nationwide protests in response to several police-involved deaths of African Americans including Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Joseph Mann, Abdirahman Abdi, Paul O’Neal, Korryn Gaines, Sylville Smith, Terence Crutcher, Keith Lamont Scott, Alfred Olango and Debroah Danner.

After observing the tensions between the black community and the police following the record number of black deaths at the hands of police officers, the Bridge of Life program was born. The organization is a partnership program between local police departments and members of the African American community that aims to reduce tension and strengthen the relationship between the two groups, as well as prevent avoidable loss of life. In the five years the program has been running, 52 citizen-officer pairs have gone through the experience.

“I remember my daughter asked me ‘well what are you going to do dad? I see people protesting, what are we going to do?,’” Gillispie told Spark. “That inspired me to reach out to several police departments within the Greater Cincinnati area and propose a program which was really about creating connections between police and the African ancestry community.”

Gillispie stuck to his word, and the West Chester and Mason police departments decided to join the program for its first year in operation.

According to Gillispie, every session of Bridge of Life begins the same way: a meeting is held between a group of African American citizens and police officers, and the citizens are asked to share their experiences with law enforcement.

“There’s always some really powerful experiences that people share. It really does help you empathize if someone had a very traumatic experience. You get to feel their pain or their emotions and it helps you know what they’ve gone through,” Gillispie says. “It is also [about what it is] like being a police officer. [Officers share] the challenges, difficulties and risks associated with that line of work.”

Following this initial conversation, Gillispie pairs officers and citizens. The pairs spend the following weeks building a relationship and learning more about the lives of each community. West Chester Police Department (WCPD) officer Kevin Watson believes these conversations to be meaningful to the future of policing.

“I can’t tell you how many times my partner

bridge of life | package

Force: Is it Right?

When assessing whether to apply force or evaluating whether an officer has used reasonable force, a number of factors are taken into consideration. The factors include but are not limited to:

Individual’s mental state or capacity

Relative strength and size of subject to officer

Conduct of individual being confronted

The risk and reasonably forseeable consequences of escape

Proximity of weapons

Effects of suspected drug/alcohol use

source WCPD policy manual and I met out of uniform, and I was just ‘Kevin’ and he was just ‘Ryan,’ and we just talked about everything,” Watson told Spark. “I can’t tell you how many times in those conversations we said, ‘Oh, my gosh, I didn’t know that.’ You get a chance to really unpack a lot of things.”

A

frican American West Chester resident Fleumingue Jean-Mary volunteered to participate in the first round of sessions for the program. His experiences with racial profiling growing up in New York City served as a catalyst for his desire to create meaningful dialogue. He was given a chance to do this after being paired with a WCPD officer.

Jean-Mary says that during his time getting to know his partner, the pair spent time doing different activities like having dinner with each other’s families to learn more about each other’s perspectives and having difficult conversations.

According to Jean-Mary, the two discussed how many interactions between African Americans and police escalate so quickly that time does not allow for a calm and collected

conversation. “[Our] conversation netted out to what is the right solution? How can officers try to have more empathy and more composure,” Jean-Mary told Spark. “And on the flip side, how can a black man show compassion and understanding to an officer coming into a situation where they might feel threatened? A police officer comes in, they don’t know who they’re going to see, they don’t know what’s waiting for them so they have to be on their guard.”

Jean-Mary can speak to the success of the program.He says that the conversations and time he had with his partner allowed him to share his own perspective and consider an entirely new one.

POLICE

INDEPTH

“[Bridge of Life creates an] environment where the first rule is to listen to each other, and then based on that [you gain] understanding and empathy for each side,” Jean-Mary says. “The resulting outcome is a change in perception, a change in behavior, and a change in approach that is better for both the police officer and for the black male.”

J

ean-Mary recognizes that globalized interactions between police officers and African Americans circulated on the media will most likely continue to be sources of unrest, but he chooses to focus on the change that Bridge of Life is trying to foster.

“You’re going to still see a lot of things that make causes like Black Lives Matter very poignant.,” Jean-Mary says. “You could be for or against [Black Lives Matter], but [it’s important] for you to be able to really bridge and have a conversation that might change the next interaction. That’s what Bridge of Life, in essence, really tries to create.”•

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 47

A DIFFERENT KIND OF POLICE OFFICER

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, SROs are now in 46% of public schools. Clearing House, an academic journal of educational strategies, issues, and ideas, says that the SRO program began in the United States (U.S.) in the mid 1950s, but didn’t gain prominence until the 1990s as school shootings became more common.

West Chester Police Officer and West Freshman School SRO Patrick Eilerman was wary of the program when it initially started in Lakota, but ended up participating in both Creekside Elementary and Endeavor Elementary’s SRO programs before landing his current position.

“The SRO program began back when I was a road patrolman. There wasn’t really a whole lot of direction. There was only one SRO for the Lakota District,” Eilerman told Spark.

“When I first started, I had a little bit of a negative view of that job. But as I grew in my career, like anybody else, you mature.”

A Butler County Sherrif’s Department Deputy Doug Hale assists students during lunch.

Spark looks at how SROs in Lakota are making an impact with their community’s youth. story kaden papadatos | additional reporting ava huelskamp and mia hilkowitz | photography riley higgins | additional interviews rehab jarabah

W

est Chester Police officer and School Resource Officer (SRO) at Hopewell Junior School, Josh Cupp, was always an officer who wanted to connect with his community’s youth. As a former beat cop, he would join in on neighborhood basketball games when given the opportunity. Nowadays, instead of connecting through a game of hoops, he connects to his community through a game of dodgeball during an afternoon gym class.

“Part of my daily duties is getting kids in early childhood sitting down, feeding them breakfast, and catching up with them while opening milk,” Cupp says. “There’s a whole range of things that we do.”

Cupp is one of 18 SROs in the Lakota school district. According to the National Association of School Resource Officers, an SRO is a law enforcement officer with sworn authority who is deployed by a local police department or

48 lakotasparkonline.com May 2021

agency to work in collaboration with one or more schools. In the Lakota District, SROs are deployed from both the West Chester Police Department and Butler County Sheriff’s Department. According to East principal Dr. Yejide Mack, SROs help to uphold the law within the school environment.

“School law is sometimes different from the actual law outside of these four walls,” Dr. Mack told Spark. “If we have a situation that gets to a point where we need to have somebody outside get involved, that’s what [SROs] would do. Our school law and our code of conduct is what [East is] governed by, and [SROs] uphold that law.”

POLICE

INDEPTH

s the number of SROs have increased, so has required training for these personnel. SROs need to be certified by the Ohio School Resource Officer Association (OSROA), a non-profit organization that promotes and facilitates training and communication among SROs, educators and school security personnel in Ohio. SROs must complete a 40-hour basic training curriculum that includes criminal law, SRO responsibilities, and tips on how to integrate into the school community. Eilerman says that training is important for SROs to succeed in their field.

“Issues I’m dealing with in school will take me hours and sometimes days to try and figure out how to help [students],” Eilerman says.

“The best thing you can offer as a police officer in any job is listening. A lot of the indirect training came from trying to just listen.”

During his almost 19 years of working in law enforcement, Eilerman has experience with road patrol, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Honor Guard Team, as well as continuing to help with background investigations for the WCPD. Despite his resume, Eilerman says he still doesn’t always have all the answers for students that come to him in the school.

“I don’t always have the right answers. But if you present me with a question, and I don’t have that answer, I’ll find it for you, or at least point you in the right direction,” Eilerman says.

Dealing with issues in the school is just one part of a dynamic job. Eilerman has been taught since his police academy days that his number one priority is to ensure safety.

“One of the things that we’re always told as police officers is you make sure that you go home safe every night to your family. I’ve looked at [my job as an SRO] that same way,” Eilerman says. “My main goal is to make sure that everybody that comes into my building in the morning, or throughout the day, goes home

school resource officers | package safe.”

In addition to ensuring safety, Eilerman says he tries to get involved as much as possible, for example, helping teachers out with lesson plans or getting involved in their classrooms. East senior Jinan Saouh says that she has seen her SROs help in many different capacities around the school. “[SROs] do help us a lot,” Saouh told Spark.

“They try to keep us in check and keep us in line, but also keep us safe which I really think is a good thing.”

W

hile SROs have offices at the schools they serve at, they make it a point to stay out of them as much as possible, opting to connect with students instead. East junior Angel Gatoto says that she sees her SRO, Butler County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Doug Hale, most involved with students and staff during lunch.

“I think it’s really good to have [SROs] around the school,” Gatoto told Spark. “In the lunch line [Hale] is always really nice to the kids and always asking ‘how’s your day going?’”

WCPD Officer and Lakota West SRO Jeff Newman says that through these connections, SROs try to break stigmas that youth hold about police officers. According to a Spark survey, 48% of Lakota students have a negative view of law enforcement, while only 5% have a negative view on SROs specifically.

Throughout his day, Newman deals with a variety of problems. He says students and teachers alike will ask him questions, students often inquiring about simple thefts, lost headphones, or what to do if someone backs into their car in the parking lot.

“Whether it be a building security question, custody issue that takes place within the school, or a traffic related issue,” Newman told Spark. “[I deal with] everything and anything.”

East senior Shika Susarla says that although she has had limited interactions with her SRO, the times she has spoken with him have been good.

“His position is necessary because he’s doing extra stuff outside of just being an SRO,” Susarla told Spark. “I’ve had very few moments with him, but he’s been pleasant every single time I’ve met with him. I haven’t heard any bad things about him; students like him.”

Newman acknowledges that students may not want law enforcement officers in their schools, but he says he is working to build relationships to overcome that obstacle.

“Some kids don’t want to talk to cops, and I get it,” Newman says. “Building those relationships with kids that don’t want anything to do with police is a challenge we need to get over and break down.”

According to a University of Maryland survey of approximately 500 high school and middle school principals, schools with SROs reported more crimes and expulsions than

According to a Spark survey, 48% of Lakota students have a negative view of law enforcement, while only 5% have a negative view of SROs specifically. schools without SROs. However, a Mississippi State University study reported that SROs are more lenient than typical patrol officers when met with more minor crimes. Newman acknowledges that the tough parts of the job are necessary, despite not being enjoyable. “[Expelling and punishing students] is my least favorite part of the job,” Newman says. ”I wish I could just stick to shaking hands and

kissing babies.”

Despite the difficult tasks SROs have to occasionally perform, Newman says the good outweighs the bad. His position as an SRO has allowed him to form new relationships and unbreakable bonds.

“I love my kids and my teachers and my administrators,” Newman says. ”I work hard at keeping a great relationship [with them], and I want to make sure they [do well] in life.” •

One of Hale’s responsibilities as a School Resource Officer (SRO) is to ensure student safety, which he does partially by watching students on camera monitors.

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 49

COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE

Spark staffers talk to members of the community about their views on the police force.

interviews abbey bahan, aubrey buchanan, kaleb flood, mia hilkowitz, ava huelskamp, andie madding, and zach sultz | photgraphy mia hilkowitz

Do you believe police needs to reform? If so how?

What interactions have you had with the police?

How do you view the police in your community?

“Yes, I do believe there should definitely be police reform. A few great places to start would be getting more states on board with prohibiting practices of excessive force and abuse of power, such as restricting neckholds and no-knock warrants.”

-- Sarah Opoku, East Community Member

“I think [police] are doing an excellent job right now. We had a robbery here, so we had a police officer come in and he was a very very good gentleman and very helpful.”

-- Mary Jean Kroger, Office Manager at Kroger at Dr. Daniel Kroger Optometrist)

“I think we have a good police force. They’re involved and supportive when they need to be. I think they’re vocal about what’s going on in police departments.”

-- Carine Miller, East Parent

I believe that the police are fine, it’s society that needs to reform.”

-- Tina, East Parent “I think [police] are very necessary and definitely not something we need to get rid of anytime soon. They’re here to help people, and I wish more people, and I wish more people would see that.”

-- Allison Nicole Turner, full time tanning console at Palm Beach Tan “They really need to have psychology (training) to understand people, have history, that way we dont have these issues with racism and stuff like that.”

-- Abdulah, East Parent 50 lakotasparkonline.com May 2021

“[Police] are an asset. I’ve worked in West Chester for many years now and never had a problem.”

-- Melanie Frank, Store Manger at Robert’s Medical Uniforms “I personally haven’t encountered the police besides the school resource officers but I do my best to avoid them.”

-- Peinda Bal, East Junior “I’ve been racially profiled and put into handcuffs twice.

The first occurrence was at my workplace. I was moving inventory and a police officer thought I was stealing it even though I was in my uniform.

They put me in handcuffs without probable cause.”

-- Jadon Popoola, East Junior

“I think we have pretty good police in our community.”

-- Evelyn Dick, East Community Member “I hold the belief that there are no good police officers. I have no personal vendetta against any individual police officers in my community, but I still view their institution as unjust and dangerous to their community.

-- Donovan Sweeten, Community Member “I have respect for them. I don’t see them as bad people. I know some really good ones in our community, but that is until they show or prove that they aren’t good people or good policemen and women.”

-- Jamal Boyd, East Community Member

community programs | package

POLICE COMMUNITY PROGRAMS research and art audrey allen | additional art mia hilkowitz

Butler County County: Butler County Sheriff’s Department Population: 383,134 Ride Along Program: Civilians may occasionally accompany law enforcement officers while on patrol in order to oversee and learn about law enforcement procedures and practices.

Fairfield Police Department

City: Fairfield Population: 42,634

Citizen Police Academy (CPA): CPA’s purpose is to give residents a better understanding of the role and capabilities of their police department. It also serves to give police a better understanding of citizen concerns and expectations.

Discussions and hands-on demonstrations will prove attendees with a background of the department as well as familiarization with some of the many aspects of police work.

FAIRFIELD

POLICE

West Chester Police Department West Chester

POLICE

Evendale Police Department

City: West Chester Population: 51,627

S.A.F.E. Program: The S.A.F.E. program is offered by the WCPD partnered with Lakota Local Schools. The program focuses on teaching practical skills for campus safety. The class is offered to young women who are high school seniors or recent graduates. There is a focus on rape prevention and awareness, personal protection, and self-awareness.

City: Evendale Population: 2,730

D.A.R.E Program: D.A.R.E. is a cooperative program between Evendale Elementary School, St. Rita’s School, and the police department. A police officer explains the dangers of drugs and drug abuse and provides information on how to resist negative peer pressure.

POLICE EVENDALE

Hamilton Police Department POLICE City of Hamilton

City: Hamilton Population: 62,182

Safety Town Program: The Greater Hamilton Safety Council along with the Hamilton Police and Fire Department sponsors the “Safety Town” program that teaches children about internet Safety, peer pressure, bullying, drugs, CPR, fire safety, gun safety, and bike safety.

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 51

culture | review

Release: Mar. 24, 2021 Budget: 155-200 million USD Grossed: 320 USD worldwide

CLASH OF CREATURES review zach shultz | art cassandra mueller

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he setting is Hong Kong. The bright neon lights around the city are lighting up, making a contrast with the dark, night sky.

They contrast against something else, too: two giant monsters, the lizard-like Godzilla and the ape-like Kong, both ready to destroy the other in a ruthless fight. This is just one of the impressive visuals in “Godzilla vs. Kong.”

When you look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an extremely successful movie franchise built around characters that connect the movies together, it’s no wonder that Hollywood would try to establish other shared universes in film. One of the most recent is the “MonsterVerse,” produced by Legendary Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. “Godzilla vs. Kong,” directed

by Adam Wingard, is the newest entry in this franchise, and is a sequel to both “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019) and “Kong: Skull Island” (2017).

The film centers around a fight between two giant monsters (called Titans), Godzilla and King Kong. And really, that’s just it. Of course, there are human characters, and they fill up a large part of the film, but the majority of them fall flat.

Alexander Skarsgård plays a former Titan scientist who is asked to guide a search for a power source into the Hollow Earth, an ecosystem deep inside the planet which is believed to be the birthplace of the Titans. A tech organization wants the power source to stop Godzilla, who, after saving humanity in his previous film, has started to attack seemingly random cities all over the world. Most of the film follows Skarsgård’s character’s team as they search for the Hollow Earth along with Kong.

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Along the way, they encounter Godzilla.

A popular criticism of the Monsterverse films is the human characters just aren’t interesting or written well. And while the characters in the first installments were fine, but not perfect, they were a far cry better than the ones in “Godzilla vs. Kong.” Besides conspiracy theorist Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry), most of the others have no interesting qualities to them and are boring and unforgettable.

When they were in dangerous situations and could die at any moment, I just didn’t care if they survived or not.

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ark and Madison Russell (Kyle Chandler and Millie Bobby Brown), the lead characters in “King of the Monsters,” both returned, but neither did much in this installment. Both have been praised for their acting in the past, which makes it strange that they were underused in this film when they had perfectly good reason to be prevalent in the plot.

But where this film disappoints in human characters, it excels in the monsters and the fights. Godzilla and Kong clash more than once, and every fight is very entertaining, thanks to amazing visual effects. The aforementioned fight in Hong Kong is a lot of fun to watch.

A very well-done and remarkable element in this film is the relationship between Kong and a young deaf girl named Jia (Kaylee Hottle, a real deaf actress). The viewer finds out that she was able to teach Kong sign language, and this allows for emotional and heartfelt scenes between the two that add personality and a human aspect to Kong. This makes you care about him when he, at times, is losing the battle

against Godzilla. The filmmakers were able to make a giant gorilla show more emotion than human characters.

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henever Godzilla absolutely wrecks buildings and destroys large ships, it is just so enjoyable and entertaining to watch. The nuclear monster also has scenes where it shows personality, and while it isn’t on the level of Kong, it still makes the viewer care about the monster. Godzilla’s theme, composed by Tom Holkenborg, is loud and booming, and it perfectly encapsulates the absolute sense of dread you would feel if you saw Godzilla showing up in the same place you were.

It’s important to acknowledge that a lot of people come to see the Godzilla films to see the monster fights and destruction and not for the story and characters. The first Godzilla film, made in 1954 in Japan, had a well-received story and was praised for its title monster, who acted as a metaphor for the nuclear weapons that terrorized Japan at the end of World War II. But newer films released by American film studios don’t seem to have the same effect.

It seems that this film acknowledges that not a lot of people care much about the human characters in these films, and doesn’t try to develop them too much to make sure the audience gets to see enough of what they want to see; although utterly boring characters are still a weak point of the film.

In the end, “Godzilla vs. Kong” is just a lot of fun, with great action sequences and impressive visuals. The story and characters aren’t great, but for a movie where it’s purpose is to show two monsters duking it out, it excellently delivers. If you go into this movie wanting to find something compelling that tells a masterful story, you will be disappointed.

But if you just want something adventurous, exciting, and bombastic, then “Godzilla vs.

Kong” is for you. •

review | culture

BLUES BRIBERY

review ava huelskamp | art cassandra mueller

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hen talking to most high school seniors, items on their “applying to college” checklist typically don’t include cheating on standardized tests or faking a sports photo in order to bolster their application; therefore, guaranteeing them a spot.

However, this was the sinister truth for over 50 of Hollywood’s rich and famous implicated in the now infamous college admissions scandal, given the code name “Operation Varsity Blues” by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Netflix turned the scandal into a Netflix original film Operation Varsity Blues: The

College Admissions Scandal released in spring of this year.

The R rated documentary runs for 80 minutes and stars Matthew Modine (Full Metal Jacket, Cutthroat Island, The Dark Knight, 47 Meters Down) as the main attraction and mastermind of the entire operation, Rick Singer. As the ending credits rolled across the screen, I was shocked the film was over. I expected it to be longer, with more interviews with people indicted in the scheme. This element would have made a captivating film even more attention grabbing.

Part of this captivation was the way Modine depicted the intense, nervous energy that real life Singer possessed. Another pleasant surprise was the stark similarities in appearance between Modine and Singer. It made the actor portrayal of real situations in the film seem even more authentic, as if I was watching them as they actually unfolded.

Live interview and media footage is expertly intermixed with alluring actor portrayal as the story of Singer’s operation unfolds. The film depicts how he convinced numerous adults that his so-called “side door” way of getting their children into top U.S. colleges was morally acceptable, all the while making their wallets hundreds of thousands of dollars lighter.

Investigative depth of the scandal is reflected throughout the entire plot due to exquisite work on the script and by director and writer Chris Smith and Jon Karmen respectively, both of whom worked on the Netflix series Tiger King. It was obvious Smith coached every actor through the portrayal of their character to continue the anxious, on-edge motif that carried through the atmosphere of every scene. Even those not typically into documentaries will appreciate the incredible attention to detail that was put into this film kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

One element of this detail includes the resources Karmen used to write the script. A disclaimer at the beginning of the film informs viewers that every single conversation between Singer and his clients actually happened,

as the U.S. government released transcripts of wiretaps FBI agents recorded on Singer’s phone. Karmen then used these transcripts when writing the script-an element that had not been available would have eradicated the feeling of authenticity at the heart of the film.

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mith told Time magazine that his goal in making the film was to document elements of the case that may have been swept under the rug, or not headlined in news coverage.

The way Modine is able to capture the essence of Singer’s personality. When talking with one client on the phone, Singer says, “You know this isn’t a TJ Maxx or Marshalls.” It became clear from this interaction that Singer is a serious, no nonsense guy -- a narrative that continues well into the film.

What really makes this documentary sensational is the endless number of interviews conducted to provide insight about every part of this elaborate scheme. Former clients of Singer, college counselors, and federal prosecutors being just a few in a long list of sources.

The documentary really does an exquisite job of examining and uncovering every single aspect of the scandal. For example, speaking with different college admissions advisors about their thoughts on Singer’s manipulation, to speaking to some key people in his life like his business partner and almost-girlfriend, as well as the sailing coach at Stanford who accepted bribes from Singer in exchange for spots on the teams for his clients.

Well-sourced interviews reveal a deeper picture than that painted by the national media.

While the film shines a light on how much power college athletic admissions directors really have, it also opens up the conversation into rich privilege. Footage from students applying to college reveals how selective the college admissions process has become, with many of them mentioning the decreasing percentages of students getting accepted into prestigious schools like Ivy Leagues.

As a graduating senior going into college, this w as an eye opening s to r y. Ha vin g gone through the college admissions process, it blows me away the lengths some parents with money burning a hole in their pocket will go to. The narrative told in this film shows the dark side of the often coveted American dream-esque college education and sheds light on the back stairway wealthy families have at their disposal.•

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 53

culture | review and diy

SINCERELY EMMA review andie madding art cassandra mueller

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mma advised the 13-year-old to not care about who gossips about you because all that matters is being yourself, and no middle schooler can take that away from you. No need for formalities or flair, just a girl talking about her life. This is the approach Emma takes to her podcast. Emma Chamberlain is known and loved by over ten million subscribers on Youtube and 12 million followers on Instagram. Her ever-increasing popularity led to the creation of her podcast, “Anything Goes.” Emma created the podcast in 2020 after her previous attempt with the old show named, “Stupid Genius.” The rebranding caught a lot of attention and led her to draw in over 43,575 reviews and a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts. Although Emma has a huge following and partners with esteemed fashion brand Louis Vuitton, she manages to stay

down-to-earth and uses her relatable stories and humor to spice up the podcast.

The topics are always interesting. She covers a range of topics including acne, divorce, social anxiety, and even her favorite hobbies.

This allows anyone of any age to listen to and enjoy at least one episode. Some of the harder topics Emma discusses are lightened up by her personal experiences and her bubbly personality. Every episode usually contains both the topic and updates on her life.

Emma is only 19, but she has the maturity of someone far beyond her years. She is still a teenager and has had a huge spotlight on her for over five years of her life. Chamberlain has handled the pressure tremendously well and doesn’t seem as if she is pompous or arrogant.

During the podcast there is never any bragging or “flexing,” just discussion of everyday activities and life-stories.

One of the best styles of episodes is her advice sessions. She takes questions and topics from her audience and discusses/gives advice for each person. Not only are most of the questions relevant and relatable to today, the answers Emma gives are always thoughtful and applicable to anyone going through similar problems. She has a talent for engaging with her audience and making the listener seem included. By the end of each episode, anyone can feel like she is a friend or older sister that they could listen to at any time.

Podcasts can get dry or boring, and the host may run out of ideas to talk about or ramble on as if they are lecturing; this doesn’t occur with, “Anything Goes.” Through constant engagement with the audience and by showing a different side to what everyone thinks the glamour of social media seems to be, it keeps the audience hooked and wanting to hear more.

Overall the podcast is very entertaining and easy to listen to. It never becomes dull and maintains the relatable humor that Emma’s followers love to hear. I enjoy putting it on at any time and hearing what happens next in Emma’s life. If you appreciate mature and relatable advice and hilarious anecdotes, tune into “A n y t h i n g Goes.”•

EMBROIDERY DIY

diy and photography marliegh winterbottom Step 1: Find a jean jacket, shirt, sweatshirt, or any article of clothing you would like to embroider.

Step 3: Pick the color of embroidery thread to use and thread a generous amount through the needle, tying a double knot at the end.

Step 5: Tie a double knot against the back of the clothing article to secure the stitching and cut off the excess embroidery thread.

Step 2: Sketch your design using a washable marker before attaching an embroidery hoop over the area you plan to embroider.

Step 4: Start from the back of your article of clothing and poke the needle through, bringing it to the other side of your outline and poking it through the front of the fabric back to the back side and repeat until the design is full.

Step 6: Repeat the process with other colors until you are satisfied with your design.Throw your piece in the wash to wash out the marker outline. It’s ready to wear!•

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continued from page 27

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he family was able to be in Selma, Alabama on Martin Luther King Day, and was able to meet with a man whose dad was a lawyer for Martin Luther King and who was present for Bloody Sunday, at the time only six years olds. He had stood with the family on the Edmund Pettus Bridge about his experience.

Another day, the family found themselves on Audrey Island when they found themselves right down the street from where Elon Musk was doing his SpaceX launch.

One of the things Jaime really values about their trips is that it has allowed them more time to spend together as a family given the close quarters.

“We get to see all these amazing things together and make memories while our kids are still with us, and I don’t take that for granted,” Jaime says. “Kids grow up really fast, and I feel like our kids are just at such a great age. Giving these kids a chance to see those things early on is such a gift.”

While the Piening children agree that this experience is something that they’ll treasure as they grow older, neither Cami nor Elle plan on doing the same once they’re adults, and Danny is unsure whether he will.

The kids have learned a lot on their travels so far, visiting war museums and being a Junior Ranger at national parks. And for Elle, their experiences have helped solidify her future career plans.

“I want to be a veterinarian so we went to South Padre islands and we went to this sea turtle rescue center and it was super fun,” Elle says. “I wanted to be a veterinarian because I love animals, but that made me want to be a veterinarian even more so.”

The change in lifestyle has also brought with it, changes in perspective.

“There is just so much land that is not inhabited by anything or any people,” Dan says.

“I can’t imagine how many times we said that there was nothing or that we were in the middle of nowhere. “That gives a different perspective of our country and I wish everybody had an understanding of it. That, to me, is a new paradigm shift, and I think that other people could benefit from understanding it as well.”

Jaime says that when comparing the places they’ve been to their home in Liberty Township, there are differences that are both good as well as bad. There are a lot of things that have intrigued her, but just as many that make her appreciate their home.

On instagram, where Jaime posts pictures

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of their travels, she uses the hashtag ‘pursuing the present’. What they have been able to do in the past months is not a lifestyle for the faint of heart, says Jaime. But according to her, the benefits outweigh the downsides.

“You only get today,” Jaime says. “You plan out your life and you think you know what your day is going to be like, but it’s [about] enjoying and being in the present; good or bad, whatever it brings you.

There are so many surprises along the way and so many cool things that have happened to us. We took the risks of getting out of our comfort zone and this was the reward.”• Right: Ten year-old Elle Piening explores the wilderness through her binoculars in Boyne Falls, Michigan.

SPARK ONLINE lakotaeastsparkonline.com

SHOOTING FOR THE STARS East welcomes Astrology Club, a new club for students interested in astrology signs. story kien vu | photography audrey allen May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 55

culture | pic six

PIC SIX: AVOCADO TOAST reviews and photography megan miranda

#1 COZY’S CAFE AND PUB 6440 Cincinnati Dayton Rd, Liberty Twp, OH 45044 | $12.00

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ooking for an aesthetic, comfortable, and delicious brunch option? Cozy’s Cottage is the place to be. Everything about their avocado toast was, as Mary Poppins herself would say, “practically perfect in every way.” In the early morning sunshine the plate of food was pleasant to the eye but even more so to the taste.

From the sourdough toast itself to the balsamic drizzle and goat cheese garnish, it was a combination of flavors that shouldn’t be missed. The avocado was nicely spread and withheld the right texture of not being too chunky. Despite the delightful layers of avocado, egg, and tomatoes, the toast did not become too soggy and was capable of being picked up for an accessible bite.

#2 KALA COFFEEHOUSE 4503 US-42, Mason, OH 45040 | $5.25

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oming in second all the way from a cute coffee shop in Mason is the avocado toast from Kala Coffee House. This was an option I was pleasantly surprised about for its simplicity and price. The look of the breakfast food grasped the epitome of what avocado toast should be, simple, nice, and seasoned.

This toast didn’t need fancy garnishes or eggs to put it in the running, instead the perfectly toasted sourdough bread spoke for itself. It didn’t sink from the weight of the avocado and was almost airy and crunchy. The spread itself made for a smooth textured topping that had great flavor due to the everything bagel seasoning on top of it. The taste was not too salty and not too bland which concluded in a great option.

#3 FIRST WATCH 6876 Cincinnati Dayton Rd, Liberty Twp, OH 45044 | $9.99

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he classic brunch option only a walking distance from East, First Watch, produces a solid avocado toast. The visual itself is on a nice plate yet fairly plain. The taste is almost tangy with a lemon hint and plenty of salt to allow the avocado to be its best self. With a side of eggs to eat with it or on the side, this avocado toast had a thick yet creamy texture and the bread was pretty straightforward.

However, you may be wondering if these things are all true, then why is it 3rd?

Its vice: the excessive layer that is the avocado. The topping feels nearly 3 inches tall which doesn’t leave a great ratio of bread to avocado, making it hard to eat and a little much.

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pic six | culture

PIC SIX: AVOCADO TOAST #4 FIRESIDE CAFE 6752 Cincinnati Dayton Rd, Liberty Twp, OH 45044 | $11.00

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he fireside cafe is rightfully named for their fire meals, but personally I wouldn’t consider their avocado toast to be one of them. While the breakfast dish was decked out with everything from eggs to salad to a lovely side of fried potatoes, all of these things acted as a distractor from the avocado toast itself. While it was good and passed the test of being an enjoyable avocado treat, the avocado was lacking in flavor and was very chunky. The toast itself was mediocre, doing nothing to stand out. Fortunately, with the eggs on top and a sprinkle of salt, it was of moderate quality. My only lasting complaint would be the way the avocado was placed on the toast, more hard and sliced than a nice smooth spread (but that’s just preference).

#5 DUNKIN’ DONUTS 8315 Cincinnati Dayton Rd, West Chester Twp, OH 45069 | $2.99

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onuts, coffee, and… avocado toast? This shocking mixture can be found at Dunkin Donuts. Overall, the spread was okay although the taste was very bland, with no texture, and pre-packaged like you would get at Kroger for portable chips and guacamole. On top of the avocado was the everything bagel seasoning that everyone and their aunt’s cousin is currently a fan of--rightfully so. The mix of seasalt, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, minced dried garlic, and black sesame seeds results in a combination that can be sprinkled on top of anything from avocado toast to pizza to roasted vegetables. Besides the minimal effort seasoning, however, the sourdough bread was a redeeming aspect. It was toasted nicely and a warm contrast to the avocado.

#6 EINSTEIN BROS. BAGELS 9216 Allen Rd, West Chester Twp, OH 45069 | $3.99

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instein Bros. Bagels may be great at making fantastic bagels, but they could take notes on making avocado toast. Unfortunately for my tastebuds, the everything bagel seasoning couldn’t necessarily save this avocado toast. While the bagel was pleasantly toasted and the seasoning was great, I couldn’t get past the overall texture and taste of the avocado (a pretty significant factor). I couldn’t decide if it tasted recently unthawed or just weirdly textured, but the avocado was unripe and could not be smoothed. The overall flavor was not redeeming enough to save the poor texture.

The presentation played another factor of deception as it looked nicely garnished and quite delightful in bagel form.•

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EID ELEGANCE

culture | fashion

photography ianni acapulco

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id al-Fitr is the celebration at the end of Ramadan, the ninth month of the lunar-based Islamic calendar. Just as Ramadan begins the day after the sighting of the crescent moon, Eid al-Fitr works the same way, with the sighing of the new crescent moon marking the end of Ramadan.

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Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr dressed in their best clothes. Many peopole wear traditional or cultural clothes as a a way to honor their culture. reminder of culture. During the holy month, Muslims participate in dawn-to-sunset fasting as well as spiritual reflection and prayer.

fashion | culture

“

Bekali is wearing a top called a Kameez with bottoms that are called a shararas (or gharara).

The kameez is a long shirt or tunic with side seams that are left open below the waistline. Other shalwars (bottoms) can be worn, including lungi and lehenga.

“

“

Cultural clothes make me feel empowered and proud of my family and where I come from since we live in such a westernized culture now. It’s nice to be reminded of my amazing roots back in Pakistan.

NASMA JARABAH Cultural clothes allow me to showcase my beautiful and colorful culture! It allows me to be me while still holding onto that really important part of myself.

Jarabah is wearing a traditional Palestinian embroidered dress called a thobe. For many women, the details on thobes tend to be handsewn and express Palestinian nationalism.

“

“

“

MEHEK BEKALI

MINAHIL HAROON My traditional clothes are what keep me connected to my roots back home.

You could be anywhere and wearing them makes you feel at home.

Like Bekali, Haroon wears a kameez sharara, a variation of the typical kameez shalwar.

More casual kameez shalwar have light fabric, while those with heavier fabric and embroidery are for special occasions.

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 59

East senior Brooklyn Salyers runs two laps around the track during her 800m race at the Centerville meet.

DESIRE, WORK ETHIC, CONSISTENCY East senior and varsity runner Brooklyn Salyers has excelled in her sport since her debut season in 2018 allowing her to commit to Wright State University for track and cross country. story abbie westendorf | photography cassandra mueller | infographic evie colpi

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he arrives at practice in her brand new blue Brooks Adrenalines. The coach says “alright, let’s go,” and the rest of the girls take off sprinting. She thinks to herself “do they run like this for miles?” as she starts to run the half mile warm-up, stopping a quarter way through to walk.

This was the beginning of East senior and varsity runner Brooklyn Salyer’s first cross country practice the summer before her sophomore year after quitting tennis.

“I liked tennis; it was fine, but it wasn’t my favorite environment when I got into high school. There aren’t many sports you can just pick up as a high school athlete, but running you can start at any age or level,” Salyers says.

“So, I thought I’d give it a try.”

According to Salyers, she was hesitant about going to summer conditioning, being a newcomer trying to keep up with the talent on the team, including two of the Greater Miami Conference’s (GMC) fastest runners.

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“The hardest part is your mental mindset because you get there, and these girls are so fast and look so different from you, and it’s hot,” Salyers says. “Your body cannot do anything on that level without easing into training, but when I got there I was trying to keep up which my body and mind weren’t ready for.”

East senior and teammate Paxton Oberhaus says once Salyers changed her mindset about running, she exceeded expectations. “[Brooklyn] is extremely determined to do her best all the time,” Oberhaus says. “Even when she first started and was struggling, she never gave up and it has really paid off for her and our team.”

Even with the setback of both a foot and hip injury in Salyers’ junior year, which she refers to as her first “real” season running, she continued to improve and change her lifestyle to become a better student-athlete.

“When I originally started running numerous miles and getting faster, I suffered

from a stress fracture [in my third metatarsal] and was extremely underweight,” Salyers says.

“I didn’t fix my nutrition or sleep schedule to cater to the physical exertion I was putting myself through. It was a big adjustment that I had to make to succeed.”

Despite the difficulty of distance running, Salyers believes anyone can start running if they have the time and commitment to it. Her coach, Thomas Adams, agrees.

“When you’re willing to put in the necessary amount of work year-round, you are going to see a lot of success. Brooklyn is the perfect example of what it takes to become the best distance runner you can be,” Thomas says. “She has that perfect combination of desire, work ethic, and consistency.”

Thomas, a math teacher at Diamond Oaks Career Technology Center, credits Salyers’ attitude towards the sport for her success. Over her high school career, she was able to chop off 14 minutes from her 5k time. In light of this,

track | sports she was named the “most improved runner” at the fall sports award ceremony this year.

“That is something I’ve never seen before, especially with a runner becoming a varsitycaliber athlete by the end of their East career. I couldn’t be more proud of Brooklyn for that,” Thomas says. “To be a good distance runner you have to have a special kind of toughness and a little edge to your personality when you are working out and racing. If you want to improve you have to go through quite a bit of pain and discomfort.”

Salyers confirms the pain and discomfort that comes with the sport. At the beginning of her running career, she couldn’t complete any of the team’s workouts.

“There were days where I would quit, there were days where it was too hot and the workout was too hard and I’d drop out,” Salyers says.

“But I never wanted to drop it altogether, it never crossed my mind. Eventually, you fall in love with working towards your goal.”

She was able to overcome the physical trials through a positive mindset.

“I just thought to myself ‘everyone starts somewhere,’” Salyers says. “So I kept pushing myself until I got to the point where I could physically handle it. Then I got to work on my speed and form.”

Oberhaus credits all of Salyers’ improvement to her own determination.

“Brooklyn’s improvement was all her,” Oberhaus says. “Our coach gives us workouts, but how much effort you put into them is all on you, and she gives it her all every single time; even on days when she might not be feeling her best.”

Thomas agrees. In the past three years, the team has won the state meet twice and regionals last season. East’s best runners have no off-season, running 50 weeks out of the year striving to improve themselves and preparing for a successful season. Salyers is one of these athletes.

“Brooklyn has a real love for the sport and is willing to do whatever it takes and whatever is asked of her to get better,” Thomas says.

Regardless of the disruption to Salyers’ first track season by COVID-19, she continued to train and make herself a better runner.

2018 GMC Championship 33:25.40

source gmcsports.com

East senior Brooklyn Salyers warming up at the Centerville relay meet.

“When COVID-19 hit, I took advantage of all the time I had by going outside to run and push my limits,” Salyers says. “There was nothing else to do and it was great timing for my senior season.”

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berhaus, who is committed to run at Findlay University, believes the team did well despite the circumstances, but without the struggle of a pandemic, their season could’ve gone better.

“Not being able to get a track season last Spring or getting to train together for most of the year was hard. It made it easy to blow off workouts, but Brooklyn didn’t,” Oberhaus says.

“She became even more determined, confident, and disciplined. She continued to work hard to chip away at her times and kept pushing.”

Salyers is currently in the midst of her first track season participating in the 800, 1600, and 3200-meter races. Training for track has been quite a transition for her.

“The expectations have been higher and the competition has been way more intense,” Salyers says. “It’s not just about my own personal time anymore. It’s about winning, placing, and stepping up for the team.”

Because of her hard work, Salyers recently

2019 Lebanon Running Warrior Invitational 30:16.60

2020 Sycamore Invitational 22:27.40

committed to Wright State University (WSU) for cross country and track. Their head coach Rick Williamson says he was instantly intrigued by how much she improved over her last three seasons.

“When [Brooklyn] contacted me, it was apparent that she is determined to keep that momentum going into the future,” Williamson says. “Our entire program is built upon improvement and development, and she is already on the fast track for that. I am confident that she will fit in terrifically with the returning women.”

According to Thomas, in his 13 years coaching at East, he has had 22 runners who have received scholarship money to run at the next level.

“I take pride in seeing all of our distance athletes improve themselves as runners,” Thomas says. “But it is an added bonus when our athletes’ hard work pays off and they are able to move on to the next level.“ While advancing her running career at WSU, Salyers aims to major in public health.

“As I started running, nutrition in our athletes and young people, in general, started to interest me. I was very focused on what I was putting in my body and how that’s going to affect my performance and fuel me,” Salyers says. “I want to get my foot in the door to change how we nourish our bodies.”

Even though Salyers had a late start, she was still able to excel and find a passion for running.

Bringing her personal record down from 33:25.40 at the 2018 GMC Championships to 22:27.40 at the 2020 Sycamore Invitational.

“My biggest regret isn’t finding running sooner. If I could’ve started running in seventh grade that would’ve been great,” Salyers says.

“But it turned out okay cause now I have the opportunity to build myself and improve over the next four years at WSU.” •

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 61

Bottom right: West junior and varsity goalie Robert Guise.

Bottom left: East junior and varsity offender Evie O’Brien.

West senior Danny Amsbaugh and East junior Colton Simkins at the draw.

BATTLE OF THE BLOODLINE

Lakota lacrosse is especially competetive. • story ben stowe | photography audrey allen and riley higgins

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s the final seconds run out on the clock, the scoreboard reads five to six. East’s boys lacrosse team loses to West in overtime in week four of the 2021 regular season. This marks the end of one of many relentless battles between the two teams.

In 1997, Lakota High School was split into East and West. This simple decision signified the beginning of a fierce rivalry. Ever since then, athletic teams of both schools have prioritized every match up.

The competition is especially apparent in the schools’ lacrosse programs. The games have been some of the most anticipated and vivacious dogfights in Ohio.

“There’s a very, very strong desire to beat the other school,” says East athletic director Richard Bryant, who knows beating West is one of the school’s top priorities. “It’s one of the goals we have in the athletic department. It’s ‘Beat West’.”

East senior and captain of the boys lacrosse team, Braxton Rich, had one goal and one assist in a 9-8 victory against West in week seven. East Senior Kyle Collet scored the game-winner as time expired.

“West is always the most important game of the year,” Rich says.

“It means the most to all of us.”

Mental preparation begins the day the game is scheduled. The team has to stay focused and not allow the amount of pressure and emotion present to overwhelm them.

“I think it’s most important

62 lakotasparkonline.com May 2021

for us to make sure the guys are loose and ready to go,” Rich says. “West games always have the most pressure because the attendance is at its highest and emotions are at their peak.”

East junior Mason Khounesombat, who fought to recover three ground balls against West in a week four 6-5 overtime loss, agrees with Rich.

“It’s a big thing; all of us want it really badly,” Khounesombat says. “It’s probably the most emotional game of the year.”

The East versus West games are no place for stoics. While boys lacrosse has been dominated

by West in recent years, the girls program is another story.

“It’s been pretty one sided,” says Bryant.

“Most of the time, on the boys side they have our number. On the girls side, we have had their number.”

East’s girls lacrosse team has been notably successful against West. East has beaten West every year without fail, up until this season when they dropped a pair, 13-9 and 20-12.

East senior girls lacrosse player, Kaitlyn Lattire, scored six goals in the week four game against West. Lattire has reached 100 goals in her high school career this season, and leads the Greater Miami Conference (GMC) in goals this season with 66 in only 14 games, as of week eight.

“Since I came in as a freshman, we had our seniors always telling us that they haven’t lost to West,” Lattire says. “Up until this year, we kept that streak going, still only losing once in the past four years.”

Lattire has been on varsity since freshman year and has played west a total of eight times.

“The atmosphere walking into any West game is definitely very tense,” Lattire says. “My mindset is to just go in and play my hardest.

It’s a huge game for us so we all have to make sure we are focused and ready to play. When I walk onto that field, I make sure to give it my all, win or lose.”

East has unique individual talent this

year. East players Kaitlyn Lattire and Klohe Kaznowski hold the top two places for goals in the GMC with 66 and 50, as of week eight.

East players Allison Davis, Avery Butts, Trinity Mullucey, and Lily Wallbank hold the top four places for caused turnovers in the GMC with 26, 23, 21, and 18, as of week eight.

“Individual talent always plays a large part in sports success,” says Rick Carpenter who has been an assistant coach at East for six years. “But in order to be a varsity athlete in high school, the amount of effort put forth is typically the main factor.”

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est’s girls team has seen a substantial turn around this season, going from 5-12 in 2019 to 6-5, as of week eight. West senior girls lacrosse player Maggie Mullholand, who had one goal, one assist, and four ground balls in the week seven game versus East, has seen the progress first hand.

“The team has phenomenal chemistry this year and we play really well together,” Mullholand says. “We have learned to trust and respect one another on and off the field.”

This rivalry has been remarkably beneficial for both schools. These teams push each other to improve themselves every offseason, and to bring their best every season.

“When we are conditioning in the preseason, it’s always ‘They aren’t doing this extra sprint, but we will’,” Lattire says. “We always want to go that one extra step to be better than the other school.”•

FERRARI UP AT BAT

East sophomore Leilah Ferrari made the varisty softball team as a freshman and excels in both fielding and hitting. • story aubry buchanan | photography audrey allen

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eilah Ferrari was nervously waiting to hear her name get called by the East varsity coaches at the start of her 2020 softball season. When she finally heard her name she felt all her hard work and effort pay off.

She had worked extremely hard during her entire off season, knowing that her chances of making varsity as a freshman were low due to the abundant amount of seniors trying out and the team’s status as a state qualifier.

As any athlete’s dream would be, her goal was making varsity as a freshman.

“Leilah has unlimited potential. If she works hard and focuses on a task, I have no doubt she will achieve it,” says Leilah’s third base coach, Jess Howard. “She is our lead-off hitter and with each hit, she raises the bar for the others behind her in the lineup. I think that helps the younger players behind her gain more confidence to see that, because if she got a hit, they can too,” Leilah has been playing softball for 11 years and has been dedicated to it for just as long. Her mom, Tiffany Ferrari, has supported her every step of the way.

“Leilah started playing softball when she was only five years old and she’s been in love with the game ever since,” Tiffany says.“She started with Tee-Ball, then she progressed from playing on a seven to eight year old all star coach pitch team, to playing for top level national select teams.”

The amount of physical work she put in was almost equivalent to the amount of mental work and preparation that comes with the sport.

“Leilah has spent countless hours over the years training to be a top tier athlete with hopes of one day playing for a D1 College,” Tiffany says. “She works hard and puts everything she has into the game. She strives hard to be the best player on the field and make a difference for her team.”

She has a phenomenal mentality and a confidence that drives her through the sport.

“In a game, Leilah’s mentality is very intense. She is hyper focused on making plays and is very critical of herself if she doesn’t play up to her own high expectations,” says Howard. “This is helpful at times but also can hinder her abilities. With more experience and time, we are sure she will be a confident leader for all of our players.”

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Sophomore Leilah Ferrari playing shortstop in the 20-9 victory against Colerain.

errari leads by example. Her attitude lifts others up and throughout the season she helped her team stay positive.

“I lead my team by just doing the best I can,” Ferrari says. “When I do good, the rest of my team does good.”

Her teammates also view her as a leader, her impressive stats throughout her sophomore season are proof of her leadership this season. Ferrari hit a home run her first time up at bat in the first game of the season. As well as having 11 runs throughout the season she has an on base percentage of 0.405. With 8 RBIs and 4 stolen bases in only 10 games she also has the most home runs on her team.

“She helps us make routine plays on the field and is always open to help others improve as well,” East sophomore and Leilah’s teammate, Sophia Tombragel says.

Her leadership makes her an essential player to her team.

“Leilah is a great teammate on and off the field. She is supportive and helpful with everything she does,” Tombragel says.“Just knowing that I have a friend even outside of softball is a great thing. Her personality is everything about her. She will make you laugh [at] anytime and she is a great teammate on and off the field.”•

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 63

East senior varsity captain Kaitlyn Lattire (#40) shooting her 100th high school career goal in home game against Mason.

REBUILDING A DREAM TEAM With a new coaching staff, 13 seniors graduating, and losing a season to COVID-19 last year, the East lacrosse team is rebuilding their winning team. • story and infographic evie colpi | photography audrey allen

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riday practices for the East girls lacrosse team involve kickball, soccer, tug of war and other team building games. Girls laughing and good-natured banter can be heard echoing around the field. For this team, after losing 13 seniors, building teamwork and cooperation is imperative in rebuilding a dream team.

For East varsity lacrosse captain Kelly Carpenter, her senior season was not at all what she expected. Looking back at the past two years, losing both the upperclassman and a season to COVID-19, as well as a change in coaching staff was unanticipated and rebuilding their dream team has been a journey.

“If you would’ve told sophomore me that the past two years would be like this I would’ve thought you were crazy,” Carpenter says. “Standing there at that senior night knowing this was my last time playing with the upperclassman that I looked up to for so long was such a real moment for me.”

For Carpenter, this moment was impactful because she was not only saying goodbye to a large portion of her team, she was also watching her older sister play her last game knowing that in the upcoming years, she would follow in her

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footsteps.

Two years later, the East girls lacrosse team persevered and succeeded during their 2021 season. With every game, the team played better and better and got more comfortable playing together.

The first few games they were a “one half team” where they either played a really good first half or a really good second and couldn’t put them together. Now, months into the season, after spending three hours everyday with one another practicing for a common goal, the team is a tight knit family and they now have an eight to seven record.

“Losing the seniors was very hard for our team. Not only did we lose numbers and talent, but in a way we lost the foundation to our team,” Carpenter says. “Those girls led us to being better lacrosse players and better people.

For me specifically it was difficult because losing them meant not playing with my older sister anymore.”

Matt Dishun, a long-time assistant to former coach Ken Kinch, who resigned after getting another job opportunity outside of East, stepped up and became the girl’s lacrosse

head coach in the 2020 season. His first order of business was finding new players to fill in the large shoes of the graduated seniors.

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ew players ranging from freshman to seniors attended off season practice in order to learn the game and polish their stick skills.

Anjal Jackson, a then sophomore and now junior, started out in the season of 2020.

“The team made me feel so welcomed. They were kind and instantly treated me like family,” Jackson says. “As I have gotten to know these girls they have made me realize that it’s more than lacrosse, we are a family.”

After months of preparation with the date for the first game of the season quickly approaching, one obstacle stood in the team’s path--COVID-19.

When the government officially shut down spring sports, Dishun called each and every player on his roster to have a heart to heart conversation and let them know the bad news.

“Our team always seems to come together pretty quickly,” Dishun says. “We always tell the girls that we are one big family. Families have issues at times but we always seem to put

girls lacrosse | sports it behind us and move on quickly.”

After the quarantining protocol started to lift, the team jumped right back where they left off.

The problem they were facing now however, was the lack of teamwork and chemistry. Many of the girls did not know each other, coming from different groups and grades. They needed to learn how to trust and depend on each other.

“Team chemistry is everything on a team.

You can have really great athletes but if the connection and trust isn’t there, the team won’t succeed,” Carpenter says. “I have played many teams that have had a few great players but have poor leadership and trust. In the end the strongest teams are the ones who can rely on each other on and off the field.”

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arsity senior captain Klohe Kaznowski has been playing lacrosse for six years. Using her experience and leadership, she helped develop the new player’s individual talents and teach them how to utilize each other on the field.

“The seniors were a large portion of the team [which] meant we lost a lot of experienced players,” Kaznowski says. “When you add that to a missed season in 2020, there was a lot of work ahead of us to build and develop our talent and skill sets within the team.”

East alumni and varsity goalie Abbie Urick, was a 2019 graduate who had been playing alongside her teammates for years, creating a strong bond that led them to a winning season.

“Many of us had been playing together since middle school, so it was natural to know what someone was thinking, it was that built up trust,” Urick says. “Through the bonds we created we became a very tight knit family. We had people that we could trust and rely on and that made us more willing to fight for a win because no one wanted to let each other down.”

That required the underclassman to gain experience.

“Missing our season last year obviously left a gap with our team bonding experiences.

When you practice and play together you naturally bond as a team and we didn’t get that opportunity last year,” Kaznowski says. “ We started the season this year with a big sis and little sis partnership between upper and lower classmates to help us bond. It takes time getting comfortable with each other and identifying and understanding the different strengths each one brings to the team.”

“I believe what makes a team great is no matter how your season is going, you don’t give up. There are always ups and downs with winning and losing and players being injured,” Dishun says. “It’s not always about how talented you are or the team is. It’s about having the heart and desire to want to do your best every time you step on the field.” •

EAST STAT LEADERS IN THE GREATER MIAMI CONFRENCE*

caused turnovers:

goals:

#1 Allison Davis (21)

#1 Kaitlyn Lattire (64)

#2 Avery Butts (20)

#2 Klohe Kaznowski (45)

#2 Trinity Mullucy (20)

assists: #4 Kaitlyn Lattire (12)

#4 Lily Wallbank (17) #5 Klohe Kaznowski (15)

draw controls: #5 Klohe Kaznowski (34) source: gmcsports.com

*As of week eight in the 2021 season.

Sophomore Allison Davis (#4) takes draw while senior and varsity captain Klohe Kaznowski (#35) prepares to attack the pop up.

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 65

THE REVENGE SEASON Junior Jack Villareal pitching a 4-1 victory against Hamilton with eight strikeouts in seven innings.

After a cancelled season due to COVID-19, the East Baseball program picked up right where they left off, led by a strong group of nine seniors. • story mason wise | photography caleb vanatta | infographic evie colpi

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ack in the beginning of March 2020, just a little over a year ago, the Lakota East Baseball team took the field for their first spring practice. After a long winter of offseason workouts and early morning batting practices, the time had finally come for this team to show their potential and prove they belong on the field with some of the best teams in Ohio.

Anticipation was high for the upcoming season, as the Hawks’ deep and uber talented roster had the chance to be the best team Lakota East had seen since their 2011 state championship team.

But for these players, the world around them changed in the blink of an eye. Over a month later, on Apr. 20, 2020, the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) announced the cancellation of all spring sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic that had shut down all schools throughout Ohio for the remainder of the school year. As a result of the decision, none of the state’s five high school spring sports - baseball, softball, track and field, tennis, and lacrosse - were played in 2020.

66 lakotasparkonline.com May 2021

“There’s no words to describe it other than devastating,” says senior starting pitcher and Ohio State University baseball commit Drew Bachman. “Last year’s team was not only extremely talented, but we were all extremely competitive players, so not getting the chance to compete at all was very tough for all of us, especially our seniors.”

It was a truly bitter ending for the Class of 2020 seniors, who never got to take the field and play one last game in an East uniform. The focus has now shifted to the Class of 2021, who has a strong and unprecedented group of nine returning seniors that are hoping to pick up right where they left off last year.

“I think finally being able to have a full high school season this year has really fueled us, along with recognizing the amount of talent that we had last season and how far we could’ve gone as a team,” says senior starting pitcher and University of Charleston baseball commit Campbell Spradling. “This year almost feels like a revenge tour.”

For a team that was ranked fifth in the state of Ohio coming into the season, according to the Prep Baseball Report (PBR) preseason power rankings, there is certainly no shortage of high expectations surrounding this year’s team. They have certainly lived up to these expectations thus far, as East currently sits second in the GMC with an overall record of 13-5 and a conference record of 9-3. They’re positioned just a game behind Oak Hills, who carries the best conference record at 10-2 (11-5 overall).

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ith as many upperclassmen as they have, it is evident that experience and leadership are huge strengths for this team. And with extra motivation from last year’s devastating series of events, this group of players has only grown closer and the sky’s the limit for them this season. Most of these kids, specifically this group of nine seniors, have grown up playing against each other in club baseball but have now gotten the opportunity to develop good team chemistry over the past three

baseball | sports years. But in their final year, they, along with the rest of the team, have grown closer than ever.

“This team is very close-knit,” says senior starting catcher and University of Akron baseball commit Mike Sprockett. “Very few teams that I have played for have the chemistry that this squad has, and I’m very grateful to take the field everyday with a bunch of guys that I know have my back.”

Senior Mike Sprockett batting at game against Hamilton with a 4-3 win.

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side from great team chemistry and solid leadership and experience, this team also has a very deep pitching rotation, which may be among some of the best in the entire state.

“We were stacked all around and were going to be a solid team last year,” junior and varsity pitcher Jack Villareal.

The team has three National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) commits in their starting rotation alone, two of which are Division I commits in senior Drew Bachman and junior Evan Whiteaker. Having lockdown pitchers like Bachman and Whiteaker allows the Hawks to hang with almost any opponent, and takes a lot of pressure off of their hitters knowing that they don’t need seven or eight runs every game just to win.

“I would argue that the GMC is the toughest conference in the entire state,” Bachman says.

“There are so many teams in this conference that can do damage against pitching, but our pitching depth allows us to never feel like we don’t have a chance in a game. Every guy we roll out there, our team has full confidence in.”

East head coach Ray Hamilton took over back in 2000 and has since led the program to a state championship, three GMC championships, and three district championships. He was also inducted into the 2020 Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and has been named GMC Coach of the Year four times. He knows exactly what it takes to lead a team deep into the state tournament, which this year’s team certainly has the potential to do.

With junior Jack Villereal being number one in the GMC with five pitching wins; Villereal and Whiteaker being number one and two for pitching strikouts; and Spockett, Whiteaker, and junior Collin Sweeney, being in the top five for Runs Batted In (RBI); the stats speak for themselves.

Following back-to-back losses, one against conference-leading Oak Hills and the other against 11-5 Mason, East only has six conference games remaining on their schedule and is looking to regain momentum heading into the state tournament. Although not explicitly stated by any of the players or coaches, it is clear that they only have one goal in mind: bringing a state championship back to Liberty Township for the first time in ten years.

“This team has the chance to do something really special, and I’m very excited to see what is in store for us,” says Sprockett. But as for right now, we’re just getting started.”•

DIVISION I COMMITS ON THE EAST BASEBALL TEAM

Junior Evan Whiteaker commited to Indiana University in July of 2020

Senior Micheal Sprockett commited to Akron University in August of 2020.

Senior Drew Bachman commited to Ohio State University in June of 2020.

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 67

SERVING SUCCESS

Kuhlman in a huddle regrouping with his team during a timout in a 3-1 victory against West.

East varisty volleyball alumni, Bryant Kuhlman coaching his first East men’s varsity volleyball team this 2021 spring season. • story rachel anderson | photography caleb vanatta | infographic evie colpi

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fter graduating from East in 2015, Bryant Kuhlman knew he was not finished at Lakota. He spent all four years of his high school career playing for the East men’s volleyball team, and then he then played club volleyball during his time at Bowling Green State University.

Now, six years after attending East, Kuhlman is back as a CP Algebra II teacher and the men’s varsity volleyball coach. Before joining East’s coaching team, he coached club volleyball for three years, and he was also the Girl’s Varsity Assistant Coach at Milford.

“I graduated from East and grew up five minutes from here. This is where I always wanted to be,” Kuhlman told Spark. “I’ve been a part of the Lakota East volleyball program since 2011. It’s been 10 years now. So I was a player and loved my time as a player. When I continued to coach, I thought it was the right fit to get back and coach the team that I always played for.”

East senior and volleyball player Darek Sanabria believes that Kuhlman’s insight on volleyball makes him a better coach. Darek says that Kuhlman takes “very diligent notes” that allows him to help the players improve and find

68 lakotasparkonline.com May 2021

drills that match the needs of the players. “[Kuhlman] always knows what to fix,” Sanabria says. “It makes it a lot easier to improve yourself when he’s giving you the steps to do it.”

Kuhlman’s coach at East, Brittany Billiter, started coaching JV Volleyball at East in 2012 when Kuhlman was a freshman. In 2013, she moved up to coach Varsity. However, in 2019 she decided it was time to stop coaching for a few years while her children are still young.

Currently she has a daughter who is four and two twin boys who are two.

“Leaving East was an incredibly hard decision, but I ultimately left to spend more time with my young family,” Billiter told Spark.

“The boys at East were the best big brothers we could ask for, but it was hard to come home several nights a week without even seeing my kids.”

Kuhlman’s first season was supposed to be the 2020 spring season. He met with the team and had a few practices; however, on the night of the team’s first scrimmage, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced that schools needed to close due to the pandemic. This canceled the season.

Partly due to not having a 2020 season, Kuhlman says that one of the only weaknesses

of the team this year is the inexperience. It is Kulhman’s first season coaching at East, and the boys did not get to play in 2020 making it both the sophomore’s and freshmen’s first year on the team.

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uhlman also says that many of his players do not play club volleyball, making this season the first time in two years they are playing.

“This year, we have some strong leaders on our team that definitely help uplift and help guide some of the newer guys along. We have that upperclassmen lead group that’s pushing guys and pushing them to be their best,” Kuhlman says. “One of the weaknesses of ours is that we’re young, but one of the key strengths I’ve seen is that we continue to grow. Every match, we seem to improve from the beginning to where we are now. We’re getting more and more competitive [and] that’s where you want to be this time of the year.”

Sanabria agrees that missing a season hurt the team.

“Getting the last season canceled affected me in that during the beginning of this season, I felt like I wasn’t at the skill level I should’ve

been if I had played in 2020,” Sanabria says.

“Last year, we also had some seniors that were going to play for the first time that year ,and they never got to play an actual game, which was really unfortunate.”

Billiter says that when she left in 2019, the team had eight seniors graduate, meaning that Kuhlman had to build the team back up with the underclassmen. “[After I left and eight seniors graduated] The program needed a lot of time and energy to maintain its tradition,” Billiter says. “Mr. Kuhlman had that to give and has gone above and beyond to continue upholding the program’s high expectations for studentathletes.”

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ven when Kuhlman was a player at East, Billiter says that his passion and competitiveness quickly made him into a leader. She believes that this translates into being a strong coach.

“He has such a passion for the program and for Lakota East. He is the oldest of 4 brothers who all played volleyball at East, so he has been playing, supporting, or coaching in the program for just as long as I have,” Billiter says.

“That same passion he had has a player he can now pass on to his players. I also knew he was a good fit because he’s a hard worker.”

Kuhlman believes that coaching is all about trying to find the right balance of offering feedback but also encouraging the team. He believes that he has a little more “aggressive” of a coaching style than the coaches that he had.

“I want the guys to play with passion and know that it’s okay to make mistakes. You use those mistakes to help you grow and learn so that the next time out you’re not making that same mistake,” Kuhlman says. “I talk to them all the time [saying that the] same thing happens in class. You have to make a mistake, you get to learn from that mistake, and you move on. Quite frankly that’s life.”

East senior Grant Hubbard loves how “energetic” Kuhlman is on the court. Hubbard says that Kuhlman is constantly trying to find ways to help the individual players improve in both their ability and communication with the rest of the team.

“I think Bryant’s coaching style is a lot more one-on-one [than previous coaches I have had],” Hubbard says. “If you make a mistake, he will tell you what’s wrong, he will try and correct that mistake, and [he will] keep pressuring you to get better.”

The team’s record their regular season was 7-10 with a 6-2 record in the Greater Miami Conference (GMC).

“With the youth and inexperience of this team, I knew it was going to be a struggle at the beginning, but a productive struggle,” Kuhlman said. “We’re going to continue to get better and we are. I think the record is starting to show that.” •

Senior Nicky Hetterich setting up for a spike in 3-1 victory against West.

GMC BOYS VOLLEYBALL EAST STAT LEADERS

kills: #1 grant hubbard (214) #9 nicky hetterich (91) digs: #6 ryan leisten (107) assists: #6 carson hill (220)

aces: #2 grant hubbard (50) #11 carson hill (24) pass points: #2 ryan leisten (551) #5 grant hubbard (456) May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 69

opinion | column

MARK YOUR CALENDAR REHAB JARABAH

photography riley higgins | art shiloh wolfork

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hen I was younger, every Eid, my mom would go out and buy candy and goodies for my classmates. She’d stay up late creating the perfect goodybags for my peers and the perfect gift baskets filled with traditional desserts for my teachers.

It was my favorite time of the year; getting to leave school for the day and bringing gifts to my peers and teachers. It was, to say the least, magical.

Well, up until middle school.

By that point, I had been put in gifted classes, and the work had never stopped coming. Missing a day meant missing a

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boatload of work. And it didn’t get any better once I set foot in high school. When I should be having fun and celebrating with my family, I am constantly thinking about all the work I had to do once I got back to school.

This isn’t just an issue for me though.

According to Pew Research Center, there are 3.5 million American Muslims, 4.3 million American Jews, 766,000 American Hindus, 280,000 American Sikhs, and so many other people of various religious backgrounds.

However, in America, we do not get Eid, Hanukkah, or Vaisakhi off. We barely get told to have a happy holiday, let alone get the day off.

Religious minorities are forced to miss a day of instruction or work in order to celebrate their religious holidays. And for a country that prides itself on “separation of church and state,” as written in our Constitution, why is it that students get two weeks off for Christmas and get the weekend for Easter weekend but religious minorities have to ask to miss the day to celebrate?

Now don’t get me wrong, in the suburbs of Ohio, I’m more than happy for Walmart to be open when I celebrate my holiday because, really, what else is there to do

here? But it doesn’t make it just that students and employees of Christian faith get days or weeks off to celebrate with their families.

I understand that although the United States has no official religion, there is a Christain majority. According to the Religious Landscape Study done by Pew Research Center, there are a little over 70% of people who identify as some sort of Christian in the United States.

However, with no official religion declared, all religions should be treated the same. No teacher gives a test on Christmas day, why should they be allowed to give tests on Eid or Hanukkah?

Ask almost any religious minority and they can tell you about a time that they were trying to have the spirit of celebration, but instead, were worrying about homework that was due that night or an upcoming test.

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nd I’m not asking for the whole month of Ramadan off. Instead, I’m asking for empathy with workers who have different religious backgrounds. I’m asking that religious minorities get the day off without feeling like they are going to have to pay for it later. I loved when I got to miss school to celebrate, but in a time where it can take days or weeks to compensate for missed days, it’s almost impossible.

Signing petitions and speaking out to local school boards, employers, and districts are simple ways that get so much done.

Because of local petitions and people’s willingness to talk with people in positions of power, there have already been districts that have adopted policies for inclusivity to get the school day off for Eid al-Adha, the eve of the Lunar New Year, and the Hindu holiday of Diwali, in addition to two Jewish holy days, Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashana. •

column | opinion

THE TRUTH CANNOT BE HIDDEN NATALIE MAZEY

photography riley higgins | art shiloh wolfork

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he statement “I can’t breathe” became a call to action after George Floyd’s murder.

Echoed by the millions taking to the streets calling for justice, this statement was more than the three words that composed it; it was the culmination of years of silenced pleads for justice within a nation founded on the principle of equality.

Black Americans are killed by police at a rate twice as high as the rate for white Americans, according to the Washington Post’s Fatal Force Database. Police have shot and killed 984 people in the past year alone, and it seems to be only growing. Those who are meant to protect and serve all too often wind up doing the opposite, disproportionately harming Black men.

When a phone is at a person’s fingertips, the truth cannot be hidden. Videos from May 5, 2020 show Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds, while Floyd was forced to lie facedown in handcuffs on the asphalt. Two other officers assisted Chauvin in restraining Floyd, while another prevented bystanders from interfering. After Floyd became motionless, Chauvin’s knee remained on his neck until medics told him to move. Even through a screen, Floyd’s anguish is unmistakable. Chauvin could have removed his knee as Floyd cried for help, or after Floyd ceased speaking at all; Chauvin wasn’t the one being held down.

Through the trial, Chauvin was handed due process of law, the very thing denied to Floyd. Chauvin got to act as the executioner, making the conscious decision to leave his knee on Floyd’s neck. Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter, and the jury found him guilty on all accounts on Apr. 20.

How could the circumstances lead to anything else? The altercation leaves no doubt.

This trial acts as an opportunity to begin to change the pattern of police brutality. By holding Chauvin accountable, the endless cycle of death, heartbreak, and injustice can begin to break. According to Mapping Police Violence, a research collaborative collecting comprehensive data on police killings, 98.3% of killings by police from 2013-2020 have not resulted in officers being charged with a crime.

Chauvin cannot add to this statistic, nor can Floyd be yet another Black man whose death finds no justice.

While Chauvin’s trial was going on, Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, was shot and killed during a stop for a traffic violation just miles from where Floyd died. The issue of police brutality is not disappearing, but the hope for accountability has grown. Chauvin’s conviction is a step towards a change in culture, dispersing away from one that allows those with the uniform and gun to make deadly “mistakes.”

shouldn’t have taken Floyd’s death for change to happen, but his death did seem to ignite a newfound fire in the public. Those who weren’t paying attention opened their eyes because the truth lay right in front of them. Social media has advanced the ability for injustice to be shared on a global scale.

George Floyd’s death should have never happened in the first place. The fact that Chauvin’s trial had to happen is a reminder that the system he exists within is broken.

While time cannot be turned back, convicting Chauvin is a step towards ensuring no one else will face an unnecessary death at the hands of the police. •

W

hile Chauvin’s guilty verdict is a step towards accountability, it is not a step towards justice.

In a just world, Floyd would get to take another breath. A look of pure perplexion washed over Chauvin’s face as the guilty verdict was read because he thought he would be getting away with it.

So many before him had, so why would he think this time would be different? This one trial is the anomaly, and it does not make up for every time a Black person has lost their life with no one being held accountable for their death.

This trial is taking place during a different time. It

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 71

opinion | head to head

M

issing weeks of school on end became normal for many students across the nation. Even having to teach complex concepts online became common for everyday school. Attending one of the few schools that continued with all in-person learning from the beginning of the year was a blessing and a curse.

Lakota changed their quarantine policy multiple times throughout the year. Initially, if you were within six feet, for more than 15 minutes of someone who was confirmed to have COVID-19, you were sent home for two weeks, forced to learn online and work to keep up on learning on your own time. Towards the end of 2020, I was sent home for two weeks after being in contact with an outside positive case. A month later I was out for another three weeks due to being a close contact again, with a different positive COVID-19 case. Going into the new year I had already missed at least 25 days to start the new semester.

The quarantine policy was later adjusted after so many students were being sent home.

In the spring, the new policy was if you were within six feet but wearing a mask you were permitted to attend school but not allowed to go to any after-school activities or events.

HEAD TO HEAD YES column olivia rigney photography cassandra mueller art shiloh wolfork

72 lakotasparkonline.com May 2021

a disadvantage on the material.

After countless COVID-19 tests and a lot of missed school, the ones that were truly hurting were the students. Students shouldn’t be punished for not being able to give their best and full attention when quarantine pulled us away from our learning environment. The transcript for the 2021 school year needs to be dropped or altered in some way because it does not accurately represent the work ethic of the students.

But Lakota was not the only district with students that were struggling. Ohio was ranked 11th for all in-person districts, with 63.2% of Ohio school districts using full in-person models, according to the American Enterprise Institute. As stated by the same research, 32.7% of districts followed a hybrid model (incorporating in-person and virtual learning) and 4.1% of Ohio districts operated fully online.

Although Lakota students have been learning at school since August, many other students in Ohio districts were not given this opportunity. Gov. Mike DeWine gave all public districts until Apr. 1 to come up with an individualized plan for students to make up for their missed learning year. Some of these plans could include time for students in the summer months to make up for what they missed.

Whether students missed an extended period of school due to quarantine or a failure to log on to virtual school, these reasons are still valid according to DeWine, who rightfully believes this is a priority. At Lakota, students were

Should the 2020-21 academic transcript be discounted?

Although this benefitted the students that were still being affected by the quarantines, it was already well into the third quarter. At this point, so many students were already missing numerous weeks of valuable instruction and learning.

It was a relief for students who have been quarantined for long periods of time to hear that the first and second-semester exams would be canceled. There would have been hardly any time to make sure they were caught up with work and learning in time to take a test over everything we had learned this year. While the educational material would have been the same as previous years, the way it was taught and how the students received it varied from classroom and student. Learning online and having to teach yourself through just worksheets and videos is extremely different than getting instruction from the teacher. While some students were having the opportunity to learn in person, others were stuck in quarantine with

given a choice at the beginning of the 20202021 school year to return to fully in-person learning or learn virtually the whole semester.

Lakota schools and districts all over the state and country were noticing an increase in students falling behind and ultimately a spike in students failing courses entirely due to a separation from the classroom.

This year has been completely different from years in the past. Students in the classroom or at home have tried their hardest to deal with everything thrown at them. Exams and tests have been excused and altered to compensate for this crazy year. Many colleges are even modifying the application requirements, but this might not be enough. The students deserve an equal playing field when looking back at this year. Dropping or changing the 2021 transcript would ensure that students are not at fault for what they can’t control. •

head to head | opinion

W

ake up. Get ready for school. Sit in classes. Take notes. Exit. Do homework.

This is the basic school formula that most American students are familiar with. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, this national formula crumbled to pieces. Students all across the country were thrown into the wild unknown of Zoom meetings and Canvas tests.

Many school districts nationwide during the final semester of the 2019-2020 school year, granted students a “hold” system where students would receive the same grades they had before the pandemic. Going into the 20202021 school year, decisions needed to be made to adhere to the needs of the students while still providing future college applicants with the necessary transcripts many admissions require.

Dropping or changing grades from the 2020-2021 year could disseminate any sense of normal for kids in desperate need of some.

Students need structure in their learning, and educational standards hold them to that.

Student mindsets will be damaged far beyond high school if this lenient behavior continues.

When Lakota Local School District announced they would be offering a Virtual Learning Option (VLO) alongside in-person learning, many people were concerned about the quality of education that those who chose the former would receive and how the latter would stay open.

Lakota is one of the districts in Ohio that offered families choices on learning plans.

Students were able to pick which system worked best for their learning style. As a high

Dropping the transcript would be detrimental to high school students preparing to apply to college in the following years.

More than 1,000 colleges did not require ACT or SAT test scores during the 2020-2021 application, which placed the focus on grade point average (GPA) for academic factors.

An entire year being erased will put students at a disadvantage compared to others from opposing districts. Current 2021 seniors who already applied to college were at a disadvantage in getting involved with numerous activities that could have set them apart from other applicants, due to the pandemic.

Extracurriculars, clubs, and experiences alone are not enough to set students apart.

C

olleges are already abiding by the pass/ fail ideal, but applying that method to high school is near impossible.

There has already been lots of flexibility given to the students to make up for missed opportunities.

The Ohio Department of Education states that it is up to each school district to determine a policy on credit flexibility. By adding even more exemptions to

Classrooms all over the nation have adapted hybrid models for student learning in the COVID-19 pandemic. Spark staffers Wudie Amsalu and Olivia Rigney debate whether or not the 2020-21 school year transcript should count towards students’ final grade point averages. school junior, when given the choice between in-person or VLO, my family decided to go inperson out of the fear that I would be unable to focus. In fact, Lakota students were even given a chance at the end of the first semester to transfer into the alternative form of learning if they decided their current model did not work for them. Families should be active in their children’s learning and deciding what works best for their best performance, not the school.

Struggling students are an inevitable issue; however, teachers have been reaching out and providing support throughout the 2021 school year. Both VLO students and in-person students have been provided with resources from counselors for both academic and mental issues. Although there was a notable outlier in the number of students who struggled with VLO, there was still a substantial number of students who performed to the best of their abilities while continuing their education from home.

this school year, the school districts would be discounting the hard work of all the students who did try to push through and excel in their classes this year.

No student has had a close to a normal year while studying through this pandemic, while some students might see online learning as an opportunity to slack off and view work as optional, there are others who are looking to finish the year out as strong as ever. Altering grades to make an excuse for the unprecedented circumstances that everyone has had to deal with is unfair to the ones that made it a prime concern to continue to keep academics a priority. •

NO

column wudie amsalu photography cassandra mueller art shiloh wolfork

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 73

opinion | editorial cartoon

“CONNECTED APART” editorial cartoon vi dao

E AST S P E A KS OUT Should the mask mandate be lifted? interviews and photography abby bahan ALLISON ACKURMAN

DULCE WITHROW

BRANDON MOORE

REGINA HABEDANK

FRESHMAN

SOPHOMORE

JUNIOR

SENIOR

“I don’t think the last mandate should be lifted until the problems are completely gone and we’re 100% sure everyone’s safe and okay.”

“No, because it’s still a way to stop spreading COVID and other illnesses.

I think it helps in multiple ways and not everyone’s getting vaccinated so not everyone will be covered.”

“Yes, especially for people who are vaccinated. If you’re vaccinated, that should do some sort of aid in fighting the virus.

It shouldn’t be as soon as tomorrow, maybe for the summer or when the vaccine is more open to more people.”

“No, because I think that even though 16 and up are eligible to get the vaccine, some people still don’t have it, we should probably wait a couple more months until we know that going out in public is safe. It’s too soon to lift the mask mandate.”

74 lakotasparkonline.com May 2021

RECOGNIZING THE REAL COST THE REAL COST

chief column | opinion

column shiloh wolfork column abbie westendorf photography cassandra photography cassandra mueller mueller

W

hen I began to apply for college in the hen to apply for by college in the fall, II began was overwhelmed excitement. fall, I was overwhelmed by excitement.

It’s a new chapter in my life looking It’s a newthe chapter my life looking towards future.inBut, when I began the financial future. But, began to thinktowards about the sidewhen of it, Imy to think about the out. financial side of it, my excitement fizzled excitement Lookingfizzled at the out. prices of my prospective Looking the pricestoof$40,000 my prospective schools beingat$20,000 a year just schools being to in $40,000 a year just for tuition felt$20,000 like a stab the heart.

How for felt like a stab from in thea heart.

How am tuition I, an average student middle-class am I, ansupposed average student family, to affordfrom that?a middle-class family, supposed to expensive afford that?

College is more than ever.

College to is more expensive than ever.

According CNBC during the 1978-1979 According theequivalent 1978-1979 school year,toitCNBC cost theduring modern of school year, costtothe modern equivalent $17,680 perityear attend a private collegeof $17,680 perper yearyear to to attend a private and $8,250 attend a publiccollege college. and $8,250 year attend public college.

Today, thoseper costs aretocloser to a$50,000 and Today, those coststhe are cost closer to $50,000 and $20,000.

Making increase over 25% $20,000.

Making the cost increase over 25% for private schools and 29% for public schools. for Wages, private schools 29% for public schools. however,and have barely increased Wages, have barely at the samehowever, rate. As reported by increased Forbes, the at the same rate. As Forbes, 1989 the growth of wages wasreported only .3%bybetween growth of wages was only .3% between 1989 and 2016. That means the price of college and 2016. meansnearly the price college tuition hasThat increased eightoftimes faster tuition has increased nearly eight times faster than salaries did. thanHigher salarieseducation did. is no longer only a Higher education noafford longerit,only a a luxury for those who is can rather luxury forfor those who can afford According it, rather ato necessity economic success. necessity for economic success. According to the U.S. Department of Health, the average worker with a bachelor’s degree will earn around $1 million more over their lifetime than those without post-secondary education experience. The department goes on to predict that in the next few years an estimated twothirds of job openings will require a degree or further training.

Even with college’s growing importance, a 2012 Ipsos poll revealed that 69% of families eliminated college choices because of the tuition. The same survey found that the number of students attending community colleges has risen by 6% in the two years leading up to 2012.

If one does choose to attend a university, chances are they’ll have to take out a loan. The average student borrows $30,030 to earn a

the U.S. Department of Health, the average worker with a bachelor’s degree will earn around $1 million more over their lifetime than those without post-secondary education experience. The department goes on to predict that in the next few years an estimated twothirds of job openings will require a degree or further training.

Even with college’s growing importance, a 2012 Ipsos poll revealed that 69% of families eliminated college choices because of the tuition. The same survey found that the number of students attending community colleges has risen by 6% in the two years leading up to 2012.

If one does choose to attend a university, chances are they’ll have to take out a loan.

The average student borrows $30,030 to earn a bachelor’s degree according to Education Data. Of these student borrowers, 43.2 million are in debt making the student loan debt in the U.S. $1.71 trillion.

With further education becoming more essential, the expense has reflected that. There has been some political action to address this concern, like the CARES Act of 2020, which offered student loan debt relief to at least 20 million borrowers. As reported

by Education Data, an estimated 35 million Americans are eligible for relief under CARES, bringing down student loan debt repayment down 82% and decreasing forbearance by .44%.

But, this doesn’t fix the student loan epidemic in America. In order to shrink student debt and the price of college, the nation needs to realize further education as a necessity. In order for Americans to grow and reach their goals, college needs to be made more accessible to all social and economic classes. As of now, most of the strategies to make college more affordable are up to the students applying for scholarships, financial aid, taking dual enrollment or advanced placement classes, commuting to campus, partaking in work-study, etc.

While those things are all great, it doesn’t need to be all up to us. The government has a couple of levers at its disposal to control the cost of higher education--the capacity to control access to federal student loans and the ability to challenge an organization’s tax-exempt status. While this is easier said than done, it’s a necessary action to improve the student loan problem and set up the next generation of graduates for success.•

May 2021 lakotasparkonline.com 75

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