Lakota East Spark 2019-2020 Issue #4

Spark

story | section

Lakota East High School lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020 $5 Newsstand

YELLOWSTONE

Spark staffer Andrew Marshall traveled to Yellowstone National Park over the past summer and recounts his journey.

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NEWS FEATURE

CON 13

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SPECIAL REPORT

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PACKAGE

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CULTURE SPORTS OPINION

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Now

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Spark

2019-2020 STAFF

Editors-in-Chief: Rebecca Breland Alexandra Fernholz Anna Mullins Business Manager: Rebecca Breland Asst. Business Manager: Gavin Mullen News Editor: Rachel Anderson Culture Editors: Ekra Khalid Isis Summerlin Package Editors: Eliza Bush Shiloh Wolfork Sports Editors: Mason Wise Andrew Marshall Feature Editors: Alanna Schlaeger Abbie Westendorf Opinion Editors: Regan Denham Emily Sanden Photography Editors: Andrew Marshall Cassandra Mueller Art Editor: Cassandra Mueller Graphics Coordinator: Kelly Johantges PR Director: Rebecca Breland Webmaster: Alexandra Fernholz Broadcast Editor: Brayden Barger Copyeditors: Shelby Alderman Rebecca Breland Alexandra Fernholz Anna Mullins Advisor: Dean Hume

ON THE COVER photography by andrew marshall

Andrew Marshall after a six mile hike in the mountains, while on his way home, stopped at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Here he was able to capture a shot just before sunset. These falls help capture the grand beauty of Yellowstone in a single shot. Read more about Marshall’s trip on page 26.

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR I love movies about the news industry. The best ones provide the public true insight into the hard work, long hours and dedication to truth that define real journalists like the ones I’ve been privileged to call workmates in various newsrooms across America.

Richard Jewell, on the other hand, tells the story of Kathy Scruggs, who isn’t alive today to defend herself from one-toned misrepresentation so skewed it would define libel if this was a piece of journalism instead of fiction created in Hollywood.

In this movie, Clint Eastwood has taken such extreme liberties with reality that the Daily Beast describes the movie as “a MAGA screed calibrated to court favor with the red hatwearing faithful by vilifying the president’s two favorite enemies: the FBI and the media.”

I don’t really care about the politics. I do care about besmirching one of the hardestworking reporters I ever met. So before you spend your dollars to see this movie, please let me tell you about the real Kathy Scruggs.

Kathy and I met very early in our careers in Asheville, North Carolina. Kathy worked at the morning daily. I worked at the local ABC affiliate. A mutual reporter friend introduced us my first week on the job and, after our deadlines, the three of us socialized virtually every night. We were just out of college at a time when women finally broke through newsroom barriers. That doesn’t mean we didn’t face sexism regularly. There were still many who believed women shouldn’t be covering cops, political campaigns, or men’s sports.

But enough people now were focused on what the individual reporter delivered, and that’s what Kathy and I did. We worked incessantly, fighting tooth and nail to get the scoop on every story.

Kathy was no saint. She was flawed just like the rest of us. But she was also brilliant.

Gregarious. Funny. Beautiful. And smart. She did not need to sleep her way into any story and she never did. She got there the hard way- by working her butt off. She loved the police beat best. And she owned it.

The Kathy I knew was nothing like the persona Eastwood has redefined: a hussy who would trade sex for scoops. Eastwood chose Kathy to personify his version of “the media,” an unethical lot who would do anything for the next headline, never mind the facts. Not only is that a false narrative of the industry, it is the opposite of who Kathy Scruggs was.

No matter how much Kathy did right, she will always be defined by the one story that would prove her undoing. Kathy made a mistake. A monumental one. The kind from which a reporter never truly recovers. She got the story wrong. It didn’t matter that highly-placed sources in the FBI told her that was the truth. Perhaps they believed it themselves. But it wasn’t the truth, she reported it, and she went down with the story. She never got over it. It haunted her the rest of her life. She descended into a haze of alcohol and substance abuse.

And she died young, at the age of 42, chasing an overdose of morphine pills with her favorite Scotch. We don’t believe she intended to die. She was trying to drown out the pain and shame.

After her death, a judge threw out Jewell’s lawsuit against her and the Atlanta JournalConstitution, ruling that the story was true at the time of publication. Jewell was the FBI’s prime suspect at the time, as she reported.

If Kathy was part of some blood-thirsty “fake news” media, she never would have cared enough to let this mistake and the harm she knew Richard Jewell suffered take her to her grave. The reason it ruined her is because she was a real reporter who believed in the truth, in getting the facts right. She couldn’t accept that she failed in that basic tenet. Kathy was the opposite of fake news. To redefine her now is beyond insult-- it is patently unfair.

Richard Jewell is like most disinformation campaigns: it sprinkles grains of truth into a bowl of false conjecture. I personally will not be contributing one cent to the box office of Clint Eastwood’s vision of America. It sharpens the knife of division that separates America today into bitterly feuding camps. But worse, it throws fuel on the bonfire of suspicion toward the Fourth Estate, threatening honorable and true sources of trusted information upon which our democracy depends.

This is not my vision of America. And it wasn’t the real Kathy Scruggs.

-University of Cincinnati Professor Hagit Limor

The Spark encourages letters to the editor. Letters can be sent to the publication at sparkbusiness2019@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.

chief column | opinion

THE LOCKDOWN GENERATION ALEXANDRA FERNHOLZ

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ar. 4, 2020 was not a day to wear a skirt. That’s what I thought as I crowded into the corner of my third period classroom with 20 other frightened students, sitting on the cold tile floor as our teacher flipped off the lights and deployed the BEARicade. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. Nobody breathed. The only sound around me was the tapping of fingernails on phones as we texted our parents that the school had gone on lockdown.

On Mar. 4, 2020, East went on lockdown from 11:31 to 12:35 due to a threat made on Middletown City Schools which was mistakenly traced back to East. There was no shooting, not even a shooter, but the moment East Principal Suzanna Davis said, “This is not a drill,” that’s exactly what we were all thinking. It didn’t matter that the threat was to Middletown, or that we didn’t hear gunshots.

My lives- our lives- have been measured in shootings. I was five at the time of the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting. 10 when a gunman in Aurora, CO killed 12 and injured 70. 13 when 14 were killed in the San Bernardino mass shooting. 14 when 49 people were shot in the Pulse Nightclub in Myrtle Beach. 16 when 17 students were killed in Parkland, FL. The day after the Dec. 14, 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, the staff of Independence Elementary pulled us all into a school-wide assembly. They told us we were safe, that we’d have nothing to worry about, nothing of the sort would ever happen here. They didn’t go into specifics, but we all knew the details.

Everyone had been talking about it. I was 10.

On my first day of seventh grade, my history teacher pulled out a golf club and a blanket. These, she told us, were our escape plan if anything happened: smash the window with the club and throw the blanket over the broken glass to climb out.

At 13, I and my fellow classmates practiced piling desks against our classroom door. By that time, teachers had begun covering the windows in their doors so that an attacker wouldn’t be able to see inside. We were old enough now, most of us, not to joke about the attacks when they came.

When my family hosted an exchange student my junior year, I had to explain to her why, on her third day as a U.S. exchange student, she was being warned she might be shot. Another exchange student told me her mother had worried over sending her to the U.S. since she was afraid her daughter might get shot.

On my first day of senior year, there was a new addition to each one of my classrooms: a black plastic door barricade nailed to the wall. None of us batted an eye. After six years of ALICE training, why would we?

We may feel immune to these attacks. We may brush off the latest one and go on with our day. But it doesn’t change the fact that students as young as five are being taught to cover the windows of their classrooms, to deploy barricades, to smash windows with baseball bats and golf clubs.

It doesn’t change the fact that the Lakota district spent over $45,000 this year alone on installing new BEARAcades in every classroom in the district. $45,000 that could’ve gone toward the district’s facilities plan or new devices for students, or an additional teacher to help the overcrowding in English classes, if we didn’t live in a society content with death and destruction. A school is a place of learning, safety, and growth. Not a fortress.

To be clear, I applaud the Lakota district for investing so heavily in student safety- installing new Raptor systems in every building, upgrading its security cameras, and hiring a SRO for every building. But we shouldn’t have to.

We, the students, shouldn’t have to tense up each time an announcement is made in the middle of the day. We shouldn’t have to practice shoving desks against doors, running down stairs and cowering under desks. We shouldn’t have to live our lives in fear. Because we shouldn’t have to be remembered as Generation Lockdown. •

photography anna mullins March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 5

news | photo captions

LAKOTA nual its second an e, HS) hosted danc (N e y th et ci of So e s em The th l Honor ast’s Nationa dance on Jan. 25, 2020. ents repping their best ns ud st ki t aw ets, as H E e 0 Sadi er 60 ith jean jack welcomed ov or was met w made possible flo e nc 80’s Sadies, da e attire, as th event was wannabe 80’s y bright neon colors. The Ashley Swisshelm, who t an en m id d es fall. She scrunchies, an NHS, including NHS Pr arting in the t body st t, en ev of e rs th e studen by membe dinating es to what th ort into coor e. put much eff allenges of adapting Sadi ing a fun engaging them , ch ing is corporat th in e as th w t accepted the is bu th ve themes, it’s realistically wanted, and ing and prom always ha u dress formally because at yo th om e, ec ng “Hom the them ere hopi cally dress to id. “With Sadie’s, we w go formally.” pi ty t n’ do u sa to yo e,” Swisshelm feel pressured a formal danc ess to the theme and not dr people could nda ira -Megan M

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ast’s Foreign Language Department collaborated to create an Amazing Race activity for students to participate in to celebrate International Mother Language Day on Wednesday, Feb. 19 and Thursday, Feb. 20 during the corresponding block periods.

Students traveled from room to room in groups consisting of representatives from each language to participate in various activities in French, Spanish, Latin, and American Sign Language. The team to complete the tasks in the shortest amount of time for each classroom received a prize from the teacher at their last destination.

“My favorite thing was learning about the different cultures rather than the languages,” Spanish II student Sam Schaller said.

-Marleigh Winterbottom

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photography riley higgins

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s the buzzer for the 2020 East versus West basketball game sounded in the East gymnasium, the scoreboard read the winner of the game, but the real winner was the Dragonfly Foundation. During the game, $8000 was raised and given to the Dragonfly Foundation. Since 2016, East has partnered with the Dragonfly Foundation in order to raise money and awareness to support children that have been diagnosed with Leukemia.

“I always remind people that it’s not about finding a cure or treatment,” East Intervention Specialist Amanda DiVito said. “It’s helping families cope with different events and having that kind of family feel even after someone is diagnosed with cancer.”

-Hannah Fuller read more online at www.lakotaeastsparkonline.com

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Lakota’s Hope Squa d held a Sunflower fundraiser from Fe to Feb.11 to spread b. 3 positivity througho ut the school by giv a little love to a fellow ing student through a su nflower. The Hope Squad is a peer-tope er suicide prevention is there to spread organization that positivity and hope , as well as change throughout the sch the culture ool with the goal of creating a better en The Hope Squad vironment. stays active throug hout the year with weeks, and their diff their spirit erent fundraisers an d booths they put on “The sunflowers ha . ve yellow corners that I hope helps positivity,” East jun spread ior and Hope Squa d member Ian Sm “Hopefully [the su ith said. nflowers] make stu dents happy when one.” -Caitlin O’D they recieve onnell

RECAPS

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LAKOTA LOOKS TO FILL DRIVERS’ SEATS The Lakota Local School District is facing a shortage of bus drivers.

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s in other districts across the state, the Lakota Local School District is facing a shortage of bus drivers.

According to Chief Operations Officer Chris Passarge, the issue is not found in filling full-time positions. When drivers take shortterm leave, long-term leave, retire, resign, or are released from service, then complications arise.

“There have been enough drivers hired to cover each route,” Passarge said. “But the difficulty is having enough qualified substitute drivers to cover when contract drivers are out.”

Without enough available substitute drivers, other options must be utilized to get kids to and from school, including combining drivers’ routes.

Recruitment goes on throughout the entire year, allowing new drivers to step in when the need arises. The majority of routes lasting six hours per day.

Lakota contracts its bus service through transportation company Petermann , and has done so since 2006. According to Petermann General Manager for Lakota transportation Susan Prewitt, the intense flu season has made filling routes more difficult since the supply of drivers is already low.

Lakota’s bus routes are fully staffed with full-time employees, but interest in substitute positions isn’t

significant. “[When] the economy is good, people are not looking for jobs,” Prewitt said. “[Being a substitute driver] is a job that requires a lot of your attention.”

Districts such as Kettering and Miamisburg are also struggling to fill substitute driver positions, with Kettering looking for 16 new hires.

“The shortage of drivers goes beyond our community,” Passarge said. “When I talk to my peers from other districts, they are also seeing a shortage of drivers.”

As of November 2019, Petermann employed 200 drivers, 41 aides, and 25 substitute drivers to handle Lakota’s transportation needs, but with the additional routes freshman busing will require, the company is looking for another 45 drivers and 10 substitutes.

Petermann is looking towards incentives such as signing bonuses, referral bonuses, guaranteed hours, and benifits to draw more drivers into the district. “[Petermann has] raised what we pay people for an hour with guaranteed hours to try to get folks in,” Prewitt said. “We’re still just recently starting to get quite a few applications.”

-Natalie Mazey

photography riley higgins

LAKOTA IMPLEMENTS INNOVATION HUBS AT EARLY CHILDHOOD SCHOOLS Lakota adds Innovation Hubs to its six Early Childhood Schools.

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n January, Lakota opened up new possibilities to the district’s six Early Childhood Schools (ECS) with the placement of Innovation Hubs in the schools.

Following last year’s installation of innovation hubs in Lakota’s middle and high schools, Lakota Chief Technology Officer Todd Wesley reported that Lakota is focusing on spreading their WEareEMPOWERED initiative to the ECS. In the fall of the 2019-2020 school year, Heritage ECS opened its Innovation Hub as a pilot program before the district expanded it to the other five early childhood schools in January.

As in the middle and high schools, ECS will have an Innovation Specialist working in the hubs.

“[The Innovation Specialist] will be working directly with our teachers to continue to modernize instructional practices and approaches,” Wesley said. “Including expanding the purposeful application of technology, enhancing lessons, projects, problem solving and assignments to further support personalized student learning.”

Although the total cost of the project was not available since it was a multi-department initiative, Wesley said that the technology items such as virtual reality, 3D printing, video production, mobile displays and augmented reality cost approximately $96,000 for all six ECS Hubs total.

Innovation Specialist Jenny Haynes works at Heritage and Creekside ECS, witnessed firsthand the district’s pilot program that began last

fall at Heritage.

“Students are actively engaged in choice activities and have been demonstrating their learning through self-selected projects,” Haynes said. “The excitement of chatter as students walk through the hall talking with friends about their plans in the hub is endearing.

Innovation Specialist Ashley Oswald works at both Liberty and Wyandot ECS. She explained the impact of technology in classrooms and Innovation Hubs in schools.

“Our Innovation Hubs are opening at the perfect time as we incorporate personalized learning in Lakota,” Oswald said. “These spaces will continue to grow as we offer more handson, real-world, learning opportunities for students.”

-Mary Barone

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 7

section | story Lakota community members listen in at Lakota’s second meeting on the Master Facilities Plan on Feb. 26, 2020 at West Freshman.

ENVISIONING THE FUTURE Lakota takes the next steps of its Master Facilities Plan by meeting with students, staff, and community members to determine Lakota’s Educational Vision.

story alexandra fernholz | photography riley higgins | infographics rachel anderson and alexandra fernholz

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fter two community meetings and five focus groups including Lakota students, staff, teachers, parents, and community businesses, Lakota has completed the Educational Visioning portion of their Master Facilities Plan. The Facilities Plan was originally part of Lakota’s Strategic Plan to provide personalized, future ready education for its students. In the last few months, the idea for a Facilities Plan has become more of a reality.

The Facilities Plan began with the creation

of a Facilities Committee in the summer of 2019, composed of Board Members Brad Lovell (now Board President) and Todd Parnell, Superintendent Matt Miller, Lakota Director of Public Relations Betsy Fuller, members of VSWC Architects, and Lakota Chief Operations Officer Chris Passarge.

In December 2019, the board approved Lakota’s participation in the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC)’s Expedited Local Partnership Program (ELPP) in order to receive reimbursement for any work

it does on its facilities.

“Everything we do is designed to provide a future ready student centered learning experience for every single child. Certainly, the bulk of that is because of our teachers and our relationships, but facilities also play a part in the education process,” Miller said. “This process, through our master facilities plan and the OFCC is something we put into our strategic plan a little bit over a year ago.”

Since last year, the committee has been collecting an arsenal of data they will use to

Construction History: Lakota High School

Union Elementary

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Liberty Elementary

Lakota Junior School *

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Hopewell Elementary

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Liberty Junior School

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Hopewell Junior School

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Adena Elementary

*This building was used as a junior high until the opening of the Liberty Junior School. It was later used as the east wing of the Lakota HIgh School and is now the Creekside Early Childhood School.

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facilities plan | news assemble the facilities plan, including a 10year enrollment forecast, a demographic study, and most recently, a variety of opinions from around the district.

In a series of focus groups, Lakota officials spoke to a variety of people from around the district to learn their thoughts on topics including the process of learning, the role of the future teacher, and local learning demographics, among other things. Those interested in participating in the groups were required to sign up with the district beforehand.

Additionally, Lakota used ThoughtExchange, an anonymous online thought-sharing program, to allow anyone not in the focus groups to be heard. The first ThoughtExchange, which ran from Jan. 28 through Feb. 11, asked the question, “After hearing information we have gathered about enrollment projections and the condition of our facilities, what are your key takeaways and what concerns do you have?”

“I love to go on [the ThoughtExchange] and star people’s stuff,” Lakota parent Angela Page told Spark. “But I haven’t found anything on the ThoughtExchange yet that’s an extreme view. Their thoughts are roughly similar [to mine].”

The second ThoughtExchange, which ran from Feb. 26 through Mar. 13, asked more directly, “How should we adapt Lakota’s facilities to best meet the future needs of our students?” “[I’d like] some more space for my kids to do project work,” Page said. “[Right now] there’s the Innovation Hub, but there’s so many kids that are using it, they’re in the hallway. You walk down the hallway and you notice small groups all the way down - that’s not really the best place [for the kids].”

Throughout the process of focus groups and online communication, Educational Consultant with EmCat Enterprises LLC Tracey Richter was there, facilitating the conversations between parents, students, staff,

Freedom Elementary

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teachers, and community members.

“I’m here to help [Lakota] develop an educational facilities Master Plan,” Richter said at the Feb. 26 meeting. “Every school district should have [a plan] regardless if [they’re] going after money or if [the district] has all the money in the world. Every school district should have a facilities plan in hand, in order to be able to be more proactive in investment in your facilities.”

As part of the Expedited Local Partnership Program (ELPP), which the board voted to participate in at its December 2019 meeting, Lakota is required by the state to work with an Educational Consultant while developing its Facilities Plan if it wishes to receive up to 26% reimbursed funds. “[Richter’s] role is to listen to us, listen to our groups, and interpret, okay, this is what we think we need,” Passarge told Spark. “It’s really that collaboration between [Richter] and the architects that will develop the final design for any kind of changes to any current buildings or structure for new buildings.”

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akota’s strategic plan, which was unanimously approved by the school board in December of 2018, aims to provide personalized, future-ready schools for its students. Richter, who has been an educational consultant for 20 years, said that Lakota’s Strategic Plan was different because it built “measures of success and failure” into the plan.

“When districts do a strategic plan, sometimes they do it just to check a box,” Richter told Spark. “What [Lakota] has done was they built a strategic plan to be timeless.

That’s the difference. You have to have not only a strategic plan, but the implementation plan.”

As the second part of the focus groups, members were asked to think of several things that “Make Lakota Great,” challenges they personally wanted to overcome, and obstacles “standing in the way” of overcoming those

Heritage Elementary and Lakota Freshmen School

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Woodland and Shawnee Elementaries

challenges.

“Students saw poverty as one of the big things that you’re going to face in education in the future,” Richter said. “They see gaps between the haves and have-nots.”

When asked what they wanted to see from Lakota’s buildings, the groups came back with a consensus: collaborative, flexible spaces with hands-on, student-led spaces. However, according to Richter, the groups also noted that Lakota’s schools did not meet goals regarding class sizes, and buildings were often “crowded.”

Additionally, the groups were concerned that there were severe gaps in the equity of facilities.

“Equity means that you’re getting equitable spaces and resources for the community you’re serving,” Richter said. “That’s what equitable is, and simply that’s not happening right now.

That’s because you have older buildings [and] you have newer buildings, and the next oldest building or the next newest building [will] be better than your next building.”

Each Lakota building is given a percentage grade based on the OFCC’s assessment of the cost of bringing the building up to standard with the OFCC’s design manual. The OFCC will not fund renovations to a building which falls under 47%. Buildings under the 47%% mark are, in the OFCC’s eyes, more cost effective to rebuild rather than to renovate, and are rated “deficient.”

According to Lakota’s most recently publicized OFCC rating, which was completed in 2009, eight of Lakota’s 23 school buildings are rated deficient, including the original Lakota High School, one of Lakota’s oldest buildings, now the West Freshman campus.

Three are rated as “borderline.”

Page has two children in Lakota schools and another child who will attend Lakota within the next two years. She told Spark that she wants to make sure Lakota’s buildings are up to date “for the good of the kids.”

“They did share the building report from

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East High School, West High School, Early Childhood Center, Lakota Ridge Junior School **

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Cherokee and Independence Elementaries

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Endeavor Elementary School and Wyandot Early Childhood School

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Freedom Elementary

** Relocation of the Lakota Freshman school to the former High School site, and Lakota Ridge Junior School opened at the former site of the Lakota Freshman school

source: lakota school district

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 9

news | facilities plan 2009 [at the first meeting], and some of the buildings that were deficient surprised me, I was like, ‘really?,’” Page said. “Van Gorden was a deficient building. I would never believe that walking into the building, I’m there almost every day. West Freshman, [though], is not a great building, it is kind of falling apart-everybody knows it. And that’s where my kids will be after they leave Ridge.”

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f Lakota’s 23 school buildings, seven are over 40 years old. Lakota’s two high schools, each nearly 23 years old, are the oldest high schools in Butler County, according to MSN news.

“If your building is older, typically it’s going to cost a lot more to bring [that] building up to 2020 standard,” said Passarge. “A deficient rating for one of our buildings doesn’t mean it is a building that is not suitable to educate our kids. It just means you have to invest a lot more money than the OFCC thinks is viable to bring it up to current standards.”

All school facilities built in the state of Ohio are based on the OFCC’s design manual, which is updated and re-released in April of each year. This means that even buildings only 25 years old, like Independence Elementary, can be considered deficient by the OFCC when the cost to renovate the building is divided by the cost to replace the building. However, Independence’s sustainability rating, at 80%, puts the building into the ‘satisfactory’ category.

According to the OFCC’s rating system, not all the work a district does might count toward financial reimbursement in the future.

“Even though we’re doing the right thing in the community, and saving our taxpayers dollars by being more efficient, [not all the work we do] will qualify for any kind of credit to the OFCC when they’re looking at our buildings,” Passarge said. “It ebbs and flows, and it can be complicated.”

Moving forward, Lakota will continue to

present the information it has gathered to the community in a series of open houses in early April 2020. During this time, the Facilities Committee will begin to assemble a number of options for the board to consider. “[The Facilities Committee will] get together and we’ll look at options based on [those] things,” Passarge said. “Once we have options, the board will review those and we will try to come down to one final master plan that we will have to send to the state of Ohio. The target date for that is May 11.”

However, since there is not yet a finalized facilities plan, the process does not yet have a cost associated with whatever the final product may be.

“We don’t know how much this is gonna cost us; we don’t know what we’re doing yet,” Miller said. “It’s almost like when you go to buy a car and the salesman says, ‘how much do you have to spend?’ Well, that’s not how we’re going to do this. We’re going to figure out what we need and what we can use and go from there, and then decide [on a plan].”

At the moment, creating a plan will be centered around Lakota’s priorities, according to Richter.

“I’ve yet to meet the school district where they can afford all their facility needs,” said Richter, who has worked with districts in 26 states. “A facilities plan is about prioritization.

It’s about identifying what all your needs are.

But at the end of the day, you need to be able to prioritize based on your educational mission and your budget.”

For Lovell, that means creating “something that is unique and different.”

“I want a fresh look at how we operate,” Lovell told Spark in January. “I just have so much pride in our district, [and] I’m just hopeful that this plan is the right amount of progressive to get us to that point. I think we owe it to our kids. I think we owe it to our future graduates.” •

New Union Elementary

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Lakota East Freshman School and Early Childhood School

Career Readiness Academy relocates

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Career Readiness Heritage and Hopewell Academy established elementary schools at West’s main transition to early campus childhood schools

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THOUGHTEXCHANGE

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s Lakota begins to create a Master Facilities Plan to revitalize Lakota’s buildings, many aspects are taken into consideration, one of the biggest being community input.

This input has been encouraged through many focus groups and community meetings that have been held throughout Lakota schools.

Outside of face-to-face engagements, Lakota is now incorporating online engagements to make having a voice about the changes accessible to everyone in the community. These new sessions are known as a ThoughtExchange, hosted from certain periods of time, the most recent spanning from Jan. Feb. 26 to Mar. 13.

“We use several programs and committees to reach out to our parents, staff, students and community members for feedback,” Lakota Superintendent Matt Miller said. “Examples [besides ThoughtExchange] include our District Parent Council and Presidents Council, community conversations, and coffee chats.”

The Thought Exchange is open- ended and anonymous. Once questions and comments are submitted, it is encouraged to go back and read through what other community members have entered. When going back, participants can rate others’ comments and add additional comments to share their own ideas.

Lakota Director of Public Relations Betsy Fuller decided to invest in the idea after seeing its effects on other communities, such as Kings School District. “[The ThoughtExchange is] different from a survey. It lets people comment on what other people are saying so we can get a good idea about what they are agreeing with from what we’re hearing,” Fuller said. “The most common and most popular thoughts bubble to the top rather than the ones that aren’t so popular.”

Comments range from views on class sizes, concerns for outdated buildings, questions about where the money will come from, and requests for revamped learning spaces.

“As a teacher in Lakota, I see the need for more space,” an anonymous commenter on the first ThoughtExchange said, and below someone else commented, “We have special teachers sharing rooms and we have intervention teachers working in hallways.”

In another comment someone suggested, “Grade levels need to be realigned. For example 6th grade to the middle school and freshman to the highschool” they said. This comment received 3.5 stars by the 32 people who rated it.

The program is a start to the new innovative changes and innovations being introduced to the community to get feedback on the most important things Lakota should revamp.

“We value our community’s input when we are making key decisions affecting our school community,” Miller said. -Megan Miranda

facilities plan | news

urd Leso

(suitability appraisal) Hopewell Junior: 57% Adena Elementary: 59% West Freshman: 62%

Cherokee

sville

Plains

Liberty

Liberty Jr.

129

Woodland

East Freshman

East High School

Independence Chester

(suitability appraisal) East Freshman: 87% VanGorden: 86% Plains Junior: 84%

VanGorden

West

(renovate / replace cost) East Freshman: 94% Wyandot ECS: 92% Plains Junior: 91%

HIGHEST-RATED SCHOOLS:

Wyandot

Cincinnati-Dayton

(renovate / replace cost) Adena Elementary: 31% Liberty Junior: 31% Hopewell Junior: 31%

I-75

LOWEST-RATED SCHOOLS:

2009 OFCC RATING:

source: lakota school district

Heritage

Union

Creekside West Freshman

Tylersvi

Road

lle

Hopewell Jr. Endeavor

5 I-7 Ridge Jr.

Hopewell

KEY:

rating:

West High School

Freedom

Adena

Shawnee

Junior School

High School

satisfactory borderline deficient

Early Childhood School (ECS)

Elementary School

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 11

news | homlessness

With every bed and mattress donated New Life Furniture Bank also gives a set of linens.

At the churches that partner with Family Promise, each family is given their own room with beds and linens to stay in for the week.

NOWHERE TO TURN As student homelessness is on the rise, government and nonprofit organizations have taken steps to help families with children to get back on their feet. story and photography anna mullins | infographic mary barone * denotes name change

E

victed from their apartment, they had nowhere to go and no form of transportation. With no family members to take them in and no one to turn to, a single mom and her two young daughters found themselves homeless.

Homelessness can be an extremely traumatic experience. Grace*, a Lakota student, found herself in this scary situation. She and her sister represent two of the 1,354 students in Butler County that were identified as homeless during the 2018-2019 school year, according to the Department of Education. “[The scariest part about not having a home was] worrying about having a safe place to sleep and having enough food,” Grace said. “I also worried that my friends would find out and not be friends with me anymore.”

Homelessness doesn’t always look like the person on the side of the street with a cardboard sign. It can be a family living out of their car, doubling up in another family’s home, living in a hotel, or possibly a single mom hoping to find room for herself and her children in a local shelter. With all of these possibilities, it can be difficult for school officials to recognize student homelessness.

“There is significant under-identification of homeless students, for a number of reasons,”

12 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

Barbara Duffield, Executive Director of SchoolHouse Connection, told Spark. “One reason is because children and youth who are homeless [with] their families are afraid to tell people about their situation. They don’t necessarily look homeless, so there aren’t obvious signs. You have to have school staff that are trained, know what to look for, and know how to ask the right questions. Part of it is just the invisibility of homelessness.”

The US Department of Education’s EDFacts Initiative Data indicates most states are seeing the number of homeless students rise every year.

This phenomenon is true nationally as well, with the number of identified students rising to 1,504,544 during the 2017-2018 school year. According to Jan Moore, the Assistant Director of the National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE), this increase is due to better identification by the school district, but some students are still going undetected.

“More people understand what the law provides and requires, and school districts are better at identifying homeless students,” Moore told Spark. “Parents and students are now more aware of [their] rights and may be more likely to self-identify. Although we know even though the numbers are rising, we’re not identifying every student who’s experiencing homelessness.

There’s still a lot of stigma, particularly with youth, around homelessness.”

According to the McKinney-Vento Act, a federal law which ensures that homeless children have equal access to the same highquality educational opportunities as nonhomeless children and youth, school districts are responsible for appointing a local liaison.

The liaison is responsible for ensuring district families are aware of who it covers and that it provides nutritional programs, educational services, and ensures district-provided transportation services to the students’ school of origin. Local liaisons are tasked with the responsibility of identifying homeless students and providing both academic and nonacademic support. This requires them to be knowledgeable of both state and local social service agencies and community resources that provide aid to homeless students and their families.

“There is a liaison in every school district and a state coordinator at every State Department of Education, that’s required in the law,” Moore said. “We work really closely with those folks to ensure that they understand what the school district and the state department needs to be doing, and provide best practices for them.”

There is a misunderstanding by the general

homlessness | news

When families stay at the churches that partner with Family Promise they are given toiletries and sometimes hand-written letters or gifts like blankets.

population around what causes homelessness.

According to Moore, many people associate McKinney-Vento eligibility and homelessness with someone who is mentally ill, has substance abuse problems, or just doesn’t want to work. This stigma leads some who need the help McKinney-Vento provides to not take advantage of the programs available.

“Families and a lot of youth living on their own just don’t want to be stereotyped,” Moore said. “They feel like other people will know about the designation as McKinney-Vento eligible, and they don’t want to let anyone know about their living situation.”

When a student is identified as being homeless, the family is assigned to a School Success Liaison who helps them to get the benefits they receive through the McKinneyVento Act. According to State Homeless Education Coordinator Susannah Wayland, the Mckinney-Vento Act exists not to stigmatize students, but to promote stability in aspects that affect education.

“The minimum requirement of implementation, when a family is determined to be eligible, [is that] they automatically get nutrition services, which means they don’t have to fill out an income form in order to get free breakfast and free lunch,” Wayland said. “They automatically are eligible for any kind of educational support through the title one program, and that is regardless of whether they’re academically in need.”

According to Cari Wynne, supervisor of the Success Program at the Butler County Educational Services, success liaisons help families to find stable housing, but also make sure that they are getting food and clothing.

They look at all kinds of needs, not just the obvious housing issue.

“The liaisons reach out to these families, and we try to meet with them wherever they are, so if they’re in a hotel or in the shelter or wherever they might be, we sit down with them,” Wynne said. “We talk to them about their situation, about their individual needs, because all families are different. Then we set off on a plan to try and help them to get the things that they need.”

The McKinney-Vento Act helps to ensure that during the turbulence caused by homelessness, students can continue to go to school and in most cases, the same school that

else is turned upside down, and a part of their identity that doesn’t change.”

In May 2019, Lakota had 182 students who were homeless, a 13% increase from the previous school year. According to Kimberly McGowan, the Director of Federal Programs for the Lakota School District, Lakota realizes the number of homeless students continues to rise and in response has increased the number of success liaisons who play a crucial role in helping students and their families. Currently, Lakota is supported by six full-time and two part-time success liaisons.

“Once we are made aware of a concern, one of the Butler County Educational Service Center Success Liaisons contacts the family to find out more information about their situation,” McGowan said. “Then, based on the responses, the success liaison contacts me to discuss.

If the student and/or family is eligible under the McKinneyVento law, we complete a form to identify them and indicate some of the support they need.”

Butler County families that have children ages 18 or under who qualify as homeless can find shelter with the 3-year-old Butler Family Promise. This shelter is one of three resources that liaisons can suggest to families and according to Wynne, the need often surpasses the openings.

Family Promise operates seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and has a day center where the families can spend their time. Grace and her family were referred to Family Promise by their success liaison, who personally drove them to the day center so they could receive services. According to Family Promise Executive

“Homeless students need stability in their lives. They need to have a constant source of support that doesn't change,” -Director of SchoolHouse Connection Barbara Duffield they have been going to. According to Duffield, these students need to be able to have some consistency, and schools are a place that can fill that void.

“Homeless students need stability in their lives. They need to have a constant source of support that doesn’t change,” Duffield said.

“Our scholarship students tell us that school is a home, it’s a family, it’s a safe haven. To be able to have some sense of normalcy and have something to hold on to, when everything

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 13

news | homelessness

New Life Furniture Bank has a wood shop where volunteers can come in and make tables and shelves that will be donated to homeless families.

Director Linda Smith, the center is funded with donations from congregations, individuals, civic organizations, and fundraising efforts.

“While at the day center they can be looking for jobs, housing, we do case management with them, making sure that they have all their resources,” Smith told Spark. “Children can go to school from here at the day center. Federal Government law states that the children have to be transported to their home school within the county that they’re in. So they are able to catch buses from here or vans, to go to their home school.”

The families receive help while at the center so that by the time they leave they will be back on their feet. Family Promise provides skill training on financial literacy, good tenancy, smart shopping, and parenting skills all with the purpose of establishing a foundation of success for the future. Family Promise helped Grace’s mom polish up her resume and get set up with Ohio Means Jobs, who was able to assist her in obtaining a new full-time position.

“We help them set up appointments with Job & Family Services to get needed resources such as Medicaid, SNAP, and childcare vouchers,” Smith said. “Referrals are made for mental health treatment, if needed. We assist them with looking for jobs or getting them set up with Ohio Means Jobs for skill testing

When families stay at the churches that partner with Family Promise they are given toiletries and sometimes hand-written letters or gifts like blankets.

and other job needs. We do trainings on good tenancy, how to deal with bullying and antibullying, and knowing the signs of suicide and runaways. We keep them busy working on having all the tools necessary to be successful once they leave here.”

A

fter the Family Promise day center closes, the families are then transported to a local church that partners with Family Promise. Each congregation houses the families for a week, providing them with privacy as well as people to help play with the kids.

“Then we transport the families to a local congregation,” Smith said. “That’s where they get their dinner and snacks, breakfast the next morning, and food for lunch the next day. They get a room at the church, where they’re set up with beds and common comforts of home, and that’s where they spend the night. Each church hosts about four times a year and it’s for a week at a time.”

Volunteers play a large role in helping to setup and prepare for the families that stay at the churches. According to Tara Yunker, Director of missions and outreach at Faith Community United Methodist Church, Family Promise provides the church with a trailer with mattresses in it. They then have bedding,

pillows, drying racks, and towels to help set up the room.

“Before Family Promise came into place, families would be separated. A single mom with a teenage son would have to go to two different shelters,” Yunker told Spark. “Family Promise is the only way they’re able to stay together as a family unit instead of being separated. They are functioning as a family unit, and we are just offering them support.”

Each night, volunteers prepare dinner for the families and hang out with them in the evenings. They offer activities and play with the kids while the parents shower. Faith has a gym where the kids can play dodgeball and basketball. Volunteers also help the students with their homework so that they won’t fall behind.

“The first week we were in [the] shelter it was a bit difficult [to concentrate on school work],” Grace said. “But because we had such great volunteers at the churches where we stayed, I was able to get help with homework and had a lot of people who believed in me.”

Most churches host three to four times a year, but Faith usually hosts a fifth week when there are openings. Churches will typically host four to five families at a time, as long as there are not more than 14 individuals. This maximum is set based on how many seats the

“So many families are just one paycheck away from being homeless.

We want to make it as painless as we can for them and give them dignity while they're here.” - Tara Yunker, Director of missions and outreach at Faith Community United Methodist Church 14 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

homelessness | news

New Life Furniture Bank has examples of what typical donations look like. This is the typical table setting for a family of two.

Family Promise bus can transport.

“It’s important for families to stay together during this difficult time,” Yunker said. “I think when people think about homelessness, they have a different perception of what it really is.

So many families are just one paycheck away from being homeless, so if somebody gets in a car accident or has a medical bill. There are just so many families that are so close to being in that situation. And we want to make it as painless as we can for them and give them dignity while they’re here.”

People experiencing homelessness face a lot of stigma. According to the CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2017, high school students experiencing homelessness are 2.59 times more likely to be bullied on school property or electronically compared to their stablyhoused peers. More than one in three students experiencing homelessness reported being a victim of bullying at school.

“The kids that were my closest friends were very supportive,” Grace said. “But many of the other students that found out made fun of me, they called my family losers, lazy and claimed that we were what was wrong with people living off the government, it was really hard.”

Along with stigma and obvious lack of housing, homeless families also face a lack of transportation. Grace’s family did not have a car, so they were left with no way to get to a job or to school.

“There is no public transportation in the Lakota area at all,” Wynne said. “And many times these families don’t have vehicles. So to be able to even look for a place that they might be able to find, they simply don’t have the means to travel.”

In the Lakota area there is a severe lack of

Percentage of homeless children/ youth enrolled in public schools by type of primary nighttime residence in 2017-18

1.1%

15.2% 5.7%

77.9% Doubled Up

Hotels / Motels

Shelters, traditional housing, etc.

Unsheltered

source national center for homeless education affordable housing, and Grace’s family faced an additional barrier: they had been evicted from their previous residence, so they were more likely to be turned down while looking for housing.

“Housing is tricky because there really is a shortage of affordable housing in this community,” Wynne said. “Finding housing based on a very limited income is really tough,

especially if they’ve been evicted and then that is on their record. Sometimes it’s hard to find landlords that will accept them. The biggest thing is the fact that people cannot afford the price of rent. Many of our folks are working full time, but are earning low wages that will never be in line with what it costs to rent even a very modest apartment.”

Grace’s family qualified for a temporary rent voucher which would assist them with rent for the first six months in a new apartment. Family Promise was then able to help Grace’s family find a new apartment three blocks from her mom’s new job, so she would be able to walk to work.

Once Grace’s family overcame the difficulty of finding housing, the next hurdle they faced was acquiring the necessities that they had been forced to leave behind. That’s where the nonprofit, New Life Furniture Bank, came into play. New Life Furniture Bank collects donations of gently used furniture and then redistributes it to homeless families who have recently moved into housing. In 2019, they helped 320 homeless families.

“Think about a mom with three little kids and a small two bedroom apartment,” Susan Flynn, New Life Furniture Bank community outreach coordinator said. “What does she need to be happy? They would get a bed, a dresser, a nightstand, a kitchen table and chairs, coffee table, an end table, a couch, and a living room chair.”

When donations are available, New Life also supplies families with a full set of linens, dishes, and kitchen electronics. Realizing many of these families do not have transportation, New Life delivers the items directly to the families’ new home.

“There are areas where you can get cheap furniture, cheap so to speak,” Flynn said.

“But for a family to do that, and then buy it often they don’t have cars or a way to buy the furniture and get it back. For us to gather it, deliver it, and help setup is huge.”

Family Promise helped Grace’s mom to secure a job and an apartment that is within walking distance of her new job as well as their local grocery store. New Life Furniture Bank supplied the family with startup furniture for their new apartment. Working with their success liaison and community resources allowed Grace and her sister to not miss anymore days of school, giving them the opportunity to succeed.

“Finding a new home was a bit bittersweet for us,” Grace said. “While we were so excited to have our own place, we were scared to live in a new neighborhood and we knew we would miss the people at Family Promise. We grew attached to the staff and the volunteers always had kind words for us and made us feel like we were good people. I am happy to say that things are going well for us and we have made many new friends in our new neighborhood.” •

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 15

Middle schooler Daniel Welch embraces Hopewell Junior’s new therapy dog, Zooey, during his daily visit with her.

WAGGING TAILS Hopewell Junior School now has a therapy dog named Zooey, and despite having her for a short time, the students and staff have already seen many results. story hannah bui | photography cassandra mueller

S

arah Oupere, like any eighth grade student, has good days and bad days. But on her bad days she feels better knowing that her friend Zooey is there to help.

“She helps me feel better when I have a bad day,” Oupere said. “She’s a very amazing dog.”

Zooey, the three-year-old golden retriever, has been added to the Hopewell Junior family as the school’s own therapy dog to help students with their mental health.

Zooey’s job at Hopewell Junior varies from day to day. According to Hopewell Vice Principal Leanna Webber, she will walk around during class changes and can be called in to help students unwind.

16 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

“There are a number of students who’ve been regularly meeting with [Zooey] daily,” Webber said. “Then we have a number that can ask [to meet with Zooey] here and there.”

Even though Zooey’s presence has only started since the end of holiday break, she has already made an impact.

“One particular student hardly would say anything before [Zooey came to Hopewell], but he will talk the whole time he pets her,” Webber said. “I’ve seen kids calm down when they’re upset, and people are very excited.”

The idea to get a therapy dog came to Webber during a meeting with a student’s family. When it came to the student’s time to

brainstorm ideas on what would help them in school, he asked for a service dog. When it first came up, Webber was against the idea.

“By the end of the meeting, we agreed to a fish,” Webber said. “That really got us thinking, ‘you know what, why not?’ Let’s look into it.”

The dog has affected some of the students’ attendance - claiming they want to come more because of Zooey.

“One student told me that he was going to come to school now every day because of the dog,” Webber said.

Even the staff has felt better with Zooey.

Webber said that the staff debates whose meeting she goes to. Zooey continues to have

therapy dogs | news

“Zooey has also made a huge impact on my students who have a hard time returning to academics after a situation or interaction that causes them to have high anxiety levels.”

-Hopewell Junior Intervention Specialist Emily Colbert an impact on every one of the staff members.

“We have a staff member who has never had a dog, and when she met Zooey, she said ‘I want a dog,’ so she adopted one.” Webber said.

Z

ooey comes from an organization called Circle Tail, whose mission is to provide service and hearing dogs for people with disabilities at no cost to the individual.

Webber said that Circle Tail’s primary goal is to train the dogs to become service dogs, but if the dog is not able to pass the test perfectly, like Zooey, they are moved to the therapy dog program.

The program that Zooey comes from is the Facility Canine Therapy internship at Circle Tail. The dogs are placed in the school for a period of time, then they can be kept by the school or the dogs can be taken back. Leslie Kreiner, Circle Tail volunteer and dog foster parent, said that their program started in January with six dogs in it, and they all finished the program in May. All organizations that have engaged in the program have decided to keep their dogs for permanent placement.

“We will be charging $1500 for the permanent placement. Our dogs are valued between $17,000-$20,000 per dog. We make sure that all the staff who will be handling the dogs at the schools goes through a training program at Circle Tail,” Kreiner said. “In addition, all host families have to go through additional training and a home visit. I follow the dogs at their placements to observe, offer assistance, and troubleshoot issues that arise.”

great idea to help with her students.

“I saw the potential for opportunities that Zooey could help my students both academically and socially-emotionally, so I quickly volunteered myself to be a handler.”

Colbert said. “My personal love for dogs might have also been a motivating factor.”

In some cases, Zooey will go to classes, including Savannah Vetter’s eighth grade science class. Zooey has a pad that she will lay on in the class as it starts, but when it comes to a more relaxed time, she goes around to say hello to everyone by letting everyone pet her.

Seventh grade student Taylor Hill said that if someone feels down, they can go to Zooey and they will feel better.

“Zooey is making some of the kids who I never see smile, smile,” Hill said. “Zooey has gotten a couple of my friends more focused and excited about school.”

Kids with allergies or a fear of dogs are advised to simply stay back from Zooey, and Webber said that they have not had any complaints about her so far. Some kids still want to pet her despite their allergy.

“There’s a lot of kids that go ‘I’m allergic but I want to pet her anyway.’ And I go, well go wash your hands,” Webber said. “I check with the nurse regularly because I figure she would hear [about any reaction] first.”

Zooey does even more than just calm kids down. She is also helping students with their vocational skills.

“In one classroom, they have a list of Zooey things that have to be done everyday, including taking her out and cleaning up after her,” Webber said.

Another golden retriever from Circle Tail named Bendi is at both Creekside Early Childhood school and West Freshman Campus helping kids.

After this eye-opening experience, Webber said that she was thinking of fostering another dog.

“I have eight weeks in the summer [total] and that I have four solid weeks off [to foster a dog],” Webber said. “I could foster a puppy for the summer.”

Colbert said Zooey has helped the students with life skills that Colbert would not have been able to teach them otherwise. Zooey has allowed the kids to calm down quicker after something happens, even beyond school. She also makes them excited to get to spend time with her.

“My classroom has always been a positive learning environment and safe space,” Colbert said. “Zooey’s presence has increased that positivity in ways that I didn’t even know were possible.” •

W

ebber drives Zooey home to her foster parent’s home every night.

During the day, Zooey is taken around with many different handlers, including Emily Colbert, an Intervention Specialist at Hopewell Junior School. Colbert noticed a difference in her students when in the presence of Zooey.

“Zooey has also made a huge impact on my students who have a hard time returning to academics after a situation or interaction that causes them to have high anxiety levels.”

Colbert said. “Zooey is able to sit with or lay on my students and it calms them down a lot quicker than any other intervention I have ever tried.”

When Colbert heard of the opportunity to be a handler for Zooey, she thought it was a

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 17

news | stem

F

WISE Club Member, Eliana Bujwalo-Nowak works on measurements for a handicap accessible garden bed for East’s courtyard.

PURSUING PASSION

Miami University holds an annual event in order to get more women involved in STEM. story leann niederman | photography marleigh winterbottom infographic natalie mazey

18 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

or East senior Eliana Bujwalo-Nowak, there is nothing that can quite compare to the feeling of seeing a problem and creating her own solution. Her love for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) started in seventh grade Butler Tech classes.

“Seeing this idea of having a problem, creating your own solution, and seeing it come to life, especially with 3-D printers, as a seventh grader was really cool,” Bujwalo-Nowak said.

Miami University hosts an annual event meant to channel this passion for STEM. Careers Involving Quantitative Skills (CIQS), (pronounced kicks), gave high school girls the opportunity to experience hands-on workshops on Jan. 14, 2020.

The event was started in 2015 by Lynette Hudiburgh, Senior Lecturer of Statistics at Miami University. CIQS originated from Russian mathematician Sonya Kovalevsky, who lived in the late 1800s. Kovalevsky made major contributions to the theory of partial differential equations. In addition, she was the first woman to join the editorial board of a scientific journal, become a mathematics professor, and earn a mathematics doctorate.

Miami used to celebrate Sonya Kovalevsky Day to encourage future female mathematicians.

Hudiburgh felt that as well as math, women should be encouraged to take part in technical and STEM related fields. She also thought it may be hard for young women to relate to a Russian woman from the 19th century.

“I thought we should rebrand the day,” Hudiburgh said. “[So,] I came up with the acronym CIQS.” Around 100 students attended this year’s CIQS event. The schools that were invited to attend consisted of Talawanda, Middletown, Hamilton, Winton Woods High Schools, and Cincinnati College Prep Academy. The students got the chance to hear speakers, go to hands-on sessions, and connect with others.

“The idea behind the event is that we want to expose students to as many different career options as we can in a short time,” Hudiburgh said. “We’re constrained by the time of the school day.”

The sessions vary each year to keep it new for the returning students. Opportunities include, but are not limited to, working with rats’ brains, extracting DNA from strawberries, working with a virtual cadaver, and catapulting gummy bears.

Around 30-40 volunteers help to make this event possible. These volunteers consist of Miami University faculty, undergraduates, and women from the industry. Because of these volunteers and additional donations, participation for the students is free of charge.

Busing, breakfast, and lunch are all covered.

“We partner with a few different programs, departments, and colleges within the university,” Hudiburgh said. “By the time you’re paying for

stem | news buses and food and those kinds of supplies, you’re looking at probably $8,000-$10,000.”

The schools chosen to attend the event by Miami’s partners in the College of Education, Health and Society are primarily from a demographic of minority and economically disadvantaged.

T

hough East students have not attended Miami’s event, a group of 18 juniors and seniors from East took a tour of Procter and Gamble (P&G) Central Engineering Technologies Lab (CETL) in West Chester in January. Around 15 girls from West also attended. Similar to Miami’s CIQS day, the trip to P&G included the opportunity to talk to women who work at the company, eating lunch, and experiencing hands-on activities.

The students got to code their own robot arm and tour the facility.

Studies show that the STEM field is a career that is dominated by the male population.

According to the National Girls Collaborative Project, only 28% of the science and engineering workforce are women, even though they make up half of the US college educated workforce.

East offers a variety of STEM-related classes beyond the basic common core. Biomedical science and sports medicine classes are both offered at Lakota Schools through Butler Tech.

The engineering classes offered at Lakota Schools are Introduction to Engineering Design (IED), Principles of Engineering (POE), Aerospace Engineering (AE), Digital Electronics (DE), Engineering Design and Development (EDD), and Computer Integrated Manufacturing.

There are also cyber security, computer science, and IT classes.

Butler Tech teacher Todd Hummer,

who works at East teaching AE, Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM), and the senior Engineering Capstone class, notes that this year has a strong junior class in concern of female attendance.

“If I had to guess, the ratio for my whole day would probably be one girl to every four to five boys,” Hummer said. “Some years it’s worse, some years there are even fewer females in the engineering classes.”

For girls interested in going into STEM, East’s Women In Science Engineering (WISE) club is a place to connect. It’s a network where girls can come together and ask questions, whether they be about college or engineering.

This year’s club has around 15 members, ranging from sophomores to seniors. BujwaloNowak is this year’s president.

The club helps the girls to get hands-on experience. This year, the project is going to be to build raised garden beds for the English as a Second Language (ESL) students. Though the garden beds most likely won’t be built this year, the goal is to have blueprints finished and ready for next year.

“The main idea [of the project] is [that] we want these kids who usually don’t have a lot of social interaction, or [may] not feel as included, to at least be able to go outside with some of their friends and other students from the building,” Bujwalo-Nowak said.

Being outnumbered may intimidate some, but Bujawalo-Nowak encourages girls just get out there and try their best, even if they fail.

“That’s literally what the design process is in STEM, but also in life,” Bujwalo-Nowak said.

“You’re not always going to succeed the first time, but if you can learn from those mistakes then it wasn’t a true failure.” •

“You’re not always going to succeed the first time, but if you can learn from those mistakes then it wasn’t a true failure.” -East senior Eliana Bujwalo-Nowak

Are you currently taking a STEM related class?

50.7%

No

49.3%

Yes

Do you plan on having a career in STEM?

29.7%

42%

28.3% I don’t know Yes No source lakota east survey of 205 students

SEE WHAT THE STAFF THINKS: Opinion Head to Head page 72:

Is it the responsibility of K-12 schools to encourage women to enter into STEM fields?

Yes: Mia Hilkowitz No: Rebecca Breland

feature | ellie leisten

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE E

llie Leisten plops her books down on her desk and gets ready to begin her nightly math homework or binge on some Netflix, but instead, her mom beckons her to sit down at the kitchen table and chat.

For most teenagers this sounds like a nightmare, but for Hope Squad member and East senior Leisten, this is how she got the idea for one very impactful positivity project to execute through Hope Squad.

Leisten is a part of the Hope Squad, a “peer-to-peer suicide prevention program” implemented at Lakota East and West.

Members of Hope Squad are nominated by the rest of the student body, and then trained to identify at-risk students, provide friendship and seek help from an adult or therapist if needed.

One of Leisten’s favorite parts about being in the group is the people.

“They’re really amazing people, and [are] very passionate about what we do,” Leisten says. “It’s so cool to see all these students, from completely different walks of the earth and of the school, uniting and trying to help others.”

East social studies, psychology teacher, and Hope Squad advisor Justin Dennis has noticed that students like Leisten in Hope Squad have helped the student body open up about what they’re dealing with.

“Through the research behind Hope Squad, [it’s proven] that a lot of [struggling] students are more willing to speak to other students,” Dennis says. “[Our work is] about spreading a network where there’s more kids to be supportive of other kids.”

Leisten knows that other students of East can be oblivious to most of the work Hope Squad does. In fact, more of the work is behind the scenes than students may expect. In this way Hope Squad members try to respect the privacy of the students they help.

“If we help somebody in a really desperate way, we don’t go around announcing it to the school. It’s something that we try and keep to ourselves,” Leisten says.

Some specific behind the scenes work all

source cdc 20 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

ellie leisten | feature

East senior and Hope Squad member Ellie Leisten spreads joy through her positive attitude. story ava huelskamp | photography cassandra mueller | infographic nicco morello Hope Squad members have to go through is training so they are equipped to deal with any kind of situation. Every month of the school year, Hope Squad program advisors are given a detailed curriculum that guides the education and training of their student representatives.

“When we started, we had QPR training which stands for question, persuade, refer,” Leisten says. “That [training] talks about how to see warning signs, deal with [the problem], and get our peers the help that they need.”

Although Leisten tries her best in the positivity realm, Hope Squad members are not allowed to do the counseling for the students they aid. MindPeace is a mental health agency that provides licensed therapists from partner organizations who have offices at Lakota schools and are available for consultation during the school day and after school hours.

Lakota Director of Student Services Lori Brown works with MindPeace to get youth the help they need. According to Brown, 41% of the people in the United States who had a mental disorder in the past year received professional health care or other services. Part of Hope Squad’s mission is to eliminate the taboo around mental health conversations.

“The main goals of any support around mental health is to increase awareness and access to care. Both MindPeace partner placement and Hope Squad have tremendously helped to do both of those,” Brown says. “Ironically, the rise in need is showing us that the stigma around mental health is decreasing, and people are open and willing to access care.”

Leisten also takes part in some of the notso-behind-the-scenes work the group does in order to brighten the days of the faculty and student body.

“We do Hope Week, [or we] spontaneously go give out mints,” Leisten says. “I would say that helps people who haven’t stepped forward yet. [It could] make their day a little bit better. Sometimes that’s all you need, an act of kindness to get you through the week.”

Dennis has seen the impact Leisten has on the people around her through these group projects, and according to him, her personality can change lives.

“She can change the room. She can change the way some people see themselves, even if it’s

for 30 seconds,” Dennis says. “That 30 seconds [could] mean that person shows up tomorrow and does something good later.”

The work Leisten does isn’t always fun and games, as 43.8% of 211 East students surveyed say they have struggled with anxiety or depression, making it a significant problem that Hope Squad is trying to combat. Shortly after Hope Squad’s official training had begun for the 2019-2020 school year, Leisten had her

Leisten may not realize how her hard work shines bright to others, but East English teacher Erin Schneider, one of many Hope Squad advisors has noticed the beacon of positivity Leisten brings to the school.

“Ellie seizes every opportunity to brighten someone’s day, though I’m not even sure she’s conscious of that,” Schneider says. “It’s simply who she is.”

“[Ellie] can change the room. She can change the way some people see themselves, even if it’s for 30 seconds. That 30 seconds [could] mean that person shows up tomorrow and does something good later.” -Hope Squad Advisor Justin Dennis first real encounter of helping someone.

A friend from tennis camp told me he was having suicidal thoughts; I felt completely unprepared for the situation. However I knew I was chosen to be in Hope Squad for a reason and they would have my back,” Leisten told Spark. “We agreed that we would find him some help together.”

Leisten believes mental health is a significant battle among high school students, and is hopeful that she can continue to make a difference through Hope Squad.

“It’s a pretty big issue, especially now with social media and peer pressure. Sometimes we don’t have people that we can trust; some people don’t have great relationships with their parents or don’t have a teacher that they can comfortably go talk to,” Leisten says. “I think it’s nice that there’s a group of supportive students our age, actually going through what you’re going through.”

Providing a safe place for students to come and get help with anything they need is something Hope Squad does frequently, which Leisten has seen first hand multiple times and in a variety of extremes.

“Sometimes somebody will walk into our room and ask if there’s somebody they can talk to because they’re having a bad day,” Leisten says. “Sometimes it’s a little more serious.

Someone will reach out and say hey, I really need help right now, I’m going through a really tough time, and that’s when our training kicks in.”

D

ennis also sees Ellie in this light, as he had her in class and now gets to watch the work she does in Hope Squad.

“If there is a definition of positive, she is it. She’s almost too positive to believe,” Dennis says. “She can light up a room, she can change how people feel about themselves instantaneously. That’s a gift.”

According to Brown, half of all mental health disorders begin by the time a person turns 14. During her time in Hope Squad, Leisten’s eyes have been opened to the need for rays of sunshine among cries for help from teens struggling with mental health.

“I lived under a rock or [in] a bubble before I was in Hope Squad,” Leisten says. “I didn’t see the things that were going on in people’s lives because [they] put up a wall and don’t let people in and hide that part of [themselves] from everyone; the happiest people can be struggling the most.”

Last year, Leisten’s kindness took on the form of sunflowers. Students could buy the flowers for a few dollars at lunch to be sent to someone of their choosing. She wanted to use the sunflowers to spread positivity throughout the school.

“People could buy flowers to send to someone, along with a simple message: you are my sunshine,” Schneider says. “As cliché as it sounds, little things really do mean a lot.

Small gestures of kindness enable meaningful connections, and Ellie embodies that mentality.”•

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 21

feature | janet huening

RIDING INTO SUCCESS East Job Coach Janet Huening talks about her passion: biking. story ekra khalid | photography andrew marshall

Editor’s note: Janet Huening has requested that she would not be recognizable in any photo of her that would be published.

22 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

S

he clips o n her helmet, throws on her neon green hoodie, and climbs on to her white Raleigh 21-speed bike.

She opens her garage door and begins to ride, feeling the cool wind rush across her face as she cycles along the roads of Liberty Township.

One afternoon, 49 years ago, Janet Huening decided to enjoy the simple pleasure of a bike ride. Little did she know that this would become an integral part of her life. At first, she could barely get out of her driveway and go a hundred feet down the road.

But that didn’t stop her.

She kept on going, a little further and further every day, pushing herself.

Since that day, biking has become a staple of Heuning’s daily routine. Every day after school, she gets ready for her bike ride.

“It gets in your blood, and once you get used to it, it’s hard not to do,” says Heuning, Job Coach for East’s spirit shop.

She makes sure to try to get at least five miles of biking everyday.

“I started riding everyday. That’s the only way you can build yourself up,” Heuning says.

“It becomes routine and it becomes addicting to be out in the fresh air.”

Heuning learned how to ride a bike as a kid.

She grew up on Tylersville Road and went to

West Chester School (grades 1-12). Her entire family went to Lakota schools. From her father, to her husband, to her kids and even herself, all received their education from the Lakota district.

“Lakota is part of my life. I never lived anywhere else and I can’t imagine living anywhere else,” Huening says.

She first started working in the private sector after high school.

Then, when her second son was born, she decided to stay at home and start a daycare, which stayed open for 17 years.

Heuning started working at Lakota in 1981. She started in the cafeteria for two hours a day and worked her way up to cafeteria manager.

While at Independence Elementary, she helped challenged students with folding laundry and other tasks.

Later on, she decided she needed a different kind of challenge. In 2001, a job coaching position for the Lakota East Spirit Shop opened up. This position was connected to the work study program for students. The program was built around students’ schedules and promotes communication and work skills. Students struggling in school may also qualify for work study and an individualized education program.

“It has been very fulfilling. I’m pretty strict with the kids, but I want them to learn as much as they possibly can, so they excel at something during the course of their day,” Huening says.

“I want them to be as productive as they can possibly be so they can be successful when they walk out of this building.”

The spirit shop sells snacks and candy for students at East, as well as Lakota East spirit wear. Students under work study learn how to stock items, count money, and use customer service skills. They learn how to address the customers with manners.

Huening believes it’s important for her students to get all the skills they can possibly learn in work study.

“Customer service is really what I’m a stickler for,” Huening says. “I want them to learn how to address the customers and use manners, so that their customers can feel at ease.”

She usually works with one to two students during different periods throughout the day.

Transition Services Coordinator and Huening’s immediate supervisor, Donna Harey has known Huening since 1997.

“She’s a viable part of Lakota faculty. She has ingrained herself in the building and is valued by the students and the faculty,” Harey says.

Huening describes her time at Lakota as an “awesome responsibility.” It’s obvious through Huening’s dedication towards the spirit shop that she cares immensely about her students.

“I’ve learned a lot and the rewards are seeing

the students that I work with catch on and see them learn, grow, and mature throughout the program,” Huening says.

East senior, Rashad Hamilton who has been a part of the work-study program since the beginning of this year, says the program has had a positive impact.

“I have a better grip of what it’s like to be in the workplace,” Hamilton says.

Just like getting the perfect grip on her bike handle during her after school bike rides, Huening also helps her students get a good grip at working in a real-life environment.

Kylie Jones, an East student who works with Huening, has also felt an impact from this program. She enjoys selling candy and restocking items.

“Mrs. Janet is really nice and she [inspires me] to work harder,” Jones says.

Other than the impact she has made on the work-study program, Huening’s biggest accomplishments in her life was when she hit the 100-mile mark for her bike rides, twice in her early 40’s. This is a lesson she hopes her students see.

“It was one of the proudest moments of my life,” Huening says.

From barely being able to cycle down her driveway to riding her bike for 100 miles in one day, twice in her life, Huening truly shows that with determination, anything is possible.

Huening prefers to ride her bike for endurance rather than speed, because she prefers to ride alone. She also uses endurance at work when she works with her students.

“Endurance helps because when you go out for endurance you’re building patience and I think that helps me with my students because you have to be patient,” Huening says.

Through her bike riding, Huening has learned to love her solitude. She enjoys spending time with herself.

“I’m kind of a loner, that surprises a lot of people because of the job I have. I’m happy by myself but I enjoy the kids and I like interacting with high school kids,” Huening says.

Huening purchases her bikes from West Chester Cyclery, a local bike shop in West Chester.

Owner of West Chester Cyclery and alumni of Lakota Schools, JB Hutton knew Huening since he was a student at Lakota Schools and has had her as a customer for 30 years.

“She is definitely a loyal customer,” Hutton says. “We all look forward to seeing her and how many miles she’s put on and seeing how much she has worn [her bike] out.”

In the winter she gets around 35-40 miles a week. In the summer, she limits herself to 5070 miles a week or else she would be “biking all day.”

“I don’t even think about riding my bike anymore, it has become second nature for me to ride it,” Huening says. “I can’t imagine my life without biking.” •

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 23

feature | emma jacobson

THE

VOICE

OF

COLOR

24 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

emma jacobson | feature

East senior Emma Jacobson discovers she has synesthesia, a neurological trait that allows her to see people’s personalities as colors. story ianni acapulco | photography riley higgins | infographic caitlin o’donnell

E

mma Jacobson’s world exists on two planes of view: the foreground is the world as everyone else sees it, but in the background of her reality are the multitude of colors people have that speak to her. She sees her mother’s kindness in her mustard-yellow aura, the colors of sunsets in her own, the way it reveals her extroversion, the way she doesn’t think about the consequences.

Emma, like 4% of the population, has synesthesia, a neurological trait that results in the merging of senses that aren’t typically connected. Some people might hear color, see sound, or taste numbers, but for Emma, this manifests itself in her ability to see people’s personalities as colors.

When Emma first realized she saw the world differently than everyone else, she had been wandering down the halls her freshman year and realized that, as she looked at people, she saw colors that nobody else did. The revelation was exciting. She began picking out different people and their colors, looking into her condition and doing research.

“I didn’t know it was synesthesia at the time,” says Emma, now a senior. “I just figured out that this was something different and I’ve just been kind of going with that afterward.”

Emma’s research gave her a general understanding of the trait and the different ways it appears. Overall, there are two forms of the condition: projective and associative.

Hers is the latter, which means that while she doesn’t see the colors physically painted on people, there’s a strong connection between the stimulus and the sense it triggers that leads to a particular color.

“I have two planes of my view,” Emma explains. “The foreground is the real world, and in the back of my mind, I just see a color that goes along with that person.”

Emma’s mother Kelly Jacobson felt that her daughter had always been honest with her.

When Emma came to her family with the idea,

there wasn’t any doubt in her conclusion. After giving it some thought, Emma realized that she happened to see numbers in colors, though she doesn’t think that she has synesthesia.

“Two has always been blue, seven is always red, three has always been yellow,” Emma says.

Emma’s sister, Meredith McDowell, had already known a friend with grapheme, the most commonly studied type of synesthesia, where people associate different colors with certain letters or numbers. After talking to her friend about it, she’d been aware of its existence and of how uncommon it was. For McDowell, it was an interesting aspect of her sister that was fun to get to know her that way.

Despite how rare it is, Emma isn’t the only one she knows who has the condition. At her church, the Church of Jesus Christ and LatterDay Saints, she has two friends who both have different types of synaesthesia. One can see the texture of something and feel it on their hands and the other sees people’s moods as colors. While they may share this atypical trait, the topic doesn’t make an appearance in their conversations often. “[Because] it’s always been with me, it doesn’t really influence how I act,” Emma says, though she admits that it plays a part in the aspects of her personality that makes her a “people person.”

Even though it doesn’t necessarily sway her behavior, it does help Emma understand people. The better she knows someone, the easier it is for her to pick out their color. When she first meets someone, she might see a bluish color on them, but it won’t be until she gets more familiar with them that she would be able to pick out their specific pigment.

Emma says that everyone has a little of each color in them that help create their own unique color, though for Emma’s particular form of synesthesia, she notices there are a few constants that stand out to her.

Reds are impulsive; they do things to help

themselves but like to be included in things with others, be part of the crowd. Reds wish to keep their feelings to themselves but they are open to talk about anything else.

Oranges act more on impulse, choosing their actions based on what seems good at the moment. These kinds of people are open; they do not keep many secrets about themselves.

Yellows tend to think of others before themselves, even if it means hurting themselves.

They may think that what they’re doing is wrong even if they believe it’s for someone else.

G

reens help everyone in their own way, but if push comes to shove, they will choose to save themselves before others.

They like to express themselves freely and may seem like they don’t care but are secretly self-conscious.

Blues worry a lot about how their actions influence others; they like to be in the crowd but prefer to be more in the shadows rather than the spotlight. They seek to be cared about but are sometimes tentative about it.

Violets go with the flow. They like to observe the world around them and care little for how they fit into it and don’t care for what others think of them.

“Every color has different personalities, even just a shade off is something totally different,” Emma says.

In some cases, Emma has seen people’s colors change over time. She says that people in relationships-whether romantic or platonicmay have gradual shifts in colors that are more like one person or perhaps a shade that meets somewhere in the middle. With children, Jacobson often sees the way it changes as they grow and become more independent.

“It’s so much fun to interact with other people and get to develop their colors,” Emma says. “I like to see how people grow up and mature, how they interact with others, and how their colors change.” •

How Associates Colors: WhatEmma Traits Emma Associates Colors With Red

Yellow

Purple

Orange

Green

Blue

They may Worry a They care Choose Tend to Reds their seem like lot about little for think of wish to they don’t how their how they actions keep their others actions fit into the based on care but feelings to before themselves themselves, world and what seems are secretly influence don’t care good at the selfeven if it but they others. conscious. for what are open to means moment. others think talk about hurting anything themselves. of them. else.

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 25

yellowstone

section | story

26 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

I

Geyser Basin 1

Tetons

8 Grand

Jackson Lake

Faithful

5 Old

Hayden Valley

4

Grand

3 Canyon

source nps.gov

Yellowstone Lake

Inspiration Point

Mammoth Mount Washburn 7 Hot Springs 6

2

Andrew’s Path

walked down the path alone, nothing but my camera and me.

I listened to the grinding of the stones and crunch of the leaves underneath me. As I walked down the path I came upon an over looming tree branch. I ducked underneath the tree and I was taken aback. A perfect mirror on Jenny Lake the brink of mountain range casting a still image reflection behind it. This was the only photo I did not take while traveling around Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks. It was a mark of beauty and simplicity that I could not and would not capture with my lens.

My family was 100 yards behind me at this point. This was no surprise; I’ve always been known for taking on the world by myself.

I always try to take in every aspect of what’s around me. My mind

seemed to be working in fast forward as I thought about my next photo. I was wondering what would show up next: a majestic elk, an elusive pronghorn, or a mighty bison. Then my mind came to a stop as I watched someone throw their plastic, single-use water bottle on the ground. I assumed that in a national park people would care or be a little more conscientious of their actions, but I was sadly mistaken.

I made a point to clean up the park as I walked the trails.

Every time I found a piece of trash like a coffee cup, water bottle, or wrapper my initial astonishment grew into disbelief. People came to the parks‒national landmarks‒ and trashed it. Why would people throw their trash

personal narrative and photography andrew marshall | infographic isis summerlin photo illustration alexandra fernholz

(Below) Taking this photo was probably the longest time commitment I invested while in Yellowstone. I watched these elk for about two hours while at the edge of Bridge Bay Campgrounds. Miraculously they came into frame for a picture perfect shot when they started grazing.

bridge bay campgrounds

(Above) On an evening drive with my family we stopped at the base of the Grand Teton mountain range. I looked to my left and saw the sun setting on this majestic mountains highlighting the giant cracks and crevices this photo did not do it justice.

grand tetons

story | section

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 27

on the ground? Do they just assume someone would throw it away for them? They just didn’t seem to care about how their actions will affect the environment. I lost respect (for whomever) during this journey and respect for the environment in something many tourists seem to lack.

Yellowstone was the first national park established in the U.S.; it was recognized for its wildlife and geothermal features. Theodore Roosevelt believed that it would make an impact on the future’s youth. However, modern minds see it as their own personal playground, pretending that their actions have no consequences.

Since my trip to Yellowstone, I’ve been watching the news. A story that caught my eye was one of a drunk man falling into the thermal water near the cone of Old Faithful, one of the park’s most popular attractions. The geyser wasn’t damaged, but the man suffered severe burns to a significant portion of his body.

There have been multiple cases like this, where people blatantly ignore the signs telling them not to approach these landmarks, because they are unsafe and could severely hurt them. These geysers have been there for hundreds of years and are now known universally as one of the wonders of the world. These people not only disrespect the environment, but also themselves.

As I was exploring Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, I was astounded by how many times I was informed of the safety regulations--stay at least 25 yards away from non-threatening

(Below) Two bison calves spotted grazing in Lamar Valley. Lamar Valley is a popular attraction for viewing wildlife located in the north eastern part of Yellowstone.. This shot was taking from about 75 yards out as they were grazing at dusk.

lamar valley

is found in Mormon Row located near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. This barn is the most photographed barn in America. With the beautiful Tetons in the background and the iconic looking barn it was a picture that simply couldn’t be passed up.

(Left) This picturesque “Moulton Barn”

mormon row, grand tetons

feature | personal narrative

28 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

This Black Bear is commonly mistaken for a Grizzly Bear for its brown fur, but in Yellowstone the color of black bears varies. This picture was taken on my first day in yellowstone about 15 minutes in from the west entrance.

west entrance, yellowstone

animals and 100 yards away from threatening animals. It made sense to me and I followed the rules. However, others did not. I was surprised to hear multiple stories of people getting too close to bison and being thrown and gored by the bison. These people ignored safety regulations put in place for their safety, so they continue to put themselves and the wildlife at risk.

I have no real solution to people’s apathy and disrespect. I can only suggest taking a breath and looking around to witness the beauty of our world. Look at all the angles, all the photos anyone could take of all the wonderful things happening around us.

On this trip I was surrounded by animals I’d never seen before, but one of the coolest things was seeing a little chipmunk walking along the trail.

It was so comfortable with people, it grew up unafraid of them. I grew up thinking that humans would take care of it. We need to keep that up so that my kids, their kids, and kids for hundreds of years can come and witness the same beauty that I saw and captured within my photos. • (Below): This cow moose was seen off of Moose-Wilson Road grazing on vegetation in the wet marshlands a couple feet under the water.

This photo was taken by complete chance as we traveled this road to get to our house four times a day. On our second to last day in the Grand Tetons their was a large crowd parked off a cliff and I was the only one with a camera. This miracle moose was one of my favorite photos of the ones I took out west.

grand tetons

story | section

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 29

feature | ream awad

BEADS OF JOY

East junior Ream Awad started a jewelry-making business with her mother and sister after a trip to the middle east. story abbie westendorf art kelly johangtes

S

he walks through a crowded festival in Lebanon. People bustle and look at the array of booths. Through the commotion, she sees a woman making bracelets out of beads. The beautiful beads catch her sister and mother’s eyes as well. Little did she know this would be the start of a mother-daughter journey.

East junior Ream Awad started Beads of Joy with her sister and mother after coming home from a trip to Lebanon. The family makes an assortment of jewelry from phone straps- their signature item- to chokers and bracelets.

“We asked [the woman at the festival] where she got her beads. We went and got the stuff and just started making bracelets for fun,” Awad says. “Over time, we had the idea of a phone strap.”

Creating the phone strap is a very diligent task, taking over an hour to make.

“Making the phone straps take a while,” Awad says. “We have to come up with a design.

30 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

DART

We like to make each side of the strap a different design, but still correspond with each other.”

A customer of Beads of Joy, Reem Saleh, bought two phone straps from Awad this past summer. Saleh complimented Awad’s creativity and knowledge of color schemes. “[The phone strap] is great to wear all the time, especially on vacation,” Saleh says. “It’s a cute and convenient accessory.”

Beads of Joy started with Ream’s mother, Nada Awad, who pushed her two daughters to get involved.

“At first I was scared of what people would think it’s weird, but [my mother] told me if I have a passion I shouldn’t care about what people think and should just do my own thing,” Ream says. “Now [the business is] a bonding thing between me, my sister, and our mom.”

The businesses started with Ream making the jewelry as a creative outlet, then it evolved into a business when she had the idea to make an Instagram to advertise and sell them. “[We] just started making bracelets for fun and overtime we had the idea of a

phone strap,” Ream says. “Eventually, our friends and family in Ohio became interested, and instead of making free stuff, we started selling the jewelry.”

W

illiam Mason High School sophomore Tessneem Khalil has seen Ream’s business grow the past few months, andshe believes it’s not only because of their presence on social media but also the obvious quality of the items and Ream’s zeal.

“Ream is a really dedicated person, when she has her mind set on something, especially something she’s really passionate about, she won’t stop until she gets what she wants accomplished,” Khalil says.

Although Awad has a passion for what she does for Beads of Joy, she doesn’t see it as a career path. As of right now, she wants to major in interior design at the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning in Cincinnati.

“I may not want to be a jewelry designer but I do have a love for anything design and art,” Aw a d says. •

The ever-changing world of sexuality, including the LGBTQA+ community, continues to adapt to the current world we live in. story and photo illustration ava huelskamp | photography riley higgins | art anna french

S

ummer: for seventh grade girls, these three school-free months of warm bliss mean showing off their newest bikinis at the community pool, trading secret crushes at double-sleepovers, and begging mom and dad for rides to late night ice cream meetups and bonfires.

For East sophomore Olivia Marshall, the summer before her seventh grade year was when she first began to question her sexuality. With the helpful guide of a friend on her swim team, Marshall was introduced to the LGBTQA+ community and to a journey of finding herself.

However, Marshall’s path wasn’t always easy.

As a person who likes organization, she was eager to find a term to represent her sexuality that felt right to her.

“I was exposed to labels and other sexualities.

I would find a label when I was reading, I’d connect it and I’d look in the mirror and I’d say [to myself ] I’m blank,” Marshall says.

“Sometimes it didn’t feel right, actually a lot of times it didn’t feel right, and sometimes it did, so I ran with that.”

Marshall came out to her friends first as bisexual and about a month later to her mom, who is very accepting of her daughter’s sexuality.

It wasn’t until this past summer she came out to her dad, while the family was walking back to the car after a beach day in St. Augustine, Florida. “[I told them] ‘I want to tell you that I’m bisexual and I’m currently dating my girlfriend’ [at the time],” Marshall said. “I explained [my sexuality] to them and we were all crying in this parking lot; my dad gave me a big hug. We

cried multiple times again that night; it was a very emotional [day], but probably my favorite day.”

Although Marshall’s story is a happy one, not all members of the LGBTQA+ community have the same experience. According to a 2017 survey conducted by the Center for American Progess, one in four LGBTQA+ respondents had experienced discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Foul attitudes aren’t the only thing LGBTQA+ individuals have faced, rather one unexpected emotion: shock. East English Teacher and Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) club advisor Kate Foldy grew up in a time where the existence of an LGBTQA+ community was enough to make a person’s jaw drop.

“I was in high school in the 80s; there was [a

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 31

special report | umbrella lot of ] what I remember as surprise that there were gay people,” Foldy says.

Ghazel Tellawi, Postdoctoral fellow in human sexuality studies at the University of Minnesota, does most of her work with transgender teenagers and adolescents. She conducts individual and group therapy with transgender individuals on a weekly basis.

“One of the comments across everybody that I work with is that you can’t help but internalize some degree of negativity about your identity,” Tellawi told Spark. “There’s this degree of internalized homophobia or internalized transphobia that you have to work through before you can move towards acceptance of yourself.”

Michelle Marzullo, Human Sexuality Program Chair at the California Institute of Integral Studies, found studying the human sexuality field as a response to the lack of

support during her own coming out. She wanted to devote her work to helping others find the support they need.

“I was growing up in a very suburban area and came out as not straight. [I was] really young at the time, and this is [during the] mid 80s,” Tellawi told Spark. “I realized there wasn’t a lot of support [for me] and I had all the feelings that one has when they realize their attractions are not exactly what society is expecting of them.”

Marzullo’s research has proved that severe consequences can result from such kinds of marginalization, so much so that lives of LGBTQA+ individuals are being put in danger.

“A trend we see is high suicide rates, also high murder rates for transgender people,” Marzullo says. “This should be a national crisis.

It should be a call to our national leaders to address basic safety issues.”

East junior Olivia Marshall began to explore her sexual identity the summer before she started middle school.

32 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

A

ccording to 2013 hate crime reports from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 22.5% of the 1,461 victims targeted due to sexual orientation bias were victims of anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender offenders.

Discrimination or fear of discrimination from the religious community is also common among LGBTQA+ individuals. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) says they are seeing an increasing number of individuals claiming the right to discriminate against LGBTQA+ individuals based on religion; an example of this is shop owners on several contitents considering themselves to be constrained by their religion from being able to serve lesbian and gay customers. Marzullo experienced some of this pressure when she was a young girl growing up in Connecticut.

“There was a lot of discussion about homosexuals and whether or not homosexuals were sinful and dirty, and whether we should just allow them to die as a correction from God,” Marzullo told Spark. “This really horrible talk was happening on the national level and I was receiving all that talk through the news reports. I was raised very Catholic, and the Catholic Church has a strong stance against homosexuals.”

Before Marshall took the leap of coming out to her friends and family, she struggled with the religious aspect of how people around her would recieve her.

“My family is Catholic, and I was raised Catholic. There was a looming voice in my head going, ‘you’re damned, you’re done, you’re dead,’” Marshall says. “You cannot be this way because you are going to go to hell and you’re going to be hated and the church is going to hate you.”

Women, Gender, and Sexualities Professor at Kansas University Marta Vicente has seen her fair share of intolerance based on sexual identity, with one instance happening in her own classroom.

“Ten to 12 years ago when the discussion of transgender [individuals] was not common, I had a transgender woman in my class; we were taking the midterm, and I told [students] there was a particular book they needed to buy to write the exam,” Vicente tells Spark. “There was a young man in the class who did not have a copy of it and a young trans woman said she had one for him, and he said ‘thank you sir.’ I was totally taken [aback] by this verbal aggressiveness, [because] she was very gracious.”

The incident shocked Vicente, who saw the girl’s action as an act of kindness, but also drew her attention to the issue at hand.

“This woman’s femininity was threatened with this man’s masculinity,” Vicente said of the students. “[His response was] a decorum of a lot of the transphobia we have seen.”

Suicide and self-hate run rampant across the LGBTQA+ community as well, according to

umbrella | special report Tellawi, who says close to half of transgender people attempt suicide in their lifetime, while for the general population, the suicidal statistic is 3%.

“There’s a lot of self-criticism, a lot of not accepting their appearance, and being really harsh on themselves,” Tellawi says. “A lot of people question their own identities because people tell them it’s just a phase or they’re doing this for attention.”

This problem has proved to be especially apparent in high schools, according to Foldy, who as a teacher has witnessed the marginalization first hand among East students.

“Last year [GSA club members] put posters on their lockers, and those posters were torn off. They were just like anything an athlete puts on [their] locker, or any other club,” Foldy told Spark. “[GSA members] have the absolute right to do whatever they want with the front of their locker, but the posters were [still] getting torn off.”

V

icente wonders where and when the stigma starts, as this behavior is common among high school students. It’s puzzling to her because of the fact that her own daughter has been raised differently.

“My daughter is seven and has no problem with identity. She knows families that are made up of two mothers, two fathers; she knows about transgender [individuals] and she finds it all totally okay,” Vicente says. “I don’t know at what point children change and begin to be judgemental of others’ sexual identity and gender identity.”

As the advisor of GSA, Foldy has been able to counsel LGBTQA+ students on how to cope with the situations of intolerance they may experience, for example the misuse of their preferred pronouns or dead name. A dead name is the name given to someone at birth that has since been changed. It’s common for transgender individuals to choose a different name if they feel their birth name doesn’t accurately represent their identity.

“I know of certain situations where folks have asked the teacher to use the correct pronoun, have written the [correct] name and the teacher refuses [to call them that name],” Foldy says. “[I have also seen] other students not honoring pronouns, not honoring requested names.”

The club was set into motion by a gay student at East in 2001, and Foldy is the current advisor. In the club, students observe informative sessions, play games and trivia, have discussions, tell personal stories, watch videos and films, and do crafts.

Foldy’s goal is to create a comfortable space for LGBTQA+ students in the school.

Some students don’t have that support system at home, with 38.6% of 166 East students surveyed saying their parents and/or guardians don’t support the LGBTQA+ community.

“[GSA] allows them a safe space, a place where they can be with folks they feel comfortable with, folks who are not judging them or threatening them in any way,” Foldy says. “They can completely be themselves, it allows them a relief from being in this building and being worried about being bullied or outed. I want them to explore their identities, learn about themselves, and learn about other folks in the community.”

With 70.6% of 200 East students surveyed saying they’re friends with members of the LGBTQA+ community, the younger generation seems to be evolving their mindset.

“I hear my students in class talking about how they don’t care that folks are [part of the community]. This generation is becoming much more open and unconcerned with a person’s sexuality or gender identity,” Foldy told Spark. “It’s gotten much better during the [19] years I’ve been [teaching].”

The work that professionals have been doing to make strides for LGBTQA+ individuals has been evident by Marzullo’s commitment to keep up with the ever changing world of sexuality through research.

“What’s really important to remember with sexuality and gender is that at no time in history has it been static,” Marzullo says. “We change the way that we feel about sexuality, what’s right and what’s wrong. We change the way we think about expressing our gender. One of the most important things that I can do as a researcher is to remain open and listen to the changes that are going on.”

One of Tellawi’s hopes moving forward is for people of all sexualities to join forces and abandon any marginalization that results in regards to a person’s sexual identity.

“My hope is that as a community we can all unite around our differences, and also recognize that we’re all humans,” Tellawi says.

“I hope that we recognize that everyone’s got their [own] struggle.”

One big way the community unites is holding pride parades in order to come together and celebrate. The International Gay & Lesbain Travel Association (IGLTA) describes pride events as parades and festivals started in major urban centers to improve the visibility, acceptance, and legal protections for LGBTQA+ people living in those communities.

Marshall has been to the pride parade in Columbus, Ohio twice, once with her own family and again with her girlfriend and her family. Her stepdad is a lieutenant at the Lebanon Prison, and ended up doing security for Columbus pride one year. “[The atmosphere of pride] is very open.

People are being themselves, and it’s such a good environment. People are wearing what they want to wear and dressing how they want to dress and being with who they want to be with,” Marshall told Spark. “It’s this overwhelming feeling of love.” •

GLOSSARY infographic caitlin o’donnell Cisgender: A term used to describe a person whose gender identity is the same as the sex they were assigned to at birth Dead Name: The birth name of someone who has changed it Gender: Either of the two sexes (male and female), especially when considered with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones. The term is also used more broadly to denote a range of identities that do not correspond to established ideas of male and female Gender Dysphoria: The condition of feeling ones emotional and psychological identity as male or female to be opposite to ones biological sex Gender Fluid: Denoting or relating to a person who does not identify themselves as having a fixed gender Genderqueer: A term used to describe a person whose gender identity is neither woman nor man and is between, beyond, or a combination of genders.

GSA: Gender Sexuality Alliance LGBTQA+: The acrynom for “Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, Asexual, and Allies” Non-binary: Not exclusively masculine or feminie, outside the identities of gender binary Sex: Either of the two main categories (male and female) into which humans and most other living things are divided on the basis of their reproductive functions.

Top Surgery: The surgery that is performed on the chest as part of gender reassignment Transgender: A term that describes people whose gender identity and/ or gender expression is different from the sex they were assigned at birth

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 33

special report | jiji mills feature

life in a

GA RDEN story mia hilkowitz photography riley higgins

East sophmore Jiji Mills discusses their experience identifying as non-binary in high school.

I

East sophomore Jiji Mills identifies as nonbinary.

34 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

t is fourth period at Liberty Junior High School and dozens of sweaty, awkward eighth-graders fill the gym awaiting team instructions for an upcoming kickball game. A rush of relief falls over the students as the gym teacher announces that the class will be separated into boy-girl teams. But one student, Jiji, is not quite as relaxed by the announcement.

For Jiji, the decision to choose either the male or female team is difficult, especially when they feel they are not a part of either.

East sophomore Jiji Mills identifies as nonbinary, meaning they identify as neither male nor female and use they/them pronouns.

Despite their experience of this gym class being over two years ago, the memory of the significant moment in their life remains as vivid as ever.

“I made a comment to a friend [that I] I didn’t really know what to do because I’m not a boy or a girl and [Coach Hill] heard and said ‘Oh you can just go [without a team],’” Mills told Spark. “But then he pulled me out of class and said that even though he split his classes [by boys and girls], he wanted to know if there’s a way to make me feel more comfortable.”

For Mills, this simple kind gesture from Hill was the first time a teacher “recognized and respected” their gender identity.

“Coach Hill was the first teacher I ever came out to gender-wise,” Mills says. “He was so respectful and it [was] the most amazing thing ever to me at that point because I had never

jiji mills feature | special report been treated like a whole human being by a teacher [before].”

But the journey to get to a point of acceptance from adults was a long one for Mills.

“I started questioning in fourth grade, which is really young, but that’s when all my friends were getting crushes and I was just like maybe I should do that too,” Mills says. “I had a lot of LGBTQA+ friends, and I [seemed to] really fit in. But [because] I was really young when this happened, a lot of people didn’t really know what it was.”

Mills says that it was later in elementary school when kids “started being mean and that being gay was a funny thing to them.” But when Mills started openly coming out to their friends in sixth grade, they felt that their friends were overwhelmingly supportive.

But Mills’ sister, Liberty Junior eighthgrader Riley Mills, says she wasn’t initially accepting of Jiji’s gender identity, despite the siblings’ close bond.

“I was transphobic in fifth grade,” Riley told Spark. “I was really mean to Jiji about it. But I was able to get over it and now I just accept Jiji for who they are.”

Since then, Riley has involved herself in LGBTQA+ advocacy, making a documentary for a class about the LGBTQA+ community and even helping establish a Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) at Liberty Junior. Riley describes how Jiji’s experience has influenced her and her peers.

“It opened my eyes and my mind to things that could happen in the world and not just be in a little bubble forever,” Riley says. “A lot of my peers and I look up to [Jiji]. After Jiji came

out, they were more open to coming out.”

For the Mills siblings, Jiji’s experience in coming out as nonbinary was a seemingly foreign concept. According to Wright State Associate Professor of Sociology Julianne Weinzimmer, many developments in gender identity such as in Jiji’s experience, are relatively new to a lot of Western society. “[In the last 10 years] there’s been a lot of new research and literature about nonbinary and people who identify gender as a spectrum,” Weinzimmer told Spark. “In the last several years, we’re really starting to see that transgender has become inclusive to all kinds of contestational identities around gender and sexuality.”

A

ccording to the Society for the Psychology Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity estimates that non-binary members make up 2535% of the transgender population.

Weinzimmer says these recent changes can be connected to generational shifts.

“It’s definitely a generational issue where we see people who are younger [being] a lot more flexible and willing to reconceptualize gender,” Weinzimmer says. “But I think especially for older generations, who have watched us go from a very overtly patriarchal society, everything is being thrown up in the air.”

Jiji says they have noticed how their school environment has changed as more students and teachers have begun to be more open about gender in class.

“A lot of the people who go [to or] teach [at East] are a lot more understanding than

they might have been a few years ago when I first started experimenting with my gender identity,” Jiji told Spark. “It’s a different world now and obviously there [are] a lot of people who are still probably never going to accept it.

But I feel I’m in a safer environment than [I was] a few years ago.”

East sophomore Cameron Weinrich became close friends with Jiji in eighth grade when he passed them a note through the Liberty Junior cafeteria asking to be friends. He says that knowing Jiji has helped influence his own mindset on gender and sexuality.

“I’ve known [Jiji] to go through different kinds of [gender] labels and it helped me realize just because I had a label at one point, doesn’t mean I have to stick with it forever,” Weinrich told Spark. “They’ve really helped me figure out my gender identity and I’ve been able to talk to them about what it’s like to be non-binary.”

Jiji describes most of East as an environment that is accepting and understanding of LGBTQ+ students. Still, they believe it is the small things like adding more gender-neutral bathrooms, more gender selections on surveys, and asking a person’s preferred pronouns, will make a difference.

But Jiji believes that the acknowledgment and recognition of members of the LGBTQ+ community is a crucial step for all of society to take.

“In society, I think it would make a lot more people like me and my friends feel better and [safer] if people being queer or transgender was more [realized],” Jiji says. “People don’t have to understand, but just recognize [being transgender] is a thing.” •

one in five

Americans say they “personally know” someone who prefers genderneutral pronouns.

-Pew Research Center

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 35

life in

section | story

LOV E

East junior Audrey Williams is learning to embrace her identity as a member of the LGBTQ+ community as she continues her journey toward self-acceptance. story shiloh wolfork photography riley higgins

S

East junior Audrey Williams came out publicly as queer as a freshman.

36 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

he rides her bright green bike down the street as the warmth of the sun kisses her cheeks, revealing thousands of freckles. The sudden chill of a crisp wind sends her chin-length red hair blowing behind her. She shivers under the thin fabric of her newest favorite thrifted find. At this moment, she feels invincible...relieved. She feels free.

For East junior Audrey Williams, feeling free hasn’t always been the norm. Ever since she came out as queer in seventh grade, learning how to accept herself and to celebrate her identity has been a challenge.

“It took a lot of getting used to because my family and the people that I was exposed to were not always very accepting. I took that mentality and turned it toward myself,” Williams says.

Queer is an umbrella term that can be used to describe any person within the LGBTQ+ community. Generally, it means anyone who does not identify as heterosexual. The term can also mean “questioning.”

According to a Spark survey, 62 of 195 East students believe that the term ‘queer’ is a slur.

“To me, queer is an identity, a word that people have used as a slur in the past, but I identify as queer because it holds a special place in my heart,” Williams says. “It’s a word that I call home because I grew up questioning and it was meaningful to find a word that really meant something to me.”

Williams says that she was aware of her identity from a young age. However, it took her a while to truly address exactly what she was feeling.

“There was this really pretty girl in my fifth grade math class and I wanted to be her friend.

But I also wanted to hold her hand,” Williams told Spark. “My journey of self-acceptance

audrey williams | special report started around high school. Ninth grade was rough. But definitely as the years went by, I became more comfortable with myself and my feelings.”

Williams explains what sexual orientation means to her.

“Of course it’s [sexual orientation] not everything, because it’s such a private thing. But how you feel about other people [is important],” Williams told Spark. “I think that love is the purest emotion that someone can feel and so who you love and how you feel about other people is a big part of your life. It’s sad to see that that true, pure emotion of genuinely caring about someone and appreciating their presence in your life can be looked down on just because it’s not what society deems normal.”

“Coming out” is a term within the LGBTQA+ community meaning understanding, accepting, and valuing one’s sexual identity and feelings comfortable sharing it with others.

In a Spark survey of 25 East students, 8 identified as publicly “out” to everyone.

For Williams, coming out was difficult at first.

“I had a really religious friend who said that she wanted to pray for me and she felt like I was being ‘led down the wrong path,’” Williams told Spark. “She was one of the first people I came out to so I took that really hard and I’ve internalized that because I grew up very religious so it’s really hard to hear that from someone.”

According to a 2019 study by Pew Research Center, 79% of people who are not religiously affiliated say same-sex couples should be able to marry compared to 66% of Protestants and 61% of Catholics.

Williams says that although coming out made her fear being rejected, being open with more people allowed her to become more comfortable with different reactions.

“When I came out to one of my best friends, I was very nervous because we’d been close for a really long time and I wasn’t sure how she would react. [I was scared that] she would reject me or things would change between us,” Williams says. “I wrote it down on a piece of paper in math class and things ended up fine because she was super sweet. But I was still worried that we’d lose the connection that we had.”

According to the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQA+ advocacy group and political lobbying organization in the United States, four in 10 LGBTQA+ youth say the community in which they live is not accepting of LGBTQA+ people.

Williams says that public LGBTQA+ representation has been meaningful in providing a sense of relatability, contributing to her self-acceptance.

“I even had a girlfriend! And that wouldn’t have been possible without the support that I received from my peers and the people who knew, as well as some LGBTQ+ celebrities such

as Ellen Degeneres,” Williams says. “The fact that she had gone through similar things in the 90s with coming out and now she’s thriving [inspires me]. Seeing real people who are out and comfortable with who they are is really inspiring because you see that and you know that that could be you.”

Williams’ friend of four years and East junior Leighton Heiner, explains how she has noticed a positive change in Williams ever since she’s begun to express herself more freely. “[I’ve been friends with Audrey] since eighth grade. She’s very kind, caring, thoughtful, intelligent, and funny,” Heiner told Spark.

“And she works really hard. [Since coming out] her confidence level has definitely increased and for people who aren’t out yet, that’s really inspiring.”

According to a 2017 study by Pew Research Center, Americans are becoming more accepting in their views of LGBTQ+ people and the number of people identifying as LGBT has grown in recent years. In 2006, 51% of Americans said that homosexuality should be accepted by society, compared to 63% in 2016.

Percentage of East students who believe “queer” is a slur: no 64.1%

yes 31.8%

source: east student survey of 195 students

F

I don’t know 4.1%

or Williams, her growing sense of self has prevented many of the offensive comments and instances from bothering her.

“I’m pretty open about it (my sexuality) and I don’t hide it so I’ve faced a lot of snide comments in the halls,” Williams says. “I was walking down the halls once and a boy was like ‘Oh, here comes the Pride Parade!’ and he was sneering. But I know that I’m where I’m supposed to be in life and I know that I’m doing the right thing.”

According to University of Cincinnati LGBTQA+ Center Program Coordinator Juwon Lee, the growing awareness about the judgment that faces the LGBTQA+ community promotes efforts to make things better.

“There are many things to do in order to

make things better, for sure. Nothing is ever “too late” when it comes to social justice issues; marginalized people still exist and live their lives regardless of what happens,” Lee says.

“In the U.S. context, the idea of LGBTQA+ inclusion has become more public and the effort of inclusion is witnessed more.”

I

n a Spark survey of 180 East students, 84 said they knew of three or more teachers or staff members in the school that support LGBTQ+ students.

“I feel like the administration doesn’t really do much [to address the judgment facing the LGBTQA+ community], but our Lakota East Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) tries their best to normalize things,” Williams told Spark.

“Some people are just set in their ways and there’s not much you can do about that, but to me, promoting positive responses toward the LGBTQA+ community comes from being who you are and showing others who may not be previously exposed to LGBTQA+ people that we’re just like everyone else.”

According to a Pew Research survey conducted in 2017, young adults are more likely to be a part of the LGBTQA+ community. Of those aged 18 to 36, 7.3% identify as LGBTQA+.

“I definitely think the younger generations are more accepting, looking back at the history and the struggles that LGBTQA+ historical figures, especially women of color, went through to fight for recognition and respect,” Williams says. “It’s clear that the younger generations are a lot more accepting.”

Lee says that education is the most important step toward gaining more equal treatment for the LGBTQA+ community.

“Accurate and appropriate information needs to be accessible in and out of school about LGBTQA+ people’s experiences and lives,” Lee says. “For non-LGBTQA+ folks, instead of thinking of the LGBTQA+ issues as something that is not related to their lives, they can put a face to the name and actively listen and learn about what is at stake.”

Williams says that the road to accepting herself fully hasn’t always been easy, but her experiences, even the difficult ones, have contributed to the person she is today.

“It doesn’t happen overnight for sure.

Learning to accept myself and being out and proud about who I am can be challenging.

But I hope that people who know me and especially those who don’t, look to me and find inspiration in my openness and see themselves finding their own voices,” Williams says. “It’s about exposing yourself to the people in your community and it’s about talking to yourself with kindness and ignoring what the haters say.

There are times when I struggle with who I am, and I don’t think that feeling goes away, but I see how far I’ve come and I’m proud of myself.

I am who I am and I love that.” •

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 37

life in

section | story

TRUTH

story and comic alexandra fernholz photography ava huelskamp

After legally changing his name last year, East transgender senior Dylan Pyron has plans to begin testosterone in early summer 2020.

H

East senior Dylan Pyron came out to his friends in eighth grade and to his family as a freshman.

38 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

e rubbed his palms against his pants, trying to dry them, trying to hold back the nervous thoughts in his head. Glancing over at his mother, he thought of the letter he’d left her at home, the letter that was about to change everything. Originally, he hadn’t known just the right word to describe the way he felt, but now, just before his freshman year, he was sure.

Now that East transgender senior Dylan Pyron has come out to not only his friends but his parents and some teachers, he says, “A weight had been lifted off my chest.”

A person who identifies as transgender is someone who identifies differently from their assigned sex at birth.

Pyron came out to his friends first, at the end of eighth grade. However, he waited to come out to his parents for several more months, because he was afraid of the potential repercussions.

“I actually [left] a letter to my parents [saying], ‘Hey, I’m trans,’ and then I left for a friend’s house with all the money and clothes that I had, thinking that [my parents] were gonna kick me out,” Pyron says. “I was absolutely terrified. I spent the night at my friend’s house and then I went back [home] the next morning. I was pooping my pants, I was so terrified. It was just my mom at home, so we talked. I cried. She cried.”

According to Assistant Professor of Pediatrics with the Cincinnati Children’s Transgender Health Clinic Rachel Snedecor, it’s common

dylan pyron feature | special report

a lot of times adults look “Iatthink me and think that I’m trying to

make a political statement. I’m not.

I’m just trying to exist.

-East senior Dylan Pyron

for patients she works with not to come out to their parents first.

“Usually, [coming out] comes in waves,” Snedecor told Spark. “They may come out on the internet first because it’s a supportive environment [and] there’s anonymity. People come out to their friends next, because there is less pressure there. [With parents], there’s a lot of pressure involved. Sometimes parents are the last to know just because there’s a lot riding on it.”

According to Pyron, he began to realize that the ‘female’ label he’d been born with just didn’t fit right around middle school.

“It’s hard to ascertain a certain point where everything flipped and I was like ‘I’m a boy!’ It was more of a process,” Pyron says. “I thought that there was something wrong with me.

I thought that I was a freak. I didn’t want to talk to anyone about it because I thought they would tell me that I was crazy.”

After Pyron came out, according to his mother, Colleen Pyron, he was “5,000% happier and a lot more confident.” “[Before he came out, Dylan] was very depressed, very down and very withdrawn.

It was very different than the way he’d been,” Colleen told Spark. “Now he doesn’t hesitatehe’s not very shy. I didn’t know a lot about [what transgender meant]. What makes sense though, is that treating Dylan this way is making him a more whole person, and a happier person, so to me that’s the sensible choice.”

Dylan, his mother Colleen, and his father Lindsey Pyron began going to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for therapy when Dylan was in eighth grade. Once Dylan came out, they switched to the Cincinnati Children’s Transgender Health Clinic, which provides services to transgender youth five to 24 years of age.

“Demand [at the clinic] has gone up [over the last few years]. We’ve got over 1600 kids in the clinics now,” says Snedecor, who’s worked with Cincinnati Children’s since July of 2019.

“We’re drawing from six different states- quite a big spread. [I think] it’s really how culture is changing. We’re becoming more affirming and accepting.”

According to Snedecor, an “affirming” environment is key for LGBTQ+ people.

“When [patients] realize that it’s a safe place

“

here, people just tend to blossom and open up a lot about what’s going on,” Snedecor says. “[At the clinic they] finally get the care that [they] need and what [they’ve] been looking for.”

According to the 2019 Trevor Project, 71% of surveyed LGBTQ+ youth reported being discriminated against due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. At East, 63% of surveyed students say they’ve seen or experienced discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. For Dylan, however, that discrinimation is not limited to the halls of high school. “[I remember] we were on a road trip, [and] I went into the bathroom in a gas station. I went to wash my hands [and] here was a man at the sink. A very scary, burly man. He looked at me, he did a double take. It was like in the cartoons,” Dylan says.

“And he went to his pocket, he pulled out a switchblade, flipped it open and pointed it at me [and said], ‘If me or my friends ever see you in a men’s bathroom again, I’m gonna cut you.’”

Instances like this have made Dylan wary of public restrooms.

“I was obviously really scared,” Dylan says. “[After that] I got back in the car and didn’t even tell my family what had happened. I was still in shock. Now when I go into public restrooms, [only if ] I absolutely have to, [I’ll] walk in and put on my meanest face, like, ‘don’t talk to me.’ And hopefully I don’t get stabbed.”

According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), over 50% of transgender or gender-expansive youth say they can never use school restrooms that align with their personal gender identity.

The U.S. Census Bureau does not collect data regarding the number of LGBTQ+ Americans, nor their sexual orientation or preferred pronouns. However, according to a 2017 Gallup poll, approximately 4.5% of Americans are a part of the LGBTQ+ community, a steadily increasing number, according to the same survey. The Williams Law Institute estimates 1.4% of Americans identify as transgender.

As with many other members of the transgender community, Dylan suffers from

“I actually gave a letter to my parents [that said] ‘Hey, I’m trans,’ and then I left for a friend’s house with all the money and clothes that I had, thinking that [my parents] were gonna kick me out. I was absolutely terrified.”

“My mom called me [and said] ‘this is a discussion that we need to have at home.’ I spent the night at my friend’s house and then I went back the next morning.

I was pooping my pants, I was so terrified.”

“It was just my mom at home.

My dad wasn’t there yet.

So we talked. I cried. She cried.”

“[At first] it was weird to have my secret out in the open, because before it was just something that only I knew and some of my friends knew. It was weird to be in a situation where I could possibly be validated.”

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 39

special report | dylan pyron feature

“He went to his pocket, he pulled out a switchblade, flipped it open and pointed it at me [and said], ‘If me or my friends ever see you in a men’s bathroom again, I’m gonna cut you.’”

“We were on a road trip, [and] I went into the bathroom in a gas station. I went to wash my hands [and] here was a man at the sink. He looked at me, he did a double take. It was like in the cartoons.”

gender dysphoria, a condition caused when a person identifies as an identity which does not match their physical appearance and suffers severe mental distress for this reason.

“There’s a lot of things that I want to change [about myself ] so that I can present as more masculine and people would see me as such,” Dylan says. “I feel dysphoric about my voice and the way I look, but especially my voice. It sucks.”

For Dylan, one way he was able to combat his dysphoria was by undergoing a legal name change on Sept. 4 2018. Since he was a minor, he needed consent forms from both of his parents to be able to change his name.

“I wanted Dylan to be the one to drive [his name change],” Colleen says. “My thought was, if it’s something that’s really important, then I wanted him to be old enough to know what the process would be. I wanted it to be something that he felt was important and that he could stand behind.”

In order to change one’s name in the state of Ohio, one must first submit a petition to a court, according to the Ohio Revised Code.

Then, at least 30 days before the hearing, the petitioner must publish a notice in a newspaper detailing the change. In certain cases, however, publication can be waived for an applicant’s personal safety, however.

If the person is a minor, however, the process is different. The minor’s parent or legal guardian must submit an application with the Probate court informing the court of the child’s birth name (now more commonly known among the LGBTQ+ community as a ‘dead name’), the name the child wishes to adopt, and the reasons for the name change. A small fee must also be paid. Notice of the name change must also be published in a newspaper 30 days before the court date.

“We’d already been calling him Dylan,” Lindsey says. “The official court date and everything was literally just [a formality]. The

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only thing that hurt me a little bit was our kids [have] family names. And [names] mean something when you’re older. I wish Dylan would have said, ‘Hey, I want to come up with a male name. Let’s pick one, let’s go through family history.’ But that’s a sentimental thing more than anything.”

As of January 2020, Dylan is now 18 years old, meaning if he intends to begin genderaffirming hormone therapy, he does not need to present parental consent from both parents.

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ccording to Snedecor, patients who wish to begin hormone therapy need a letter of recommendation from a therapist, a medical evaluation, and basic bloodwork. Additionally, a person who wishes to begin hormone therapy is required to have either gone through therapy or been on puberty blockers for at least several years. Any patient under the age of 18 must have a signed consent form from their parents and/or guardians.

Lindsey is concerned that Dylan, who turned 18 in January 2020, will regret transitioning later on in life.

“Certainly a 15 year old and still a 17 or 18 year old, you think you know what you want in life. You really don’t,” Lindsey told Spark. “Probably 95% of people end up doing something different in life than they thought they were going to do when they’re a teenager.

So in my dream world Dylan would wait until he’s 22 [or] 23 years old to make that decision.

I just don’t want him to have regrets.”

A 2013 Swedish study of transgender patients concluded that about 2.2% of transgender people who transitioned ‘regret’ undergoing the process.

Ohio’s “Protect Vulnerable Children Act,” which was introduced by Republican Reps.

Ron Hood of Ashville and Bill Dean of Xenia in February 2020, would charge physicians with a third degree felony if they were to perform

“[After that] I got back in the car and didn’t even tell my family what had happened. I was still in shock.” therapeutic or surgical procedures intended to alter one’s gender on a person under the age of 18. Hood’s concern lies in the irreversible nature of procedures such as hormone therapy.

Ten other states, including Kentucky, Tennessee, and Illinois, have introduced laws banning gender-related medical procedures.

“We do have a conversation of what’s reversible and what’s not [with our patients], [but] it’s very very rare for somebody to reverse hormones,” Snedecor says. “[The change is] very gradual, it’s going to be a few months before you notice much of anything. You’re not going to wake up the next morning and look totally different.”

Dylan will be waiting a few more months before beginning hormone therapy.

“I would love to [start hormone therapy now], but because I’m doing [East’s] musical right now, I can’t afford my voice changing,” Pyron says. “So I have to wait until after the musical. It sucks but I’ve waited four years, I can wait four months. I don’t want to [though].”

Since he hasn’t yet transitioned, Dylan is often confused for a female. Even when he corrects others for their mistake, they sometimes don’t heed his request for them to use the proper name or pronouns.

“People will [say], ‘I didn’t know Dylan was a girl’s name,’” Dylan says. “[So I just say], ‘Because it’s not.’ That’s it. [Once at work], this lady looked at me [really weird]. And then I was like, ‘Do you want this in a bag?’”

According to Dylan, it doesn’t take much to be an ally.

“I think a lot of times adults look at me and think that I’m trying to make a political statement. I’m not. I’m just trying to exist,” Dylan says. “You respecting me is just human decency. That doesn’t mean you’re [a] number one ally. That does not affect your political beliefs at all. It does not affect your religious beliefs. All that means is that I’m a human person and you’re recognizing that.” •

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T Small businesses owners Carrie O’Neal and Mary Cittadino discuss the challenges and rewards of owning a small business. story eliza bush | art kelly johantges

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he rolled to a stop and sat at the red light with the back of her head pressed into the headrest. “Oh my God. What have I done?” she thought to herself. Only a mile down the road from the daycare center she had checked her six-month-old daughter out of, she was already having second thoughts. But as her eyes crept to the rearview mirror where she saw Abby sleeping soundly in her carseat, this new mother knew she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

In 2002, business owner Carrie O’Neal quit her job with dreams of starting her own business.

“On the way home [from the daycare facility], I finally called my husband and said, ‘Hey, I just quit my job, I took Abby out of daycare, and I’m going to start a business,’” O’Neal told Spark.

“I’ve worked from home for about 18 years for my design business called O’Neal Designs. Over 18 years, it just grew and grew, which was awesome. It was a great way to be involved in my kids’ lives, be a business owner, and be financially successful.”

O’Neal is among the 30.7 million small business owners in the United States and of 949,479 in the state of Ohio, according to the Small

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 41

package | umbrella Business Administration’s (SBA) 2019 Small Business Profile.

O’Neal’s dreams of opening a small business didn’t stop with her online design business. On April 13, 2019, O’Neal opened the doors to Scripted Studio, a stationery store located just outside of downtown Hamilton, Ohio.

“I love to visit stationery stores, and we didn’t have any stores like that in the area,” O’Neal says. “I thought I could combine the desire to get out of my house, the desire to open a business, and the desire to be a part of the rebirth that’s going on in Hamilton, so about two years ago I started talking with Hamilton about what kind of space I’d be looking for and what I’d be doing.”

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ome April 13, 2020, despite O’Neal’s lack of business experience, Scripted Studio will be one of 80% of small businesses who survive their first year, according to the SBA. “I just fumble my way through the business part. The only way I’ve learned is by experience,” O’Neal says. “It sounds so silly now, but at one point, I had to write a business plan and that was really the stumbling block. I tried to Google it, but I just did not understand. That was the point that I thought it wasn’t worth it.”

According to Mike Bowers, the director of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Columbus State Community College, small business owners can anticipate other difficulties when opening their business.

“It’s easy to get burnt out because it’s a lot of work,” Bowers told Spark. “That’s why it’s really critical that this is something that you’re passionate about, something that will give you the motivation to get out of bed in the morning.

You’re going to be in a situation where you may have to shift and deal with issues multiple times during the day. It can get pretty stressful, but it’s also extremely rewarding if it’s something that you want to do.”

While only 20% of small businesses fail in the first year, they are increasingly more vulnerable as the years progress, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. By the second year, 34% will have failed. By the fifth year, 50% will have failed. By year 10, 70% of small businesses will have failed.

Kevin Boehner, Director of Small Business and Workforce Policy at the Ohio Chamber of Commerce attributes this trend to rising cost and pressure on business owners following the first year of operation.

“Small businesses surviving and then failing later on after a few years is directly related to the rising cost

of expenses for businesses, most notably health care and costs associated with regulations or compliance,” Boehner, a Lakota East alumni, told Spark.

According to Forbes, the reason for failure of a small business varies. The major causes of business failure are a lack of market need and interest (42%), running out of cash (29%), and not having the right team (23%).

Boehner estimates that the reason so many small businesses fail may also have to do with the demands of staying competitive in an evergrowing market.

“Due to the always-competitive marketplace, small businesses are constantly having to adjust and branch out based on the demands of the market,” Boehner says. “There is a cost associated with taking that risk, and sometimes [those businesses] fail.”

Business owner Mary Cittadino has experienced some of these hardships since 2013, when she and her husband became the owners of the Olde Village Tavern. For her, there were unexpected challenges that came up, especially because of the nature of the business.

“There’s a lot that goes into [running a business] that you don’t think about until you’re actually responsible for it,” Cittadino told Spark. “Especially with a bar. It’s a little bit unique because there are so many extra regulations involved with serving food and serving alcohol, then, say a retail store.”

Cittadino notes that becoming a business owner also came with sacrifices. It’s up to the business owner, she says, to determine if those sacrifices are worth it.

“You sacrifice time with your family. My husband and I sacrifice time with each other,” Cittadino says. “Ultimately it’s worth it, but you have to look at the big picture and make sure those sacrifices are worth it.”

Along with the personal challenges that accompany owning a business, there are numerous financial challenges. According to Boehner, a major concern for business owners is taxes.

To ease the financial burden of business taxes, Boehner has advocated for several policies designed to support small business owners.

“One of the things that we advocated strongly for in the past budget is called the business income deduction,” Boehner says. “It calls for a deduction up to $250,000 of your first business income, where you’re not paying any taxes on it.

For incomes over $250,000, there’s a capped tax rate of 3%.

That’s really important for small

Reasons Small Businesses Fail:

lack of market need/interest

42% running out of money

29% not having the right team

23% infographic alexandra fernholz source forbes

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“There’s a lot that goes into [running a business] that you don’t think about until you’re actually responsible for it.”

- Small Business Owner Mary Cittadino businesses and specifically growing business and startups.”

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s the director of the SBDC, Bowers has the opportunity to advise small business owners in the beginning stages through the development of their business. To avoid being overcome by the personal and financial obstacles, he suggests that entrepreneurs build a business around something they’re passionate about.

“It’s important that you have a passion around [what you’re doing], that it’s something you feel is important,” Bowers says. “Where we see a lot of people breakdown is they get into a small business and it’s all about money. In the long term, you’re gonna run into situations where you get burned, but if it’s something that you like, or you’re interested in, it’s much easier to deal with the long days and other challenges.”

Like Cittadino, O’Neal has found that the rewards of owning a small business outweigh the challenges. She recalls a specific moment from Valentine’s Day 2020 that reminded her of how fulfilling a small business can be.

“There was a fireman that came in the day after Valentine’s Day and asked if I happened to have any leftover Valentine’s Day cards,” O’Neal says. “He said, ‘I totally didn’t forget, but my wife and I just adopted a four-week-old baby and we’ve been so busy. We found out three days ago that she was going to be available, so we just picked her up. I want to get a Valentine’s Day card for my newborn daughter, to be her first Valentine’s day card and one for my wife.’

Those moments are so nice.”

Cittadino can also remember some rewarding moments.

“Our bartenders and our employees really are like a family, so when somebody needs something, we all pull together,” Cittadino says. “We’ve had lots of benefits. One of our bartenders, right after we opened, had an aneurysm. She was one of the 2% of people that survived it, so, we had a huge benefit for her family and raised several thousand dollars.

We tend to do one of those about every year and it’s the highlight of the year for me.”

Daughter to Mary Cittadino and East senior Elena Cittadino also notes the benefits that owning a small business have had for her.

“Because my parents have owned a small business, I’ve gotten a lot of

networking opportunities,” Elena says. “I’ve gotten to meet a broad spectrum of people and it enables me to stretch out of my comfort zone. I’m more able to talk to adults and hold conversations and hear different views about different topics because I’ve been so involved in the community,, which has definitely changed my life.”

According to Bowers, the benefits of small businesses stretch beyond these personal interactions.

“Small businesses are one of the strongest creators of new jobs,” Bowers says. “From a community standpoint, that’s critical. With a small business, if they create three jobs, they’re creating three brand new jobs, whereas [a big business], may create 300 jobs, but they also may eliminate 300 jobs somewhere else.”

According to the Chamber of Commerce, nearly half of the American workforce are employed by small businesses. In a given year, small businesses account for 60-65% of net new jobs. In 2019, small businesses generated 1.8 million new jobs.

Boehner says employment could also be a potential hurdle for business owners. “[Business owners] say all the time that they can’t find people to work,” Boehner says. “Even when they do find prospective employees, being able to offer them a competitive wage, as it relates to other businesses, can be difficult.”

For O’Neal, hiring employees is only one of the many hats she wears. In addition to designing new products and running the store, she’s responsible for filling out tax paperwork, invoicing payments, and managing the social media accounts.

For Mary, small businesses are more than numbers. Through owning the Olde Village Tavern, she has found the importance in community.

“For individual people within the community, small businesses foster a sense of community and sense of ownership,” Mary says. “We’re responsive to things that happen in our community because we have a bigger stake i n it. There are a lot of small businesses in West Chester and I think that’s why it has a sense of community that it has.”

Elena has the same appreciation for community her mother does.

Small businesses, she says, offer something unique to the shmorgishborg of companies and organizations working both in West Chester and in other surrounding communities.

“When I travel out of town, I don’t think, “Oh I can’t wait to go to Popeyes or McDonald’s.” I think, “I can’t wait to search up what locally owned restaurant is around here and see what they’ve got and what they’re doing,’” Elena says with a laugh. “Those [small businesses] feel like family. It’s a sense of community among the people you live near.

I think they’re definitely important to the economy, but more important than that, [they give] a great sense of community and friendship among the people that are around you.”

According to a report from Kabbage, an online small business lending platform based in Atlanta, small businesses are on the rise, too. From January of 2018 to January of 2019, annual gross revenue for small businesses grew by 19.2%.

To foster the growth of small businesses, Bowers says it’s important that high schools begin to instill a new mindset in their students.

“The biggest thing around entrepreneurship is really the willingness to take a risk and be willing to potentially fail and to learn,” Bowers says. “High schools can include more experiential-type work into the curriculum, where there’s a chance for students to succeed, but there’s also a chance for them to fail. And that failure is not final, it’s a learning lesson that encourages them to take the lesson and apply it to what they’re trying to do.”

More important than the process of opening the business, O’Neal says it’s important for entrepreneurs to find what they’re passionate about.

“Whatever it is that you want to do, whether you want to be a landscaper or coffee barista, do it with so much passion that owning your own business becomes natural,” O’Neal says.

O’Neal also recognizes the power that making bold decisions has had on her career. To an aspiring entrepreneur, she would encourage them to take a leap.

“I have zero regret. Just go for it,” O’Neal says. “This may sound like crazy advice, but you don’t have to have it all figured out before you take that leap. Sometimes, taking the leap is the most important part, and then you figure it out.” •

package | book bums

YOUR LOCAL BOOK BUM

(Above): Book Bums’ iconic crate bookshelf.

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Book Bums is a local literacy and coffee shop that will make your day and your future brighter. story and photography josie mckain art kelly johantges

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place where families can go to develop good readers. A place where adults can go and have weekly book club meetings.

A place the entire family will enjoy hot coffee, tasty snacks, great books, and cozy nooks.

Book Bums is a locally owned community literacy center and coffee cafe managed by former Lakota teacher Christina Williams, who holds a doctorate in education leadership with a focus on early literacy.

“During my doctoral process, I was learning about what it takes to help kids to become really good readers,” says Williams, who has 30 years of experience in Lakota. “I learned that we needed to access kids even before they enter kindergarten.”

In 2009, the original Book Bums opened in Olde West Chester near St. John’s Church.

Shortly thereafter, a second storefront opened inside KidsFirst on East Kemper Road, yet this cafe was missing the literacy part of Book Bums, so the store decided to host a local presence online to sell their curriculum, Foundations for Literacy.

Foundations for Literacy is a mission teaching kids the fundamentals on how words work and equipping parents with the right material to ensure their kids read and spell well.

When their Cincinnati-Dayton Road location closed in the fall of 2015, becoming a jewelry store, Williams felt they were missing something.

“I retired from Lakota after 30 years, and I was actually a Lakota grad, so we decided to open a second location in Lakota again in the summer of 2018,” Williams says. “Everyone who comes loves us [for] the food, the service, and the cozy atmosphere.”

According to Independent We Stand, an organization devoted to celebrating locally owned businesses, shopping local not only helps the community, but if we don’t support our small businesses, more of our money will

be given to the national chains rather than the the local economy. Shopping local keeps the money local, which helps the economy in West Chester and Liberty Township.

West Chester Township Trustee Mark Welch explains the difficulty in starting and maintaining a small business.

“If a local business is struggling, we raise a hand in regards to advice, wisdom on how to handle certain situations, negotiating contracts,” Welch says. “Having no experience in business makes it so hard to start a business.”

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ocal mom Maggie Killough, who visits Book Bums quite often, considers the store a cozy and welcoming environment to get her work done. Killough is excited for Rhett, her 2-year-old son, to start learning phonics and begin reading at Book Bums. “[Williams] gives back to the community by offering a lot of literacy learning activities, so I feel it’s necessary to give back to small businesses and support the vision they have for learning,” Killough told Spark.“I feel like I’m part of the family walking into Book Bums every time I enter the door.”

Book Bums relies on local supporters to keep their vision and love of learning open to the community.

Jenn Reese loves the atmosphere that surrounds her while she answers calls and does design work and layouts for her customers’ homes.

“I’ve loved Book Bums ever since I walked in the door,” Reese says. “I know I can come in, get my work done for my customers, and enjoy an amazing coffee or snack while still supporting a local business.”

Book Bums relies heavily on the support of local visitors.

“Even when you love something, you need to have a lot of people who love it too in order to stay open,” Williams says. “Vote for it with your time, money and attendance to actually

keep it open.”

Book Bums offers literacy programs, tutoring, monthly classes, and book clubs for all ages. Reading, writing, speaking, listening, and critical thinking are all promoted at Book Bums.

“We got an awesome opportunity to tutor the kids who didn’t pass the third grade reading [guarantee] in Lakota,” Williams says. “[Lakota] would bus students to us once a week and we worked with the students. We saw their scores rose tremendously!”

According to Scholastic, the third grade reading level focuses on teaching kids how to think and talk about what they read in a detailed way. This earth-shattering experience has put plans for a third location on hold.

“We need to take our curriculum to the schools, we need to reach the kids who don’t have families that can find their way into a place like Book Bums,” Williams says.

In West Chester and Liberty Township, small businesses are popular. About one in 15 people in Liberty Township own a small business of some sort, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

“In West Chester, we try to make a very favorable government climate, we try to be business- friendly,” Welch says. “We work very closely with the West Chester Liberty Chamber Alliance to help those small businesses get a hand up when they need it.”

According to the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA), nearly 50% of expenditures at a local business are recirculated locally, compared to only about 14% - mostly in wages - staying local when spent at national chains. No more than 1% of money remains here when shopping online.

“It’s important to support local business,” Welch says. “It’s easy to see the multiplier effect of buying local, when 3.5 to 50 times more money gets spent again by that small business in the community.” •

“If a local business is struggling, we raise a hand in regards to advice, wisdom on how to handle certain situations, negotiating contracts. Having no experience in business makes it so hard to start a business.” -West Chester Township Trustee Mark Welch

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 45

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ONE CAT AT A TIME

What started as a small idea to create a local cat cafe was kickstarted into reality in April of 2017 by Kitty Brew Cafe’s owner Jenni Barrett.

“I used to watch ‘Shark Tank’ every Friday night, and a young lady pitched a cat cafe idea to the sharks,” Barrett says. “I was already [working with cat] rescue at the time and I thought this would be a good idea.”

From October 2015 to April 2017, Barrett was repeatedly shot down when she brought up the idea to loan officers and landowners, yet she persisted. During this time, she worked on creating a business plan, financing, and finding a location to open the cafe. Zoning was a struggle for Barrett. Each potential city had different qualifications for having animals within the building. This made it difficult to pursue the idea.

“Mason is great because you just have to find a building where the neighbors in the building are okay with you having animals,” Barrett says.

“I found the perfect place since the owner was okay with [the cats] and all the other businesses [were as well].”

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As the third-year anniversary of southwestern Ohio’s first cat cafe approaches, Spark takes a look at how Kitty Brew Cafe developed into a successful small business.

Finn, a seven-year old, not declawed resident of the Cat Cafe, naps at the cafe. story emily hormann | photography cassandra mueller art kelly johantges

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cross the entire room, cats can be seen playing, sleeping, and perking up their whiskers. In one corner, small girls held out a pink feather wand toward a tiny calico kitten and giggle as the cat makes a vain attempt to pounce on it. Not too far away, an adult black cat curled up on a burly man’s chest, snuggling up to him and letting out a long yawn.

All the sights of the room washed over her in

46 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

a tidal wave of joy the moment East freshman Keira King opened the doors of Kitty Brew Cafe, a cat cafe based in Mason. Everywhere she looked, she was met with a smiling face.

“It was really cool because before I only thought cat cafes were in Japan,” King says.

“Then I heard about [Kitty Brew Cafe] and I thought it was a really cool idea and an excellent way to give the community a way to have fun with cats and really connect with them.”

nother large obstacle Barrett had to face early on was getting a loan from a bank in order to do a build-out, get plumbing, and other utilities necessary in order for the business to get started on the right foot.

“We finally found a bank where the loan officer had actually worked for the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) before she got into banking,” Barrett says. “She thought it was a great idea and she signed for us to get the loan.”

Once the basis of the idea was set in stone, Barrett had to get a few certifications before she could open her doors. Along with a food service license and mandatory fire department and health department inspections, she had to make sure the cafe side was separate from the cat lounge, in accordance with US health laws.

Kitty Brew Cafe is partnered with four different animal shelters: Animal Friends Humane Society, Paws Cause, Hart of Cincinnati, and Hands Extended Sanctuary.

The cafe acts as a foster home for a selection of cats from each organization, where they are fed and given socialization with humans.

In addition to the shelters, the cafe is occasionally given cats to foster by Interfaith Hospitality, an organization that allows people experiencing domestic violence or temporary homelessness to keep their pets with them instead of selling them.

“We’ve had three foster [cats] from them,” Barrett says. “We keep [the cat] until their owners complete a program to secure their housing.”

Other than those few fosters, each cat at the cafe is able to be adopted and brought home by any guest when they visit the cafe.

“When you adopt a cat from us, you are

kitty brew cafe | package essentially saving three cats,” Barrett says.

“You’re taking one home, and then I can call the rescue and tell them that we have the spot for another one [in the cafe]. [The shelter is] then able to pick one off the street, or if somebody has fallen on hard times and needs to surrender their cat, the [shelter is] able to help them.”

All the fees obtained in the adoption process of a cat are given back to the shelter that the cat came from to further support the shelter.

Because they do not keep these fees, the cafe makes its revenue solely from its $10 entry fees and the pastries and drinks sold.

At a time, there is a maximum of 32 cats allowed in the cafe. However, this number is flexible depending on how well the cats get along with each other. Additionally, only 20 guests are allowed in the cafe at a time to ensure the cats do not get overwhelmed. The admission fee to get into the cat lounge pays for one hour so that more people are able to spend time with the cats.

In order to run the business from day to day, Barrett hired seven employees in total to help her out. During a usual week, only two employees are needed to keep Kitty Brew Cafe up and running. Over the summer and on weekends, when the cafe is much busier, three or four employees, as well as several volunteers, are needed to take care of the cats and keep everything as clean as possible.

Chelsea Joy was one of the initial employees at the cafe. She worked as a cat attendant at first, making sure all the cats and visitors in the cat lounge were comfortable. Soon after, she became a barista for the cafe side as well.

“I saw [the cafe] on a Facebook ad when they were looking for people to do interior painting,” Joy says. “I wanted to work there when I saw that. And now I’m the manager.

I help out the owner in doing things like

inventory and making sure my co-workers are all working together as a team and making the best things happen.”

Cooperatively, Joy and her co-workers created the recipes and names for all the drinks served at the cafe. Many of the drink names are puns on cat breeds, such as the “Tortie,” which is a blend of coffee, Ghirardelli Mocha, and peanut butter.

“We try to have things that are a little more unique [as well as] classic favorites,” Joy says. “[That way], everyone can find something they’re looking for.”

According to Barrett, many of the ingredients used to produce the drinks, such as coffee beans, are roasted, fair trade, and organic in order to promote sustainability whenever possible.

Especially in the beginning, when the cafe first opened, it was a bit of a struggle to bring customers into the small business’ doors.

As this was the very first cat cafe to open in southwestern Ohio, many news stations were covering their opening. Nowadays, word about the cafe is spread mostly by word-of-mouth from returning customers.

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ven today, the small business struggles with many things pertaining to income and keeping customers hooked. To help with these problems, the cafe occasionally holds special events for customers to attend both on-site and off-site.

“We do yoga, movie nights, and other various off-site events,” Barrett says. “You always have to try new things to see what works and what doesn’t.”

In the future, Barrett hopes to expand to more locations and partner with more local animal shelters in order to take more cats off of euthanasia lists and off the streets. In addition,

she wants to educate people on the importance of spaying and neutering.

Marketing and Communications Manager for Cintrifuse, a local business dedicated to helping small startups, especially tech-based ones, thrive in their community, Kathryn Prigge believes Kitty Brew Cafe has the potential to make a large impact in the area.

“A unique business idea like this can help drive traffic and excitement in a community,” Prigge says. “When small businesses succeed, communities thrive.”

That is not to say an impact has not already been seen across Mason and its surrounding communities.

Kitty Brew Cafe, within its nearly three years of operation, has given more than 1,800 cats forever homes and changed the lives of many along the way. In fact, Barrett could not think of anything she would want to be doing with her life besides running the business and being a mother to her five-year-old daughter.

Joy would agree that the cafe has changed her and helped her give back to the community, all the while giving her opportunities to meet new people of different backgrounds, one cat at a time.

“Going into the shop, there were a lot of things that I didn’t anticipate,” Joy says. “I’ve met almost every kind of person there, and it’s really awesome to see that cats can bring them all together.”

King says her experiences at the cafe, as well as the two cats from there that she adopted and took home with her, have left a personal imprint on her.

“Before [going here], I would have considered myself more of a dog person, but now I’m definitely a cat person,” King says. “It has opened my eyes to cats; I just love them now.”•

“A unique business idea like this can help drive traffic and excitement in a community. When small businesses succeed, communities thrive.”

-Marketing and Communication Manager, Kathryn Prigge

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 47

A DREAM ON MAPLEWOOD STREET

Downtown Cincinnati restaurant Maplewood Kitchen and Bar shines bright in the eyes of its owner John Lanni as well as the Cincinnati public. story and photography ava huelskamp | art and infographic kelly johantges

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ake a step into the sunlight drenched restaurant and you will be greeted with the aroma of freshly prepared dishes, brunch and dinner menus stacked on light-washed wood clipboards, and an abundance of plants sprinkled throughout the restaurant.

Maplewood Kitchen and Bar is a bustling cafe tucked into the streets of Downtown Cincinnati that offers brunch within certain hours and a lunch/dinner menu at all other times of the day, as well as a locally sourced coffee bar.

John Lanni opened the place in 2 0 1 6 alongside his brother Joe Lanni a n d

family friend Alex Blust as a part of a string of different restaurant franchises all parented by one overarching company of Lanni and his brother’s creation: Thunderdome.

Thunderdome Restaurant Group was officially founded in 2012, with what its website calls a simple vision: to create memorable guest experiences and impact their teams and guests every day. The restaurant group was a long time coming. The Lanni brothers branched out on their own in 2005 after working in restaurant groups in Boston and Chicago. After opening many locations of their restaurant Currito, the brothers reunited with Blust.

Opening their first Bakersfield restaurant in Over-

The-Rhine Cincinnati gave the trio the idea for a restaurant group, and Thunderdome was born.

“The name Maplewood was derived from the street Joe and I grew up on,” John says. “We grew up on Maplewood Road in Hamilton, Ohio. We thought it would be a cool name [for the restaurant].”

John felt that that the people of downtown Cincinnati received the opening well, which spurred a second location to open in Mason, Ohio. “[The first location] was met with such succss. So many people enjoyed it and enjoyed the environment, and enjoyed the food,” John says. “[My brother and I] decided that the Mason area was a really suitable and attractive area for us to put a second location.”

maplewood kitchen and bar | package

W

hen creating new restaurants like Maplewood, Lanni and Joe split up the responsibilities, with Lanni’s expertise being in the design and branding and his brother’s being in the kitchen.

“I spearhead the design team. [I’m in charge of the] look and the feel of the restaurant when you walk in and the branding that you see on the menu, and the website design,” John says. “[I design] the look and feel of the brand and the marketing.”

John would describe the look and feel of Maplewood Kitchen and Bar specifically as an “upscale California cafe.” Ayesha Chaudhry is employed at Maplewood’s Mason location, and also believes the atmosphere of Maplewood is one of its perks. “[Maplewood is] nice and more intimate; it allows for a better dining experience overall. I wish more restaurants were like [Maplewood],” Chaudhry says. “There’s always music playing, there’s always nice lighting. It’s never super dim.”

The quality of Maplewood’s food matches that of a sit-down restaurant, however the restaurant is not set up in a traditional fashion.

Stepping into the white subway tile and brick lined entryway, menus hang on hooks along an industrial pipe hung on the wall. The menus can be taken up to the register, where guests order and take a pager back to a seat of their choosing. The food is then brought out to their seat when ready.

M

aplewood customer and East junior Seth Langford thinks that while the setup is different, there could also be some drawbacks. “[The set up] is pretty cool, but I also think it could be confusing to newer customers,” Langford tells Spark. “But it is something different, something you don’t really see anywhere else.”

John wanted to combine a high quality dining experience with good prices and the convenience fast moving city people need, which sparked the idea for Maplewood’s nontraditional set up.

“Collectively we decided to make [the restaurant] a different format. You’re still going to have fine china and the experience of being in a nicer restaurant, but you’re also going to have the convenience and price point of a restaurant where you typically walk up to order,” John says.

The on-the-go nature of Maplewood

along with its combination of savory and healthy menu options are Lanni’s favorite parts about the restaurant, as he believes there is a choice for every person’s needs. “[We serve] cold pressed juices that are juiced [in store] every single day, and superfood salads [made] with ingredients that are truly healthy for you,” John says. “I also like some of the indulgence options as well, like the pancakes and our other breakfast items like the chicken hash. [The food] is relevant, upscale, fits today’s modern lifestyle, and [offers] healthy options as well as indulgent options at the same time.”

Ayesha also appreciates the variety of menu options. Some of the more indulgent dishes include Lemon Ricotta Pancakes and the Grilled Cheese, while a health conscious choice could be the Vegan Power Bowl or the Goddess Greens Salad.

“I’ve got to go with the Maplewood Burger

and fries,” Chaudhry says in response to her favorite menu item. “It’s so good, and now I’m craving it; It’s really classic.”

Although Langford liked the set up, he wishes the menu had more to offer.

“There were about 10 items food-wise; there were six items for dinner. There wasn’t that much food; it all just seemed like dishes you could make at home,” Langford says.

Thunderdome is hoping to expand Maplewood restaurants to other places, but meanwhile, they have a few other projects in the works.

“We have several restaurants under development right now, including a Currito on Tylersville Road. That is a healthy bowl, salads, and smoothies concept,” John says. “We don’t have [another] Maplewood coming in the near future, but we are actively looking at other locations for Maplewood.”•

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 49

section | story

A KID IN A CANDY STORE Since opening in November 2019, Candy Stash Sweets and Treats has been bringing in new customers with its unique and nostalgic environment. story mia hilkowitz | photography gavin mullen | art kelly johantges

W

hen customers walk into Candy Stash Sweets and Treats, they may feel as if they have just entered a scene from ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.’ The scent of chocolate wafts through the air, and an explosion of color fills the room, as massive jars of candy, edible toys and flavored soda line every shelf. Overcome with excitement seeing old favorite candies and toys, adults may even “feel like a kid in a candy store.”

Candy Stash Sweets and Treats Owner Missy Wagner says that this is the type of excitement that the store wants every customer to experience when they walk through the doors.

Wagner, who taught second grade at Hopewell Elementary for 18 and a half years, says she uses her experience in education to engage younger customers and families at the store.

“My mentality is fun, fun, fun, and I know what little kids want,” Wagner told Spark. “[Candy Stash] brings in that fun of the old school games, the cartoons or the movies, just making it family first and centering around kids.”

Still, Wagner believes that Candy Stash, located at 7125 Liberty Centre Drive, is a place that is enjoyable for everyone regardless of age.

“I strive to have something for everybody,” Wagner says. “It’s sweet to hear grandmas and grandpas saying ‘Oh, I remember this [candy] when I was young’. It’s nice to hear moms and dads say ‘Oh, I remember that.’ It’s not just geared towards one age group, it’s everybody.”

Wagner opened Candy Stash Sweets and Treats in November 2019, buying the location from another candy store previously occupying the space. She credits the connection with her family as inspiration to open the shop.

“I have two little girls and a boy and every bedtime story has been about candy shops, chocolate factories, buying [a candy store] or going to one,” Wagner told Spark. “One night I couldn’t sleep so I got on my phone and there was a candy store for sale and I thought ‘Oh, I’ll inquire about it’ because my family loves candy.”

A

fter receiving a response from the previous owner, Wagner discussed the opportunity with her husband.

“Instead of saying ‘are you crazy?’ he said ‘go for it.’ So I literally went for it,” Wagner says. “It’s meant to be for our family right now because family is first, and every single thing has fallen into place.”

Since opening, Candy Stash has expanded its menu and items to include many things from edible toys to Philadelphia water ice.

This includes one of the store’s most popular desserts, rolled ice cream.

East junior Brooke Kohlman went into the shop to try the rolled ice cream.

“It’s super fun and welcoming,” Kohlman says. “I plan on coming back.”

According to Wagner, Candy Stash’s more than 55 rolled ice cream flavors are part of what makes the shop unique and bring customers back. “[For example] there are two Lakota East seniors that come in once a week and their goal

is to get through all of my ice cream flavors,” Wagner told Spark. “The other fun thing is you get to know your customers and getting to know them on a first-name basis is always a nice thing.”

In addition to rolled ice cream, Candy Stash also has an in-demand bulk candy section and a “chocolate bar” for customers to purchase a variety of treats. Customers Bob Miller and Pam Jackson came to the shop for its chocolate bar. “[Pam] was looking for authentic malt balls and I said ‘Well I think there’s a new candy store right down the way,’ so we stopped by,” Miller told Spark. “And [Candy Stash] had them. So we come back every week and get a replacement of dark chocolates.”

For Wagner, she hopes to continue to evolve the products being sold, but she wants to “keep the store the way it is right now because people are happy with it.”

“We’re a mom and pop store,” Wagner says.

“You will always see someone in our family working here. I always say we’re not Graeters, so you might have to wait in a line for a little bit, but [Candy Stash] is just a very unique, friendly and appealing store to many.”

But even with evolving products and desserts around the store, customers can always depend on hearing the same expression no matter the day or hour. Wagner always flashes a bright smile and wishes them goodbye with the same exact phrase.

“Have a sweet day!” •

online shopping | culture

SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP With the ease and convenience of technology, stores and malls are slowly starting to close and online sites are starting to soar. story emily sanden infographic kelly johantges

T

he richest man in the world has always been someone with a product that everyone wants: Vanderbilt with the trans-American railroads, Ford with the first automobile, Rockefeller with oil in the early 1900s, Bill Gates with innovative technology, and now Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO, with anything anyone could possibly want.

Though Amazon started as an online bookstore in 1995, Bezos had faith in his vision of “an everything store,” and it’s easy to see just how that dream has been accomplished.

Not only through Amazon Prime is there an online library of music, movies, TV shows,

and books, the website sells a variety of clothes, homegoods, tools, tech, and anything under the sun.

“Amazon tends to be cheaper on many items,” East economics teacher Amy Florence says. “There are also new Facebook pages to follow in which the page administrator searches for deals and suggests great deals to followers.

They set up a commissioned link to make money from the suggestions. It’s an interesting concept.”

Online shopping has become a movement—now people can even shop for food through the internet, including apps like UberEats, Doordash, Grubhub and more that deliver restaurant food to your location.

Grocery stores have also made upgrades, such as Kroger Clicklist, where people can make inapp grocery lists and pick up their orders a few hours later. Innovative tech has led to making it easier to do even basic tasks.

Not only can online shoppers get dinner delivered at their leisure, they can also shop for clothes without having to go to the mall.

Online influencer Liya Hizkias, @ LoveFromLiyax on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, has 378,000 YouTube subscribers, where she posts most of her content. She claims that she does most of her shopping online, and makes many videos about online shopping hauls. “[It] has made wholesale clothing more accessible and therefore, cheaper for consumers,” Hizkias says. “This has led to micro seasons and trends changing every single day.”

Eleventh grade Butler Tech student Abigail Jacobs says that “younger generations shop online more because of social anxiety.” She also likes online shopping because it supports

out of 205 surveyed students

Once a week Multiple times a week Once a month Once a year Never

How often 12.7% do Lakota East 41% 17.6% Students online 17.6% 11.2% shop?

independent producers of clothes, which “impacts what people want [to wear].”

However, there are some downsides to the online marketplace, including, as Jacobs said, “The shipping[cost], and not really knowing if [clothes] will fit or not.”

T

he feeling of a package arriving is thrilling, and the current generation tends to take comfort in material possessions, and accessories. This combination, plus the easy access to millions of products, can lead to more purchases.

“I think I have an addiction,” Jacobs says.

“Everyone has an online shopping addiction, because it’s so easy to get stuff.”

Online shopping may be easier on the consumer, and the lower prices usually mean that products are more available to consumers, so anyone can dress to their style on a budget.

Leasa Scott, @Laced By Leas on Twitter and YouTube, does many hauls and giveaways, though her main focus is producing and selling wigs on the internet.

“Online shopping has affected the fashion scene by allowing more availability of different styles to people all over the world that might have different fashion tastes than what is just available in local stores,” Scott says. “[It] has a cultural impact because we are now seeing more inclusion of all shapes and sizes within brands, which now allows more people to be able to express themselves and their style through clothing.”

D

ue to the fact that many local shops cannot afford to reside in shopping malls, stores have been closing down because of the pressure of lowering prices. Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe closed their storefronts at local Liberty Center in the past few years, after both companies filed for bankruptcy. It is not feasible for a store to rent a shop when they cannot beat online prices.

At the Voice of America shopping center, recent closings include Dress Barn, which plans on closing all of its 650 stores. Payless shoe store filed for bankruptcy in February 2019 and closed all of its 2,500 stores. However, Amazon sold $817 million in solely shoes in 2018. 46% of Macy’s revenue was online in 2018, which explains why the Macy’s at Eastgate Mall is having final sales with the intent of closing in 8-12 weeks.

It is easy to see how online shopping has negatively impacted the mall industry, while also allowing people to remain connected through fashion.•

source lakota east student survey

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 51

culture | pic six

PIC SIX: DONUT EDITION reviews and photography eliza bush | art kelly johantges

Jupiter Coffee Stan the and Donuts Donut Man

The Donut Hole

Price: $1 Address: 5353 Dixie Highway Fairfield

Price: $1 Address: 8268 Princeton Glendale Rd. West Chester

1

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his cozy coffee-shop-meet-bakery is hidden in a strip mall of Dixie Highway.

From the outside it doesn’t look like anything special, but once you step inside--your senses ignite. The aroma of freshbaked donuts flooded the shop and the sound of 30s swing music rolled in from the kitchen.

Blue and purple ornaments are hung from the ceiling which give a mystical feel to the shop. I selected a donut that was bright yellow which I could later attribute to the fact that it was buttery in taste. It was light and airy, but not dry, with big air pockets.

The glaze was the right balance between crisp and chewy as it melted in my mouth rather than sticking to the roof of it. Aside from donuts, Jupiter had a nice selection of coffee and tea drinks as well as other pastry items.

Jupiter wins first place because the quality of donuts and the atmosphere of the shop combined to make it a place that felt like home.

52 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

Price: $1 Address: 7967 Cincinnati Dayton Rd. West Chester

2

S

tan the Donut Man has a special place in my heart because of countless childhood memories of making early-morning donut runs with my dad. As I stepped through the door, I was reminded of sitting cross-legged in a booth, sipping on orange juice while my dad drank coffee with steam spiraling from the top.

While the interior is slightly outdated and there are few seating options for larger parties, it is the perfect place to enjoy a cup of coffee and a donut in the morning before heading to school or work. The glaze, rather than offering the crunch the others had, was soft and gooey.

The texture of the actual donut was chewy and doughy, which is my personal preference. While I enjoyed my donut, the woman at the counter, Natalie, engaged in casual conversation with me, where I learned she was an East graduate and plans to buy the shop in the future.

3

W

hile this new shop offers little in the way of ambiance, the bold flavor of its donuts makes up for it. This familyowned company got its start in 1960, but recently opened a West Chester location in the summer. The shop is sparsely decorated, but the bright pink walls and cheerful staff still make it feel inviting. The glazed donut was surprisingly sweet and had a lemon undertone that brought an unexpected, but unique element to the donut.

The glaze was soft and even though I came in the late morning, the donut was still fresh.

There were few choices in the small glass cases, but the choices they did offer were unique and tasteful. Aside from the glazed donut I picked out, there were peanut butter custard filled donuts, glazed croissants, and donuts with chunks of oreos on top. While The Donut Hole is not a sit-down destination, it is the perfect spot to grab a donut on the go.

pic six | culture

PIC SIX: DONUT EDITION Bill’s Donuts

Holtman’s Donuts

Daylight Donuts

Price: 95 cents Address: 268 North Main St. Dayton

Price: $1 Address: 9558 Civic Centre Boulevard West Chester

Price: $1 Address: 3485 Tylersville Rd. Hamilton

4

B

ill’s is a bit of a drive, but the donuts make it well worth it.. The restaurant is spacious with plenty of seating and over half the length of the shop is occupied by glass cases filled with different flavors of donuts. Bill’s is notorious for their unusual hours: 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I was surprised to find that even around 10 p.m. the glass cases were still well stocked. In fact, the whole restaurant was still bustling despite the late hour.

A group of high school girls was seated in the far corner, erupting into occasional laughter, the workers were talking with customers like old friends, and everyone seemed to know each other. The donut itself was dense and chewy, with a bit of a salty aftertaste, which was surprising, but pleasant.

This shop is a destination primarily for the sense of community and the eclectic feel, but offers a great selection of donuts as well.

5

H

oltman’s is a new, sleek shop located in the Union Centre Pavilion Shopping Center. This shop is one of four different Holtman’s locations, but seems to lack the charm and sense of community that the other, older shops offer. The store is clean and bright and upon entering you can look through a large glass window to see donuts being mixed, cut, and baked.

The glass cases are overflowing with experimental donut flavors. While the other shops I visited had a large selection of donut flavors, none could match the creativity of these donuts. The staff was friendly and helpful in explaining the selection of flavors. The donut itself was the most airy of those I tried, but lacked the flavor I hoped for. It was somewhat plain and didn’t offer the unique textures and flavors the others had. The donut was fine to taste, but it didn’t distinguish itself from the others the way I had hoped.

6

T

he first thing I noticed about Daylight Donuts was that it didn’t bring the same feeling of community that the other shops had. In the other shops, you could look around to see people collaborating at tables while sharing a half-dozen donuts, or the staff making casual conversation with their customers, but this shop felt cold and uninviting.

The staff was friendly, but not conversational like many had been in the other shops I visited.

The donut itself had a darker flavor tone than the others, which I attributed to the hints of cinnamon and vanilla I could taste in both the donut and the glaze, which had a nice crunch.

The donut was airy and had spacious air bubbles, but wasn’t dry. In addition to donuts, the shop offered a decent menu of drinks and other breakfast items. Overall, the donut was tasty, but the shop didn’t offer the ambiance the others had.

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 53

section | story

DRESSING IN CONFIDENCE

Spark interviewed East sophomore and model Lucy Mullenix about her unique sense of style. interview ianni acapulco | photography ekra khalid

54 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

story | section

EAST STYLE How would you describe your style?

I dress in a lot of different ways. Every day it’s something different for me. I take a lot of my inspirations from social media and certain YouTubers Fashion is a form of expression. What does yours say about you?

It expresses how I’m feeling and shows my confidence.

What do people usually think or say about your style?

In school, I get a lot of people look at me weird for some of the stuff I wear. Yeah, I get it if I’m wearing bright blue bell bottoms I’m gonna get stared at. I get a lot of compliments on it but I also get negative comments.

How do you deal with negativity?

I’ve learned to stop listening to it, because I like the way I dress and I think it’s cool.

And it looks good on me.

Do you enjoy wearing some stuff that’s out there? Or would you rather stay with what you know works?

I definitely like to try a lot of stuff that’s out there. It’s just fun to experiment.

Does body image play a large part in how you dress ?

I used to be really really self conscious about my body shape but there’s so much body positivity going on now so it’s just easy for me now.

How has your style changed over the years?

I used to wear the same hoodie and same sweatshirt every single day up to like eighth grade. And then in ninth grade I started experimenting and buying unique clothes.

How do you hope to see your style change in the future.

Honestly I like the way I’m dressing now but I just want to become more sustainable eventually. There’s a lot of waste in the fashion industry. I like to thrift so I can be more sustainable.

Have you ever made your own clothes?

I made my own accessories. I’m getting a sewing machine in a couple weeks and I’m going to be making my homecoming dress for junior year.

What type of jewelry do you like?

I really like gold jewelry a lot. I like wearing little necklaces and statement earrings.

Do you think it’s important to be fashionable and present yourself all the time?

Most of the time. Not all the time because sometimes you want to wear sweats. But for me personally I feel it’s important for me to express myself through my fashion because I’m not really outspoken normally. Wearing unique clothes makes me feel like myself.

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 55

culture | circles review

CIRCLES art kelly johantges

F

ans were devastated after hearing about the untimely loss of hip hop sensation Malcolm ‘Mac’ Miller at 26 after an accidental drug overdose on Sept. 7, 2018. But recently, with the release of his posthumous album “Circles” on Jan. 17, 2020, his meaningful legacy continues.

In his lifetime, the rapper released six studio albums, two extended plays, two live albums, 13 mixtapes, 62 music videos and 41 singles (13 as a featured artist). Before his passing, Miller was well into recording “Circles.” The album is meant to serve as a companion album to his 2018 album “Swimming,” which received a Grammy nomination for best rap album and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.

In a January 18 Billboard poll, music fans voted “Circles” as their favorite new release from the week. The song “Good News,” which was released as a single a week before appearing on the full album, placed in the Top 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Song Chart.

Miller incorporates a unique sense of cohesion into this project, and each track is accompanied by collections of beautifully edited digital images of Miller at different times in his life. Many of the songs deviate from his typical rap style to a sound that is more thoughtful and empathetic, complete with his raspy singing voice. However, some of the tracks include Miller’s usual soft flow and intelligent rhymes, which can never be replaced.

Miller combines sincere lyrics with a gripping melodic rhythm on “Good News,” one of the most popular songs on the album. With this track, it almost seems as if he is speaking directly to the listener and ensuring his fans

56 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

that they will get through this devastating time.

This idea continues to be an overarching theme throughout the album and can be seen when Miller says, “There’s a whole lot more for me waiting on the other side / I’m always wondering, if it feel like summer / I know maybe I’m too late, I could make it there some other time / Then I’ll finally discover / That there’s a whole lot more for me waiting.”

However, some of the other tracks have a more somber, blunt tone, and proved to be more difficult to listen to. This is true for the sixth track on the album, “Everybody,” which channels the beauty of life while blending a myriad of beautiful instruments with simple yet disheartening lyrics such as “Everybody’s gotta live / And everybody’s gotta die / Everybody just wanna have a good, good time / I think you know the reason why.”

Although each song on the album has a clear meaning that easily captures the hearts of every listener, the purpose of “Circles” is deeper.

The album has a passion and intimacy that is different from Miller’s previous projects. The rawness and honesty within each word makes each listen more emotional than the first.

It is undeniable that Miller’s passing meant heartbreak for many people. However, this album serves as a way for those he has inspired to have a sense of closure. Collectively, the songs merge in order to form a thoughtful plea for a more serene, kind world. It is meant to be a peaceful goodbye to Miller’s supporters and to encourage his fans to embrace the legacy he has left behind, not to linger on the face that he is gone. “Circles” is truly remarkable.

-Shiloh Wolfork

“There’s something different about him. I lit up like a Christmas tree— ‘This is hiding in you?’ A lot of that stuff is essentially the Circles material.”

— Producer Jon Brion source vulture.com

Released Jan. 17, 2020 Production completed

by Jon Brion ‘Good News’ debuted at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 style: Emo rap source www.wikipedia.com

story | section

MY HIJAB Spark interviewed Muslim students at East and asked them what the Hijab meant to them. story rehab jarabah photography ekra khalid

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 57

culture | hijab

What does the Hijab hijab hi·​jab | \ hē-jäb (noun) :

the traditional covering for the hair and neck that is worn by Muslim women

Zane Charif sophomore

“I started wearing my hijab in January of 2017. In the beginning I wore it just because it’s a part of my religion but now it’s a part of my identity. Obviously wearing a hijab means that people can immediately tell I’m a Muslim so I want to represent my religion in a positive way. As for my style, I prefer a Turkish style of hijab that I discovered after traveling to Turkey and I’ve worn it like this ever since. A misconception that I want to address is that I’m not overheating while wearing my hijab, don’t worry!”

58 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

Ream Awad junior

“As a non-hijabi, hijab still means a lot to me. It means that you’re strong and you’re still beautiful, even though you’re covering your external beauty. It makes people realize that you have internal beauty.

A lot of people think that hijabis are timid and shy, but they actually aren’t. A lot of us like talking to people and enjoy being adventurous and having fun. We like to be adventurous in fashion a lot. My style is typically a chic bohemian look.”

Maysam Hasan freshman

“I wore my hijab at 14. I just felt like the time was right. I was ready to wear it. My hijab represents my religion and who I am and what my religion is. It makes me feel closer to God. I just want to clear up that it can be a hard thing to start, like it’s hard to work with, but you get used to it and no longer feel the initial insecurity because not a lot of people wear it. Also, every hijabi has their own preferred style.”

hijab | culture

mean to you?

Nasma Jarabah junior

“I wore my hijab the summer before seventh grade. I just felt ready to represent my religion. And although in the beginning I was afraid of the judgement of others, with a little push from my mom, I had the courage to wear it. Wearing a hijab isn’t an easy thing. You tend to feel excluded and like you’re being judged.

At the age of 11, you just want to fit in. My hijab symbolizes my modesty and relationship with God. It brings me closer and makes my relationship with God more intimate.

My style is typically pretty trendy, but I like putting my own twist on it. I make it modest while still putting a piece of my personality. A misconception I want to clear is that hijabis aren’t oppressed. We wear hijabs by choice and we love our religion. I love wearing my hijab because it’s part of my identity.”

Zeena Bayyari freshman

“I wore my hijab the summer before seventh grade. Before coming to public school, I went to a private Islamic school and they taught us that you wear it when you’re ready, and that’s when I felt ready. My hijab is like a protective shield. Not only does it protect my external beauty, it also protects me from danger. It makes me feel modest and at peace with myself, and just closer with God in general. My style is kind of everything.

Sometimes I’m dressy, sometimes it’s like street style. Typically, I’m the dressy type, and I like wearing pinks and nudes. A misconception I want to address is that people think hijabis are shy and introverted, and it’s not true. I wish people knew that a lot of us are so extroverted and want to make new friends, so you can just come up to me and have a conversation with me.”

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 59

culture | manic review

MANIC

A

shley Frangipane (stage name Halsey) has been writing and performing music since she was a teenager, and was signed by Astralwerks in 2014 at just 20 years old. Before ‘Manic,’ she’s had two other albums, ‘Hopeless Fountain Kingdom’ (2017) and ‘Badlands’ (2015). After being such a renowned alt. pop artist for five years, this album was highly anticipated.

‘Manic’ includes guest singers such as Dominic Fike, Alanis Morissette, and Suga of BTS in their respective songs: “Dominic’s Interlude”, “Alanis’ Interlude”, and “SUGA’s Interlude.” In her album ‘Hopeless Fountain Kingdom,’ Frangipane also had three songs which featured artists including Quavo, Lauren Jauregui, and Cashmere Cat. However, these songs seemed to fit with the theme of the album, which was a story about a struggling romance, Romeo and Juliet style.

In ‘Manic,’ however the songs don’t connect as well to a set theme, the topics seem almost random. There is a distinct lack of flow in transitions between the order of the songs.

T

he conclusion to the first song of the album, “Ashley,” samples Kate Winslet from the movie ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’, where Winslet’s character says that she’s “looking for her own piece of mind.” The song “Ashley” is about finding all of Frangipane’s own pieces. She also samples Megan Fox’s lines from ‘Jennifer’s Body’ in the song “Killing Boys,” where the song gets its title, as Fox’s character describes how she is committing murders.

Personally, I don’t like listening to other voices when I wish to listen to a specific singer.

The gains that come from including other artists does not balance out the feeling of being interrupted from my listening experience. I skip the interludes, the samples from the old movies, and the recording of a voicemail from John Mayer in the song “3am”.

The album revolves around Frangipane’s own mental illness. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 17. After being hospitalized she made an attempt to take her own life. This

art cassandra mueller

Released Jan.17 album has songs that double as diary entries-confessions, stories, emotions-- and for that there is an air of awe that resonates from the nearly 50 minutes of mania that is this album.

The disconnect from the rest of the stories she has told emphasizes the polarity of the alternating periods of elation and depression that are symptoms of the disorder that Frangipane faces in her everyday life. All of the songs sum up how it feels to be mentally insecure in every aspect of life.

While the entirety of the album is difficult to understand, it is quite beautiful, and gives an insight that allows fans to experience the empathy that is required to listen to her personal narrative, which tells the story of coping in the best way she knows how: music.

-Emily Sanden

Features samples of Kate Winslet, Amanda Seyfried, and John Mayer style: Electropop note: Halsey’s first selfproduced album source wikipedia

“I sat there to make this album and I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to make an angry album, and I wasn’t mad. It’s exciting...I’m closing a chapter in this record.”—Halsey source www.billboard.com 60 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

story | section

FINE LINE art cassandra mueller

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or the entire month of December, I had been anxiously awaiting Harry Styles’ new solo album titled ‘Fine Line.’ I have been a huge fan of his music for about four years.

I can never get tired of hearing his new songs and listening to them 100 times over.

On Dec. 13, 2019, the 26 year-old singer released his second solo album. In the first week of the album being released, it reached number one on the Billboard 200, and released at the end of the year, ‘Fine Line’ became the sixth best-selling album of 2019, according to grammy.com.

‘Fine Line’ and Harry Styles have also been nominated for the BRIT Award, Mastercard Album of the Year for 2020 and Male Solo Artist for 2020, according to the BRIT Awards website.

Styles originally rose to fame after being put into a boy band, later named One Direction, on the British talent show X Factor after being eliminated as a solo act. After the boy band’s separation in 2015, Styles released his self-titled debut album two years later, in May 2017.

This album differs greatly from the upbeat pop style of music used in One Direction. His first album is compiled soft rock tracks. Harry Styles’ newest album meshes those two ideas together, allowing for a pop rock vibe. The songs are slower, and more sincere.

‘Fine Line’ has 12 tracks which delve into the concept of love and the heartbreak that inevitably comes with it. On this album, most

of the songs have a gentle, soft, and overall melancholy feeling to them. Since most of the songs are about heartbreak, listeners really get to experience that emotion and are able to feel what he has gone through. The album is very open and vulnerable, and lets listeners into his heartbreak and emotions through the songs, which he usually keeps very private.

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ongs like “Falling” and “To be so Lonely” have heavy, sad lyrics expressing the feeling of not being enough, being left alone, and becoming someone you don’t want to be. The repeating lyrics in “Falling,”,What am I now? / What am I now? / What if I’m someone I don’t want around? / I’m falling again,” create the sensation of fear of being heartbroken and the fear that you could begin to stray from who you are and become someone totally different.

Styles is expressing this feeling, how he wants to change that, and how he doesn’t like who he has become as a result of his heartbreak.

While many of the songs have a somber undertone to them, the album does feature a couple of upbeat tracks, such as his songs “Watermelon Sugar” and “Treat People with Kindness.”

I would wholeheartedly recommend that everyone listen to Styles’ new album as it reaches the two extremes of emotions in the collection of songs.

—Cassandra Mueller

“I think if you’re making what you want to make, then ultimately no one can tell you you’re unsuccessful.”

—Harry Styles source npr

Released Dec. 13 style: Pop rock Number one on Billboard 200 in its second week source wikipedia March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 61

BEHIND THE SCENES The Les Misérables US National Tour came to the Aronoff using the redesign created for the 25th anniversary of the production on stage. story anna mullins | photography isis summerlin, anna mullins, and used with permission,

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small group gathers on the sidewalk patiently waiting. Excitement builds as the first few actors step out the stage door entrance. The first round of actors includes the children of Les Mis, with their scooters and helmets, all eager to sign playbills.

Then emerges an actress with teal tipped hair and a huge smile, Michelle Dowdy.

Dowdy who has played Tracy Turnball on Broadway, currently plays Madame Thénardier in the US tour production of Les Misérables.

As Dowdy emerges from the stage door it is hard to imagine the 33-year-old as the middle aged bawdy innkeeper’s wife that the magic of theater makeup allows her to play on stage.

“This is a part that I thought I’d have to wait many years to play, to be honest,” Dowdy says.

“But you know, you get me all uglied up and I look great. So apparently age is not a thing.”

Dowdy has been a fan of Les Misérables for years, and had been auditioning for the cast for the past three years. The first and second year she auditioned for the female ensemble track, which includes the Madame Thénardier role. The third year she was asked to audition specifically for Madame Thénardier. According to Dowdy, acting is a number game and not every audition works. Often, an actor can go to 500 auditions before booking a job.

“I love my job. I feel really lucky that I get to do this,” Dowdy told Spark. “I’ve worked really

hard for many years and I’ve hustled, doing gigs here, gigs there. I couldn’t be more grateful to have something like this, especially something that’s as epic as Les Mis.” Dowdy joined the Les Misérables cast in December 2019 at same time as Preston Truman Boyd, “Inspector Javert”, and Patrick Dunn, “Jean Valjean”. According to Dowdy, while newly casted actors usually get two weeks, she learned her part in two days and was ready to be in front of an audience to practice her comedic timing. She felt fortunate to be joining the cast at the same time because they got to use the orchestra for their combined put in dress rehearsal.

“Because it was such a big principle heavy put in, we got to use the orchestra. Usually you just get the rehearsal piano in the pit,” Dowdy says. “We got the full orchestra this time, which

is very nice when you only get two weeks.”

As the orchestra begins to play, Victor Hugo’s “Town at Dusk”, projected amongst the scenery of post-Revolutionary France, transforms almost instantaneously into the realistic imagery of a prison labor boat with prisoner 24601. From Victor Hugo’s publication of “Les Misérables” in 1862 to its premiere production on the stage in 1985 and finally to its revamp in 2010 Les Mis has been astounding its audience.

When Les Mis was first brought to the London Barbican Theatre it was acted out on a turntable that revolved as the scene changed, which was a common set design at the time.

The 25th anniversary redesign gets rid of the turntable and instead incorporates projection technology, which includes some of Victor Hugo’s own paintings.

Michelle Dowdy prepares for her show (right) by putting on makeup, layers of clothing, and a red wig to emulate the style of clothing at the time of the French Revolution in which her character, Madame Thenardier (left), lives in. (left photo by Matthew Murphy) 62 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

les miserables | culture Matt Kinley, a veteran set designer with 30 years experience, was approached in 2009 by producer Cameron Mackintosh to redesign sets for the 25th anniversary production of Les Misérables. According to Kinley, the biggest challenge of the redesign was removing the revolve, while still illustrating scenes and keeping the fluidity of the show.

“The projection we employed was the tool we used to drive the narrative and tell the audience where we were whilst never being too literal,” Kinley told Spark. “The projection gave us an impressionistic layer which added colour and light into the show.”

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of the show is none of the big scenic moments like Paris, the Barricades or Javert’s suicide,” Kinley says. “But scenes where we layer the whole stage with projection, scenery, smoke and lighting to look like a painting in itself, like the Docks for Fantine’s arrest or the death of Eponine.”

According to Kinley, the recent West End version of Les Misérables uses every scenic technology, both old and new, from wood, paint and canvas to cutting-edge laser projectors and sophisticated automation. It’s a period piece and now that it has a classically orchestrated score, the aesthetics needed to feel similarly timeless.

Founding Director of 59 Productions Leo Warner was part of the creative team that helped to realize the projections for the Les Misérables redesign. According to Warner, video projection technology, stage organization, and animatronics are the specific advantages of the past 10 years, but set design has always heavily engaged technology.

‘One of [Leonardo da Vince’s] favorite art forms was not painting or engineering, it was theater design,” Warner told Spark. “So I think there’s always been a fascination with the mechanics of creating an environment that can tell a storyline on stage.”

With projection there are several factors that can affect the effect that the design will have on the audience. If the lighting on stage is too dark the scenic landscape of the projection may be easily seen, but the performer’s facial expressions hidden, and the opposite is true if the lighting is too bright.

“So you’ve got to work incredibly closely, hand in hand between those parts.” Warner says. “Sound, light, projection and set all need to work pretty seamlessly together in order for a production to be any good.”

According to Warner, the lighting used for Les Misérables matched the feel of Victor Hugo’s watercolor paintings being projected, as designed by Kinley. They created one coherent picture with a delicate balance between light and projection.

“It is a very dark set,” Warner says. “So it’s quite hard sometimes to work out how deep

ccording to Kinley, who has worked on well known shows such as Miss Saigon and Mary Poppins, his role as a set designer is to illustrate the narrative of the piece using whatever format suits the production the best.

“I have to work creatively with the director and the rest of the team to establish a language for the show,” Kinley says. “And then deliver that through the use of scenery, video, etc. for all the scenes in the production.”

In previous productions the revolve moved constantly to give the feel of motion. In the new production projection changes continuously to give that same feel. According to Kinley, there have been many advancements in projection, LED screens, moving lights, and automation, but they must be used carefully.

“Projection has an important and ever increasing role to play on the stage but needs to be handled carefully,” Kinley says. “Used at it’s laziest then it’s terrible cheap scenery and at its best is an integral and often beautiful facet of the production.”

Victor Hugo was well known as a novelist and poet, and less known as a painter who worked in watercolor and charcoal techniques. Some of Hugo’s works were taken in their entirety while others are used in montages or combined with filtered 19th century photography.

“Unfortunately for me Hugo didn’t illustrate every scene,” Kinley says. “ Instead I went through his catalogue of 4000 sketches and paintings and used what I thought was appropriate for the piece, as many were too fantastical or caricatured.”

According to Kinley, the best projection design doesn’t shout about itself and instead is another layer in the show. The projection allows the illustration The stage before of large sections of the show with Victor story to be crammed into short amounts of Hugo’s Town at Dusk time. projected as the “My favourite part background

the scenes are and get some lovely projected skylines and backstage which feel like they could be sort of really far away.”

One of the transitions that works flawlessly, is a scene where two characters are struggling to escape the barricade through the sewers. They walk through a small grate on the side of the stage, and then the entire scene transforms to show them walking through the sewer while the background changes to appear as though they are moving within the stationary set.

“I’m as proud of the scene changes as the scenes themselves,” Kinley says. “The transitions are usually so quick and fluid--people have no idea how the stage has changed in an instant.”

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ony-nominated costumes by Andreane Neofitou were also part of the 25th anniversary redesign. In order to be authentic, Dowdy’s costume has multiple layers that would have been expected during that time period as well as a Marie Antionette style wig that she wears at the end of the show. According to Dowdy she arrives about an hour early to start her hair, which she puts up in preparation for the head wig person to complete. After she has her wig on, Dowdy begins the process of donning her many layers of clothing, tights, camisole, bloomers, corset, and petticoats.

“I have to be dressed in my tights and be in a little camisole and my special underwear and all this, before I even get into the corset,” Dowdy says. “They’re good about being really authentic, which is why I have to wear the bloomers on top of the corset.”

Dowdy plays the bawdy innkeeper’s wife Madame Thénardier. The Thénardiers act as the comic relief within Les Misérables’ dark 19th century France. According to Dowdy her track in the show is totally different compared to the other roles. While other characters are having heartfelt moments Madame Thénardier seems immune to the sadness. Even Thénardier, played by Jimmy Smagula, has an epiphany during a dark moment in the sewers as he pulls gold teeth from dead bodies. Conversely, the next time you see Madame Thénardier she is dancing and gorging on cake in the act two

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The cast stands together in the scene before they leave to go to the barricades. photo by matthew murphy

I’ve worked really hard for many years and I’ve hustled, doing gigs here, gigs there. I couldn’t be more grateful to have something like this to be my job.

Especially something that’s as epic as Les Mis. - Michelle Dowdy, Madame Thénardier wedding scene.

“Fantine dies, little Cosette is singing “Castle on a Cloud”, and then here I come.

It’s a complete shift of energy,” Dowdy says. “I think the audience needs to laugh. They need a moment to be like, ‘Oh God, everything’s so terrible’, ‘Oh wait it’s not’. It is, but now you can at least relax for a second.”

While Dowdy’s character Madame Thénardier is entirely comic relief, the actress echoes Les Misérables’ call for hope for those facing adversity. She is a passionate advocate for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, a nonprofit fundraising organization that draws upon the talents, resources and generosity of the theatre community.

“I’ve been working with them ever since I moved to New York,” Dowdy says. “When I was in Hairspray, I was doing Broadway Bares, which is a big burlesque show that [Broadway Cares] does every year.”

According to Michael Di Bianco, the educational outreach coordinator of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the original goal of the organization was specifically to help HIV and AIDS organizations, but the mission has since expanded to helping over 450 social service organizations across the country. The organization now gives grants to both national and local charities such as food banks, women’s health initiatives, and disaster relief.

“So our purpose is more of a fundraiser and

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giving grants,” Di Bianco says. “So that smaller organizations and communities across the country can thrive and stay open and help their clients get the things that they need.”

According to Di Bianco, the biggest fundraiser is the six week red bucket appeals that occur twice a year. All of the Broadway shows and national tours across the country participate and compete to see who can collect the most donations.

“For six weeks all Broadway shows are doing red bucket appeals to collect donations,” Di Bianco says. “It’s a fun competition between shows of who can raise the most money and some shows really go full out with their creativity of how they want to raise their funds.”

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ccording to Dowdy, she and Smagula will be splitting the responsibility of giving the speech at the end of the show for the red bucket donations. They will ask people to give what they can and have items for sale to entice people to donate, while other cast members hold the red buckets out in the main foyer of the theater.

“We’re about to start to raise money for [the red bucket appeal], and we want to be the top tier of all the touring companies,” Dowdy says. “Every night you’re asking people for money and it can be taxing, but you want to convey the message and make sure that they understand this money is going to so many

different organizations.”

The touring shows are able to go to different places and connect with audiences all over the country. According to Di Bianco the great thing about the national tours is that they’re able to reach out to audiences that don’t have access to Broadway and are able to give back into their communities in that way.

“I think it’s a way to be in touch with the country and I feel we do that as a touring company,” Dowdy says. “The money we raise will go towards the different places that we went. Last year we raised this much money, and [it] went to this local charity, for this specific family so that they could have emergency healthcare. Things that are important.”

Les Misérables is an iconic show. It brings to light the torments of the past that occurred centuries ago in a post revolution France, through the imaginative realism style storytelling of Victor Hugo. Many actors have played the roles of the different characters over the years. Each revamp and redesign creates a new visual experience, while the actors leave a bit of themselves in the characters they portray.

“The other day, I had a whole moment where I looked around and we were in the factory singing ‘At the end of the Day’, and I looked at the girl who plays Eponine, Phoenix, who was next to me in the factory,” Dowdy says. “I go, ‘We’re in Les Mis right now! Anybody else?’ It kind of blows my mind that I’m still doing it.” •

scout team | sports

DO YOU BELIVE IN MAGIC? Looking to improve their GMC performance, the East Girls Basketball program has developed a bold strategy in order to help them better prepare for stiff competition. story mary barone | photography andrew marshall and used with permission

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en players, one court… coaches who sacrifice everything to guarantee their team’s success and athletes who work tirelessly to perfect their craft, doing everything in their power to get one step ahead of their opponents.

This is the game of basketball, and it’s safe to say that the East girls’ varsity team found their ‘one step ahead’ with their newly-formed

scout team. What started off as a group of boys playing in a recreational basketball league turned into one of the East girls’ varsity team’s biggest assets; and the kicker is that they call themselves the ‘Wet Wizards.’

These junior boys, all students at East, share a love for basketball, and their mission is to bring a high intensity to the girls’ practice to improve their performance in games. East Girls Basketball head coach Dan Wallace began organizing the scout team last spring, drawing inspiration from former East head coach Nikki Drew. Drew, who played Division I college basketball at Xavier University, has used the scout team method as both a player and a coach.

The secret behind this creative strategy is how the scout team adjusts their offense and defense on a week-to-week basis during their scrimmages in practice in order to mirror the strategy of the team’s next opponent.

“These guys have done a great job of working with our coaching staff to implement the type of looks we need from them,” Wallace says. “Their basketball knowledge [and] IQ is great and really makes it easy for them to jump into what we need to practice against.”

Five dedicated boys make up the team, however, they occasionally bring in a sub if one of the players cannot attend a practice.

Ryan Murphy, one of the five members of the scout team, is joined by his twin brother Adam Murphy, and both intend to be back next year, driven by their love for the game and the connections they have forged with the girls

Kelsey Siereveld, a 6’2 junior, has learned to use her height as an advantage.

throughout this experience.

East junior Nicolas Hetterich, another member of the Wet Wizards, has made tremendous contributions to the team through his enthusiasm and work ethic that he brings to the practices.

“We have a certain standard,” Hetterich says. “Whenever we get a sub and they don’t meet the criteria, we know they’re not coming back.”

Flynn Prather and Tyler Mcdulin rounded out the team, and both are planning to return for the Wet Wizard’s senior season.

Liv Hines, a sophomore playing on East’s varsity team this year, has noticed first-hand the positive results that have come from playing against the scout team.

“I like how their aggressiveness, intensity, and athleticism challenges us like we’ve never been challenged before,” Hines says. “By playing hard competition in practice, it makes the games seem easier.”

While the girls had a challenging 2018-2019 season, the scout team undoubtedly helped the girls improve as a team on both sides of the ball.

With their record showing that they won four out of their last five games, it is very evident that the program has seen a significant increase in success over the past year.

“The girls enjoy the competition and really have to work hard to manage the athleticism and strength of this group,” Wallace says. “We as a staff have been impressed with their ability to challenge our team, have fun playing, and still do so in a safe and mature way.” •

(Below): This intermural team made up entirely of Lakota East junior boys is a championship winning team.

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BACK WITH A BANG Varsity Captain Alex Mangold has come back stronger than ever for his senior season after missing a substantial part of his junior year due to a broken leg. story josie mckain | photography josie mckain and rebecca breland infographic nicco morello and drew bachman | additional interview brayden barger

CAREER STATISTICS:

SOPHOMORE STATS: games 25 points per game 6.2 rebounds per game 4.1 field goal percentage 50.0%

66 lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 2020

JUNIOR STATS:

games 12 points per game 7.4 rebounds per game 4.8 field goal percentage 56.5%

alex mangold feature | sports

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gainst Hamilton in January, the game was neck and neck as East had struggled to score in a defensive battle. As the clock ticked down towards zero in the fourth quarter, starting center Alex Mangold, in his #11 home white uniform, hit the gamewinning shot thanks to a Nate Johnson assist.

The buzzer beater brought the Hawks a hardfought win at 34-32, Mangold contributed an impressive 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Hawks that night.

A towering six foot, eight inch senior, Alex Mangold always puts the team before himself.

He knew he had to step up and display his leadership during the Hamilton game, as it was a tough one.

“Nothing is guaranteed on the court with the potential for injuries,” Mangold says. “I don’t take anything for granted and I strive to do my best every game.”

Mangold displays leadership on and off the court, especially after fighting through the adversity of his broken leg he faced during his junior season.

“He’s showing that he’s coming back from a tragic situation and has made the best of it,” Varsity Coach Clint Adkins says. “He shows his leadership through his daily work ethic and practicing harder than he ever has.”

Mangold also led the Thunderhawks to victory in the season opener against Taft, as he tallied a double double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Adkins has seen Mangold as a player from his freshman year call-up to varsity, to now serving as a senior team captain.

“He’s a guy that cares about winning first rather than his individual stats,” says Adkins.

“He’s a really good teammate.”

Mangold’s selflessness and leadership have helped the varsity squad immensely this season; their record currently stands at an impressive 17-2 as they sit in first place in the GMC. “When you have a senior leader who cares about team wins and the team over himself,” Adkins says. “Usually, good things happen.”

Others say Mangold also displays amazing maturity and character on and off the court.

“He is always mature, in every situation, on and off the court,” sophomore Charlie Kenrich says. “He’s a really good leader too.“ Mangold will leave a strong legacy here at East when he graduates this year. He received a full ride to a private college in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at Nova Southeastern University, where he will continue his basketball career

and major in Business.

“Everyone on the team is like a brother [to me],” Varsity Captain Mark Krajewski says. “I see these guys more than my parents most days, and it’s just a bond that’s special, that’s why I love basketball.”

Krajewski notes Mangold’s resilience and the effect this injury has had on him, how he plays every play like it’s his last.

In his junior season, as Mangold headed for the basket in the game’s second possession, he tried to shoot. As he proceeded, his leg got caught and wedged between two Oak Hill defenders and, as Mangold says, “it just gave out.” He says he heard a loud “pop” and he knew it was bad.

“I heard the pop, and all my teammates were

looking at my leg, even the cheerleaders looked at it. My leg was disgusting,” says Mangold. “I had to keep my composure as they pulled my leg out and pushed it back in place so the blood flow and muscles would not get messed up.”

One of the hardest parts of the injury was knowing that Mangold wouldn’t be able to play with the Seniors on the team again: he had played varsity since the end of his freshman year. His best friends on the team were always the upperclassmen. He remembers the emotion of watching the last game of last year sitting in a wheelchair as East beat Oak Hills by 20.

“Nothing is promised, and in the blink of an eye, things can be extremely different,” Krajewski says. “That being said, Mangold pulls the best out of everyone around him.” •

SENIOR STATS:

games 27 points per game 9.5 rebounds per game 6.0 field goal percentage 56.8%

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 67

East senior Elijah Wood wrestling in the 160 weight class against West senior Jake Gerding.

ON THE RISE

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After a solid second place finish at the Greater Miami Conference (GMC) championship meet and finishing first at the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) sectional tournament, the East Boys Wrestling team looks to continue their historical postseason run at the Division I state championship meet in Columbus. story mason wise | photography andrew marshall March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 69

sports | wrestling

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he date is Feb. 24, 2020. The Boys Wrestling team gathers inside the East wrestling room to prepare for their Monday practice. However, this is not just any routine Monday practice. It’s sectionals week, and the intensity and urgency that echoes through the room of wrestlers is what many would consider to be a winning atmosphere.

With a huge week of practice ahead, the Hawks were looking to maximize every opportunity in preparation for their upcoming sectional tournament. Sure enough, they capitalized on this opportunity in a dominating fashion.

The Hawks had just come off a second place finish at the GMC championship meet, which marks the program’s highest conference finish since the 2002-2003 season. It is also an improvement from their third place finish last season. The following Saturday, Feb. 29, the Hawks marched over to Middletown and blew their competition off the mat with a team total of 232 points, over 60 points more than second

place finisher Colerain.

As a result, East had a total of 10 wrestlers qualify for the OHSAA District tournament, the third highest among all teams in the Southwest Ohio District. Among the qualifiers were freshman Andrew Gibson (106), sophomore Andrew Wanke (113), senior Joey Nicholson (120), senior Jason Reeves (126), junior Max Boaz (132), senior Alex Epstein (138), senior Elijah Wood (160), senior Gabe Pascoal (182), sophomore Tavier Lugo-Flowers (195), and senior Aaron Sharp.

Since East’s new head coach Chad Craft took over the program at the start of the 2018 season, the program has soared to the top of the GMC ranks and has become a strong competitor among some of the best wrestling programs in Southwest Ohio. With a strong emphasis on togetherness and teamwork implemented by Craft, it is becoming very evident that the key to the program’s success has been each individual wrestler coming together and scoring points as a team.

Many of the wrestlers have also attributed this quick turnaround to the excellent coaching staff brought in by Craft. Among these athletes is freshman Andrew Gibson, who has made a name for himself in his first year with the program after making the varsity roster and finishing fourth place in the 106 lb. weight class at the OHSAA sectional tournament, qualifying him for the district tournament.

Even in just one year at the high school level, he has realized the great success that the program has achieved, and he knows that they are just getting started.

“I feel like our team chemistry and coaching were absolutely amazing this year, and that is really what has allowed us to achieve so much,” Gibson says. “Not only that, but the coaching staff has been doing a great job of developing our younger talent, and that makes the future even brighter for this program.”

Although Gibson is a huge contributor to the talent of the underclassmen, this team is also led by a large group of juniors and seniors

(Below): Junior Max Boaz (132) cradles Jake Ransbottom from West Clermont a couple weeks before sectional tournaments.

(Above): Senior Joey Nicholson (120) escapes from the grasp of Bryce Williams in the Mason Comet Invitational. who have several years of experience within the program. Junior Max Boaz, who took home the GMC title and also placed second at the OHSAA sectional tournament in the 132lb. weight class, also mentioned the excellent chemistry that the team has possessed all year.

“This particular team is special to me personally because of the close bond that I have with so many of my teammates,” Boaz says.

“For some of us, we’ve been wrestling together since kindergarten, and for us to have such great team chemistry and to be surrounded by such an excellent coaching staff, it makes winning much easier.”

Adding on to the immense talent of the upperclassmen group is senior captain Alex Epstein (138), who finished third in his weight class at the OHSAA District tournament on March 7 and will advance to the Division I

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state wrestling championships on March 14.

Epstein, who carries an impressive 39-6 record into the state championship meet, has gone through two different coaches throughout his career at East and knows exactly what it takes to be a part of a successful team.

“I think what makes this team so successful is the fact that they want to win for the team and not just themselves,” Epstein says. “A lot of wrestlers are in the sport to fight for themselves and just get by, but that is simply not the case with this team. These guys will do whatever it takes to win.”

Similar to Gibson and Boaz, Epstein also took note of the unique bond that he saw between him and his teammates throughout this season.

“There is so much that I am going to miss about this team,” Epstein says. “From the

excellent coaching staff, to my best friends that I have wrestled with for almost my entire life, the East Wrestling program has been like a second family to me and I’m glad I got to experience this amazing team chemistry.”

For this program, it’s fairly obvious that their talent is through the roof. But what truly separates them into the category of elite teams in Southwest Ohio and has given them so much team success is their chemistry with each other. When each individual wrestler is out there wrestling for their team, it is easy to understand why the program has seen such a huge turnaround in the past two or three seasons.

With the new coaching staff and such a large group of varsity wrestlers returning next year, it is safe to say that the Hawks are back on the rise, and the future looks to be even more promising. •

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NOT FOR EVERYONE DREW BACHMAN

photography jake ratliff | art cassandra mueller

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e’ve all heard the stories. Patrick Mahomes threw a 96 mph fastball in high school and was drafted in the 36th round by the Detroit Tigers.

Isaiah Simmons, a Clemson linebacker who is projected to go in the top ten this coming NFL draft, won three long jump state titles to go along with a second place finish in the 200 meter dash.

It seems obvious that specialization is the way to go if you want to be an elite athlete, right?

But what many people fail to see is that these “specialization” stories come from freakish athletes that were born with a physical build that is superior to most people.

Mahomes is 6’3 230 pounds and with the flick

of his wrist he can throw a football 60 yards down the field.

Simmons stands 6’4 and weighs 230 pounds, but runs a blazing time of 4.39 in the 40-yard dash. Which helps him fly across the field like he is as light as a feather, making plays at the line of scrimmage and in the secondary.

According to DNA research company 23andMe, “studies have found that most elite power athletes have a specific genetic variant in a gene related to muscle composition called the ACTN3 gene.”

These players are freaks of nature. The top 1% of athletes should not be used as an example of how to do things for the other 99%. Not everyone has an elite genetic makeup and can dominate multiple sports without refining their skills in one specific sport until later on.

The 16 year old that has aspirations to play Division 1 baseball as a pitcher but throws 72 mph needs different training to reach that goal than someone who is more gifted and can play multiple sports while still throwing 90 mph.

Supporters of playing multiple sports often point to the injury rates being higher in athletes that specialize in one sport.

There is data to support this premise. A study done by Reuters that examined data from five previously published studies with a total of about 5,600 athletes under 18, concluded that athletes who specialized were more likely to suffer overuse

injuries. Compared to athletes who played the widest variety of sports, youth who specialized the most were 81 percent more likely to be injured.

There should absolutely be a break from strenuous activities for athletes that do decide to specialize. In sports such as baseball, a pitcher throwing off the mound year-round does more harm than good. Training needs to be adjusted based on the workload and stress that the activity puts on the body.

Another argument made by multi-sport supporters is that the athlete is better prepared to succeed in sports because they are more well-rounded.

It is true, playing multiple sports can help improve different movements that otherwise may be ignored. However, the athlete should not have to dedicate 4 months out the year to train this movement. Instead, the movement benefits can be included in their training regimen, which won’t cut out 4 months out of the year.

For an average high school athlete trying to play a certain sport in college, time is of the essence. The months spent playing another sport instead of training for that certain sport could be the difference between them reaching their goal and not.

Overall, the problem with the multisport argument is that they use the top 1% of athletes to make a blanket statement to all athletes that everyone should play multiple sports.

This issue needs to be evaluated on a case by case basis. Not every kid needs to play multiple sports, and not every kid needs to specialize. It should be based on the athletes goal and what the best way to get them there is. •

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 71

opinion | head to head

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hink for a moment: who do you picture when you think of STEM? If you are anything like me, you quickly think of Sheldon Cooper from ‘Big Bang Theory’ and his posse of similarly nerdy male colleagues. The group of scientists spend their days in the laboratories of CalTech arguing with their coworkers and playing Dungeons and Dragons back home. And it is only when love interests Amy Farrah Fowler and Bernadette Rostenkowski are introduced that the protagonists even acknowledge that there are female scientists in their workplace.

The plotline of the ‘Big Bang Theory,’ which highlights the lack of women working in the STEM field, is not just an issue being filmed in a CBS studio. According to the National Girls Collaborative Project, even though women make up over half of the total U.S. collegeeducated population, they comprise only 28% of the science and engineering workforce.

The gap between men and women in STEM can be traced back to the lack of effort from K-12 schools to push female students into the field. This disproportion is represented when analyzing data about the number of girls enrolled in accelerated math and science courses as early as second grade.

One study published in the Journal for Research in Math Education followed students in

HEAD TO HEAD YES column mia hilkowitz art cassandra mueller

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Wake County Public School System, the largest school system in North Carolina, and the 15th largest in the nation. The investigation reviewed data from Wake County’s “single-subject acceleration” (SSA) program, which allows students to move up a grade in a certain subject if nominated by a parent or staff member.

The study found that girls were less likely to be nominated by parents and staff members to join the SSA math program than their male counterparts. Of the nominees, 63% were male, while only 39% were female. The imbalance expanded when looking at those who stayed in the SSA program in middle school, with enrollment comprised of 69% male and 31% female students.

When young girls are not given the opportunity in schools to excel in math and science courses, it hinders their confidence and ability to enroll in later accelerated classes essential for joining the STEM field.

According to a Microsoft survey conducted in Europe, girls’ interests in STEM increase around age 11, but decline around age 15 due to a combination of social factors and lack of access.

Without appropriate efforts, these “social factors” can be enforced by schools, as one 2015 study of students and teachers in Israel revealed.

In this experiment, researchers divided sixthgrade math exams into two separate groups for grading: one group with the names of students, one without names. Researchers found that teachers with the named exams graded boys higher, while teachers grading anonymously scored girls higher. This effect was not the same for other subjects like English and Hebrew.

Researchers concluded that this study displayed that teachers maintained gender biases when evaluating certain student’s grades in math.

These “low grades in mathematics and lack of encouragement from teachers” dissuaded female students from taking advanced math courses in the future.

Although social issues surrounding gender biases are enforced by a variety of actions and ideas, schools are one contributing factor that makes encouraging young girls to take the necessary steps to join the STEM field much more difficult.

Many schools around the nation run, fund, and support programs including sports, after school care, and clubs that allow students to pursue their interests on campus. Women in STEM programs should not be treated any differently.

Organizations like the Girl Scouts, Girls Who Code, and Girlstart have helped push the

Is it the responsibility of K-12 schools to encourage women to enter into STEM fields? initiative to young women around the country, but many programs like these are not offered in schools and can often be out of reach for students.

Over the last few years, Lakota has been working to embrace these activities, starting the Women in Science and Engineering Club (WISE), as well as hosting a WISE day on campus. The benefits have been undeniable. By helping young girls become more comfortable with new technologies and providing students with both role models and increasing employment opportunities in the field, it is in the school’s interest to support women in STEM initiatives on their campus.

Schools have a major influence on their students through their college, career and life choices. With the growing opportunities in the field, it is the responsibility of the schools to encourage the next generation of young girls to join STEM. •

head to head | opinion

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ou’re in eighth grade and decided to sign up for the automation and robotics class at your junior high school. You had always had a passion for science and math and wanted to take every opportunity handed to you to immerse yourself into that topic. Everything was fine until the first day of class when you walk in to find you’re the only girl.

Throughout the semester-long class, you are constantly belittled and made fun of for being the only female. But don’t let them see that it bugs you and carry on for the remainder of the year with the constant comments still thrown at you. Before that year, you had had a passion for the subject, but because you hate the environment it puts you in, you just aren’t sure anymore.

In this case, the majority of this issue comes from deep-rooted sexism. The boys believed she could not succeed, so therefore she did too.

According to a 2013 study conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, women hold only one-quarter of the jobs in STEM fields in the U.S., despite making up about 50% of the population. Relatedly, they earn a low proportion of bachelor’s degrees in computer sciences (18%), engineering (19%), and physics (19%).

Most assume this is because of the lack of access and utility female students have to get involved with different STEM careers, but a report from the Girl Scout Research Institute reveals that 74% of teenage girls report being at least “somewhat interested” in one or more

nine reported their perceived math ability and interest. It was found that girls as young as six years old have been found to rate their math ability lower than boys, even when no actual difference in ability exists.

This external sexism these girls suffer being thrown at them is not as clear cut as it seems.

It can lead to internalized sexism, where the girl in question truly believes that she cannot do it.

Schools are doing what they can to tackle this issue at the elementary level by putting more girls in advanced science and math courses, in which they are doing well. In a study conducted by the US Department of Education, it was found that the amount of credits earned in mathematics and science overall is greater for females, and has been so since 1994. This study also found that females tend to outperform males in these subjects, as the girls carry a higher grade point average in high school science and mathematics compared to their male counterparts.

The knowledge and the utility are there. Girls have both an interest in STEM fields and have the ability to succeed. Schools are giving them opportunities which they are taking advantage of. But it’s not until the deep-rooted sexism that exists in society is upended that people will see change.

In Lakota there are opportunities such as Women

With the percentage of women in STEM careers increasing year to year, Spark debates whether this is a result of more encouraging school programs.

STEM fields.

If this is the case, the question of why girls do not go into STEM careers must be raised, and research points to many factors.

A common explanation is that girls lose confidence in their math and science abilities due to early socialization that promotes sexist stereotypes about females’ lack of perceived ability in those subjects.

In the same report from the Girl Scout Research Institute, it was found that some are deterred from pursuing STEM careers because they are aware of sexism within those fields.

57% of girls surveyed are reported as feeling that if they went into a STEM career, it would be harder for them to be taken seriously than it would be for a man.

In a 2017 study conducted by two college professors of the University of WisconsinMadison, this explanation rang true. A sample of 288 participants in grades five, seven, and

in Science and Engineering (WISE) club as well as an entire day seminar dedicated to exposing girls to those opportunities. But at the end of the day, girls are still scared to take that leap because of the stereotypes forced on them by society.

A girl can take any class she wants, but it’s not until those 15 boys start taking her seriously and not singling her out that she will be comfortable with that career path. Though she wanted to, she didn’t take engineering the next year because she didn’t want another year of constant belittling. Though she was supported by the school, there was nothing more they could do. This one is on society. •

NO

column rebecca breland art cassandra mueller

March 2020 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 73

opinion | column

SAFETY, NOT ENCOURAGEMENT AVA HUELSKAMP photography regan denham | art cassandra mueller

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regnant.

The result of the ClearBlue pregnancy test belonging to the 750,000 teenage girls every year who make a trip to their local Walgreens after their period is a week late.

The same girls who thought they were being safe by telling their boyfriend to pull out, or that missing a day of their birth control pill was okay because that was the only day they’ve ever missed.

These girls haven’t been educated. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 81% of male and 87% of female teenagers have recieved sex education in the form of “how to say no.” Abstinence.

I remember the “sex education” I got in middle school. One week of being told that sex is bad, abstinence is good, followed by a mutliple slide presentation filled with graphic pictures of different STDs and a description of the symptoms.

That has been my experience and the experinece of many other teens that are not being educated about sex. The CDC says that over half of U.S teens have reported having sex by the time they

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turn 18, yet there are 16 recommended topics from the CDC as essential components of sex education, and under half of high schools and a fifth of middle schools teach all these components.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, all schools in Ohio are required to stress abstinence only before marriage. It is alarming that the Ohio Department of Education promotes healthy conversations between teens and their parents about sex, but won’t update their curriculum to what modern teenagers need.

Teenagers need to be educated on what their options are. As an innocent seventh grader who was not aware of what sex was until I listened to my friends gossip and joke, I surely wasn’t aware birth control and condoms were an option.

Because of this ridiculous requirement by the state of Ohio, schools are not able to talk to kids about how HIV and STDs are transmitted, prevention against these infections, and communication and decision making skills.

The outcome of this is not only teen pregnancy but sexual abuse, depression, and contraction of STDs. The question of why the state hasn’t updated their curriculum requirements to be more effective is a great one, and unfortunately it’s one I don’t have the answer to.

Maybe parents are worried, maybe teachers and administrators are worried.

‘If we talk about safe sex they might take that as promoting it,’ they may think.

‘Teaching them abstinence will be more effective than talking about birth control or condoms.”

As a teenager myself, I’m here to tell you: kids are going to do it anyways. Considering 55% of kids have had sex before the age of 18 years old, and considering the lack of sufficient education about how to have safe sex, it is unknown how safe they are.

The problem is not teens having sex, the problem is the shortage of education they recieve about how to

have it safely.

It is not fair to look a petrified teenage girl wearing maternity jeans to support her bulging belly in the face and place all the blame on her when there are measures the state could be taking to promote safe sex rather than no sex.

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ccording to Planned Parenthood, 93% of parents are in support of sex education being taught in middle school, and 96% support sex education in high school.

There’s a disconnect between this data and the education that children of these parents are actually receiving.

However, not all hope is lost. In Los Angeles, California steps are being taken in the right direction to provide the type of sex education that all students deserve. Planned Parenthood has started a collaboration with Los Angeles and the Los Angeles County government to give thousands of students access to health care services at school.

The collaboration is opening well being centers all over Los Angeles in different high schools, in an aim to teach and provide to kids STI testing, emergency contraception, and answer questions about other sexual health services.

What Planned Parenthood is doing is amazing, but Ohio is still falling behind.

Continuing to teach students abstinence is a failed practice, which has been made evident by the 750,000 girls carrying a child in their uterus every year. Those girls’ lives are now changed forever. The outdated standards of sex education need to be updated, if the hope is for this number to decline.

We can do more, and we should be doing more. Lack of sex education needs to stop. The longer a blind eye is turned to the solution, the worse the problem is going to get. The options are open, yet they are not being taken. Rather than 750,000 positive test results, let’s make it zero. •

column | opinion

THE TRUE DUTY EMILY HORMANN

photography regan denham | art cassandra mueller

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y family denied, and still denies, my identity.”

The bustling conversations taking place around the room fall silent, heeding way for the girl’s quiet sobs as she retells her mother’s reaction, word-for-word, to her coming out as transgender at the time and, later, a lesbian. Every pair of eyes in the room are on the maroon of her hooded jacket and her brunette curls that fall slightly over her forehead. Everyone in the room collectively holds their breath, encouraging the troubled East sophomore to continue.

On Jan. 29, East’s Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) held a meeting in order to discuss the topic of coming out (the act of disclosing one’s sexuality or gender identity to another.) After the three co-presidents of the club shared some of their personal tips, members were encouraged to share their unique and personal stories of how they came out to their loved ones. Between the unexpectedness of some stories and the heartwarming nature of others, no one was expecting the immediate change of atmosphere when the next member was given a chance to speak.

This girl shared a story with the group about how she came out as transgender to her mother and asked if she could go by “he” pronouns instead of “she.”

“She hugged me tightly and said, ‘My poor little girl has been so traumatized by the women of this society that she wants to hide as a boy.’”

After that incident, her mother agreed to let her wear more “boyish” clothes and cut her hair short, but every time she brought up her preferred pronouns, her mother would always reply, “What about ‘she?’” Her reaction was virtually the same when her daughter, who had learned she was only disliking her looks and not in fact transgender, admitted to liking girls.

And this girl isn’t the only one going through something similar to this.

According to the Williams Institute, there are approximately 3.2 million youth that identify as LGBTQIA+ nationally. At East and in surrounding communities alone, there is a significant amount of intolerance for LGBTQIA+ youth, especially from parents

and other family members, many East students have said. In fact, 38.6% of respondents in an East student survey said that their parents do not support the LGBTQIA+ community. More alarmingly, many East students identifying as LGBTQIA+ say they would face discrimination or even abuse from a family member if they came out.

With all the scary changes and new discoveries of teenage years, it is the duty of a parent to be there for their child and accept the person they become. Without this reassurance, insecurity can build up in the child’s mind and contribute to certain mental health conditions arising.

In a national study conducted in 2019 by The Trevor Project, an organization dedicated to suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQIA+ youth, it was found that 71% of LGBTQIA+ respondents felt sad or hopeless for at least two weeks over the year, 39% of which reported seriously considered suicide and 18% of which attempted suicide.

Local social worker Kimberly Hauser agrees that mental health conditions can negatively impact the welfare of a teenager.

“For teenagers, it adds another challenge,” Hauser said. “And the social piece is a big thing. ‘Do I feel included?

Do I feel excluded? How do I feel about myself based on the input I am getting from everybody else?’”

According to Hauser, anxiety and depression are the two mental health conditions most commonly seen in teenagers.

These two conditions can cause disruptions in sleep patterns, changes in eating habits, avoidance of others and activities one used to enjoy, low energy, panic attacks, and, on the more extreme side of things, serious suicidal thoughts.

Communication

between parents and their children is key.

By listening to their child and talking things through, the chances of a child developing a mental health condition can lessen and make way for a happier, more content life. By putting in just a little bit of effort, a parent can change their child’s life for the better and help them become the best version of themselves that they can possibly be.

After all, that’s the true duty of any parent: being there for and supporting their child no matter what.•

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opinion | column

TITLE: EX EXCLUSIVE PART 2 BRAYDEN BARGER

photography regan denham | art alexandra fernholz

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rom a young age, most people are taught the basics of fairness. If two siblings are fighting over a toy, typically they would be told to share in order to make it fair. Even into adulthood the fundamentals of fairness are at work.

In politics, for example, laws are put into place to ensure fairness; as demonstrated by the 14th Amendment of the Constitution protecting racial equality and the revived proposal for the Equal Rights Amendment which would protect gender equality.

However, one law in particular that was originally meant to secure equality has arguably resulted in even more inequality. That law is Title IX, which was passed as a part of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX essentially prohibits gender discrimination in educational institutions that recieve federal funding.

Of course, protecting gender equality is important. And it is the job of lawmakers to

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ensure that through laws such as Title IX. However, the way colleges and universities currently handle and enforce Title IX opens doors to a quota system. This system dictates “equality” in collegiate athletics, and has an unclear application to transgender individuals.

The original intent of Title IX was mainly aimed towards making collegiate athletics equal for women and men. In 1996, a Policy Clarification was published in order to clarify the application of Title IX to college athletic programs.

The clarification set up a three-pronged test to ensure compliance with Title IX. Universities must show that participation for male and female students are in proportionate numbers, along with showing a history of program expansion in response to the interest of the “underrepresented” sex. It must also be clear that the interests of members of the “underrepresented” sex have been fully accommodated by the school’s program.

While the test sounds fair, in practice it enforces a quota system to demonstrate “equality” within athletic programs.

Scholarships and program opportunities must be numerically proportionate, which almost always leads to the disadvantage of male programs.

Since Title IX’s inception, more than 400 men’s athletic teams have been eliminated as a result of universities needing to become NCAA compliant, according to Michael Lancaster, a researcher on college athletics and Title IX. Programs that have been eliminated the most are low-revenue Olympic sports such as wrestling, swimming and track and field.

In the scope of scholarships, football represents the biggest

issue with the quota system. An NCAA football program is required to have a minimum of 65 full athletic scholarships, and no women’s sport comes close to that number. The highest number of athletic scholarships that can be offered for a women’s team is 18 for women’s crew. This is in no way comparable to a men’s football program that has to offer more than three times that amount of athletic scholarships.

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he advancement of women’s sports is of course important and necessary for promoting equality. However, we cannot enforce a quota system that only represents equality through numbers. This system forces institutions into spending more money and limiting or in some cases outright eliminating male programs in order to be in compliance with the strict Title IX guidelines.

While the issue of fairness may be easy when it comes to trivial examples like that of the siblings fighting over a toy, when it comes to large-scale, complex matters like gender equality, finding a fair solution is not as easy.

There is no perfect way to make collegiate athletics or anything for that matter completely fair for everyone. But it is still important to try to ensure as much fairness as possible, without giving one side the short end of the stick.

Title IX is an important law for protecting equality, though it must be updated with new clarifications for universities in order to abolish the quota system that is currently in place.

Otherwise, the very thing that was enacted in order to combat inequality, will continue to promote more inequality.•

guest column | opinion

THE ULTIMATE PRICE ISABELLA MATHERLY

photography regan denham | art cassandra mueller

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GUEST COLUMN

veryone knows that we all die at some point, but unnecessary deaths can also be prevented. As human beings we should have a common goal: to prolong life. However, there are certain things one can do that obstruct this goal. Whether it be drinking, smoking, or the worst of the worst, the death penalty. While the death penalty’s only intention is to punish those who have done the unspeakable, it is all in all inhumane.

The U.S. should abolish the use of the death penalty because it is cruel, possibly unfair, and ultimately a crime.

The death penalty is cruel and degrading. Many argue it goes against our 8th Amendment: “No cruel or unusual punishment.” It is actually proven that even though using the death penalty is said to be painless, quite the opposite in fact could happen. Researchers from Florida and Virginia examined the post-mortem blood levels of anesthetic to see if the prisoners could possibly feel pain.

They discovered, “that prisoners may have been capable of feeling pain in almost 90% of cases and may have actually been conscious when they were put to death in over 40% of cases” Alison Motluk writes. Death should be peaceful.

However, if the government is going to choose to execute someone for their past actions, they should make sure their current actions are right, just, and work smoothly to provide the best outcome. Seeing as this is not the case and the government is not going to attempt to change this problem, a solution would be just to get rid of the source of the problem, the death penalty itself.

The death penalty does have a possibility of unfairness, as the justice system can’t always be 100% accurate, an innocent person can be falsely accused and serve a death sentence.

Anthony Graves is a good example of the flaws in our justice system. He was wrongfully convicted as an accomplice to murders in Texas in 1992, when he was 26. Graves served a total of 18 years in prison knowing he did

nothing wrong.

It is said by Walsh and Abare, writers of the Urban Institute, “‘The man convicted with Graves confessed in 2000 that he alone committed the crimes, but it took 10 more years before Graves was exonerated and walked out of prison as ‘a 45-year-old man, carrying a box that held everything he owned.’”

The flaws in the system can quite literally destroy someone’s life. Graves had to pay for the crimes of someone else. Living it day by day wondering what he did wrong to deserve this unfair punishment that should not be wished upon any innocent person. Luckily this was one of those cases where an innocent person wasn’t killed, but there are those out there who are due to the flaws of the justice system, allowing for the simple choice to be made: get rid of capital punishment.

To many people’s surprise, getting rid of the death penalty lowers the expenses of the prison system. Keeping a prisoner in jail for life is proved to be cheaper than the steps needed to execute them.

According to the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice, “Using conservative rough projections, the Commission estimates the annual costs of the present system ($137 million per year), the present system after implementation of the reforms … ($232.7 million per year) … and a system which imposes a maximum penalty of lifetime incarceration instead of the death penalty ($11.5 million).”

On another note, one could argue that capital punishment is fair, and that it allows for equal justice, an eye for an eye, as well as that it allows for more room in prisons for people who committed lesser offences.

As an example,

if someone kills someone the only fair punishment would be to execute them too.

People need to be taught that there are equal consequences for their actions. This will teach an example for others to think before committing a crime.

The claim that a person’s punishment should fit the crime is a fair argument, but is it reasonable to go to the extent of taking someone’s life? There are other options that are easier and more humane. Instead of killing someone for the point of just getting back at them, we should, according to Gallup writer Art Swift, “demonstrate that Americans are less concerned with using the tool as a deterrent for future crimes and more so with using it as a means of punishment.” Another option would be to kick the death penalty out and allow for reform and to let them pay for their crimes for a life in prison.

It is called a second chance, and one to preserve life, which is the ultimate goal. •

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EDITORIAL CARTOON: THOUGHTS

ALEXANDRA FERNHOLZ

AND PRAYERS

opinion | ed cartoon

EAST SPEAKS OUT

Is it the responsibility of K-12 schools to encourage women to enter into STEM fields? interviews and photography evie colpi

CAMDEN FRAZIER

FARRAH MILES

FRESHMAN

SOPHOMORE

“Yes, women should have equal rights and should be able to choose what field they go into”

No, while I do think it is a great opportunity and a great thing to offer courses and classes that would pertain to women in STEM, I don’t think it would necessarily be the school’s responsibility to promote such activities.”

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BROOKLYN SALYERS

JUNIOR “No, I don’t think it is the responsibility of the schools to push women into the STEM programs because most highschool students are aware of career choices for their future and that is their desicion.”

VELDIS KUMAHKINGA

SENIOR “No, I don’t think it would be the school’s responsibility because not everyone wants to go into a science field, and why waste the money?”

chief column | opinion

IT COUNTS ANNA MULLINS

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articipate in the census.

The census has received a reputation as a waste of time. According to the 2020 Census Barriers, Attitudes, and Motivators study report (CBAM), 41% of people believe it does not matter if they are counted. When people think of the census, they imagine it taking hours to complete. In reality, it only takes 20-30 minutes to change the financial distribution of an entire state.

While the census can inconvenience the head of household taking the survey, the consequences of not filling out the survey can be detrimental. Aside from the fact that it is required by the law to complete and the government will send census takers to your home, the real detriment to not filling out the census is to your community.

According to CBAM 2020 survey results, most people understand the census is to determine changes in the U.S. population, but there are misconceptions about what else it influences.

The census outcome affects funding for health clinics, fire departments, and schools.

Even roads and highways will be affected. The outcome of the census decides how billions of dollars of federal funding will be spent, yet many people will refuse to fill it out. According to CBAMS, 55% did not know it determined how much money communities get and only 53% understood it is not a tool to locate people living in the country without documentation.

This response to a government survey is not entirely unfounded after the census in 2017 proposed questions that asked about sexual orientation and gender identity. Then a test run put out over the summer of 2019 included a citizenship question, which then instigated a year-long battle on whether such a question should be included in the 2020 census. The issue escalated all the way to the highest courts, before being denied by the Supreme Court. While none of these questions will be included in the census, the fear and outrage already exists.

Despite this fear, Title 13 of the U.S. code protects census takers’ personal information from being shared with other government agencies, which includes law enforcement agencies. No response on the census can be used against any individual.

The culture of fear that surrounds the census has already fed into the fears of those who have been notoriously underrepresented.

Minorities have been notoriously underrepresented in census data, despite the Census Bureau’s best efforts. The Census Bureau has added new language options for a total of 13 for the 2020 census, as well as an online option to make it easier. They have also begun outreach groups so that they can try to reach groups that have previously been undercounted.

The excuse that the information in the census could be used against one person is invalid, and boycotting the survey does nothing except make sure that government dollars are not spent in our community. Controversial questions have already been removed.

The Census Bureau has added new language options for a total of 13 for the 2020 census, as well as an online option to make it easier. They have also begun outreach groups so that they can try to reach groups that have previously been undercounted.

As an American citizen, it is the duty and Constitutional right of all of us to participate in the census. On the political front, it determines how many seats each state receives in the House of Representatives, and on a more local front it determines funding for schools, health clinics, and roads. •

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section | story

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