Lakota East Spark 2017-18 Issue #4

Spark Lakota East High School lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 29, 2018 $5 Newsstand

THE BALLOT NO SUBS

Lakota and other school districts have been facing the problem of fewer subs to handle more classes.

Domestic issues, such as immigration, legalizing marijuana and healthcare will highlight the all-important midterm elections.

TRANSGENDER FOLLOW-UP In the wake of the Lakota School Board’s decision not to adopt an official gender identity policy, students and commmunity members weigh-in.

NETTING A SCHOOL SPORT The Lakota Board decides to sanction lacrosse as an official school sport.

Contents March 2018 | Issue #180

state of lakota Multiple staff members and students spoke at the first annual State of Lakota address.

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here comes the zoo

Independence Elementary students coordinated with the Cincinnati Zoo to bring animals into the classroom.

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united weed stand?

The debate of legalizing the recreational use of marijuana has generated many opinions across Ohio and in the community.

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steal or no steal Makeup dupes have become a cheaper and popular option for high-end products.

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balancing act East senior Emily Harmon not only twirls a baton but also dances competitively at the national level.

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Refugee redemption

East junior Bryce Forren shares his personal experiences following a summer spent with Syrian refugees.

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Spark 2017-2018 STAFF

Editor in Chiefs

Julianne Ford Lexy Harrison Vivian Kolks Sidney Li

Writing Managers

Julianne Ford Lexy Harrison Sidney Li

Art Department Manager Design Coordinator Business Team Manager Marketing Coordinator Public Relations Directors

Michael Croy Richard Giang

Subscription Coordinator

Vivian Kolks Rachel Vogelsang Landon Meador Lauren Maier Leah Boehner

Photography Editor

Meredith Niemann

Online Editors

Rebecca Holst Lina Kaval Katey Kruback

Broadcast Manager

Landon Meador

News Editors

Bea Amsalu Julianne Ford Stephen McKay

Culture Editors

Caroline Bumgarner Noor Ghuniem Sidney Li

Feature Editors

Megan Finke Lexy Harrison

Package Editors

Ruth Elendu Sidney Li Samadhi Marapane

Sports Editors

Julianne Ford Lauren Maier Jack Parr

Opinion Editors

Jessica Jones Vivian Kolks

Art Editors Graphics Editors Survey Coordinator

Advisor

Tyler Bonawitz McKenna Lewis Michael Croy Meredith Peters Sidney Li Dean Hume

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Spark, My home is located in West Chester Township which is unincorporated. Sometimes when outdoors or even indoors the unbearable noise from firing guns sounds like I am in a practice battle zone.

Bang, bang, bang etc. Sometimes this goes on for hours!

In West Chester a residential property owner can construct a safe firing range on their property. This raises a few questions. Is a zoning or building permit required? Who checks to see if the design and construction is safe? Are children permitted to use the range? If permitted must they be supervised by an adult?

I consider the legal use of lethal weapons by other than police officers and special agents to be a very life threatening danger. This and other problems can be resolved only if West Chester Township is incorporated. Our laws can then be more restricted when necessary than the laws established by the ORC. Unfortunately our elected officials believe incorporation will hinder future development. They believe that incorporation will lead to a law that would require an earnings tax and it has not hindered their development.

Sharonville, Blue Ash, Springdale, Mason, Forest Park and Woodlawn, to name a few, have an earnings tax. West Chester Township has a residential population of about 66,000 and Sharonville has a residential population of about 13,000. Sharonville has much commercial and industrial development. They have curbs, gutters, street lights, sidewalks, free waste collection, parks, a large recreation center with a large outdoor pool area and bathhouse, municipal, fire department and maintenance buildings and a huge convention center.

What does West Chester Township with a population of 66,000 have?

-Community Member, Dan Meehan

The Spark encourages letters to the editor. Letters can be sent to the publication at lakotaeastsaprk18@gmail.com or delivered to room 118 at the Lakota East High School Main Campus. Letters must be signed, and the staff reserves the right to edit the letters for length, grammar, invasion of privacy, obscenity or potential libel. The opinion editors will contact writers for confirmation.

ON THE COVER Spark Lakota East High School lakotaeastsparkonline.com March 29, 2018 $5 Newsstand

photography joe phelan

In this issue, Spark highlights the recent news that lacrosse has now become a school sanctioned sport recognized by the Lakota Local School District School Board. In the photo is East senior Griffin Rich at the Indian Hill game where the Hawks won 16-14.

THE BALLOT NO SUBS

Lakota and other school districts have been facing the problem of fewer subs to handle more classes.

Domestic issues, such as immigration, legalizing marijuana and healthcare will highlight the all-important midterm elections.

TRANSGENDER FOLLOW-UP In the wake of the Lakota School Board’s decision not to adopt an official gender identity policy, students and commmunity members weigh-in.

NETTING A SCHOOL SPORT The Lakota Board decides to sanction lacrosse as an official school sport.

THE HARD NEWS SIDNEY LI B

eing a student journalist in one of the best high school publications in the country, in my opinion, has allowed me to embark on new journeys in the past three years of my life, whether it may be positive or negative.

On March 14, I drove to New York City for Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s annual convention with three other editors. While we were in the “Big Apple,” there were struggles with figuring out which subway train we should take or which direction places were, but it was an experience that I wouldn’t want to change for the world.

When we were in the convention, there was a program for a conference with the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School’s publication, The Eagle Eye. The objective of this session was how The Eagle Eye staff covered their tragic event on Feb. 14 for both their hybrid newsmagazine and yearbook.

I was huddled in the lobby of Columbia University Lerner Hall with hundreds of other eager student journalists waiting for the minutes to tick by until we could see them. Soon the doors opened and despite the maxed-at-capacity space, everyone quickly became a friend with one another and helped each other find a seat.

All media provides two different types of news: hard and soft news. Hard news informs the audience of a timely event or issue that affects them; however, soft news appeals to the pathos and doesn’t directly affect the audience, according to a California State University, Northridge report.

Covering any tragic event has its struggles but finding that balance between the hard and soft news is an objective prone to every journalist. When the editors mentioned how they were dedicating a page of their newsmagazine to each of the 17 people killed, I realized that it wasn’t simply remembrance, but I realized it was to bring a face of those suffered from guns With emotions running high, privacy concerns and ethical beliefs, staff members can become split with the decisions of coverage. Yet, The Eagle Eye staff has an official policy about covering death within their community and that has guided them during times like this.

Hard news is hard news and is essential to the Democracy. After all, it is the job of the journalist and the fourth estate’s purpose within our society. I wouldn’t want to know the rumors but instead the truth and so should others.

Sure there are times when my own Spark staff but other publications have decided not to cover an event because it was too sensitive, too private or of legal concerns but we try to maintain our journalistic integrity by covering as much as we can. •

Lakota Superintendent Matthew Miller (Left) with the guest speakers at the State of the Schools event.

STATE OF LAKOTA T

he first annual State of the Schools speech

by Lakota Superintendent Matthew Miller announced many changes soon to be arriving in Lakota schools.

During the hour-long speech at West High School on Mar. 13 Miller introduced the modifications which will occur at every level of Lakota education.

“We’re making those changes that are necessary for our kids for curricular reasons,” Miller said. “But really just in the best interests of our students and for our staff.”

The most substantial change occurring in the early elementary program is the introduction of all-day kindergarten for every student, rather than the previous lottery system. In addition, second grade will now be incorporated into the early childhood buildings. These changes will require the conversion of two elementary

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buildings, Hopewell Elementary and Heritage Elementary, into early childhood buildings for the 2018-19 school year.

“We see the value in all-day kindergarten, especially for our youngest readers,” Miller said.

“It’s something we see come up through the ranks, and so we’re excited to be offering that.”

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aily specials will also be offered at the kindergarten through sixth-grade levels.

Specials are daily classes which allow students to learn about art, physical education, Steam2 (Science, technology, engineering, art, math, music, and health.

“We’re looking at providing more of a wellrounded education for your children,” Miller said. “Because we know that your children have other interests and other qualities that they’re really proud of.”

Lakota Superintendent Matthew Miller hosted the first annual State of the Schools event with a variety of guest speakers. story alex fernholz photography julianne ford infographic michael croy

Also being introduced at elementary schools are so-called Tinker Spaces and Maker Spaces, which give students the opportunity to creatively problem solve and build group skills. Students spend three weeks per semester in a Steam2 lab tackling projects and solving problems in small groups. While working in the lab, the students follow the steps of the scientific method to design, plan, create, improve and present their solutions to their peers.

“These projects help us learn how things work and how to work together,” Avery Jenkins, an Independence third grader and guest speaker at the event said. “I’m excited to see what the next projects are going to be.”

The junior schools will be receiving permanent improvement funds toward the implementation of one-to-one devices at every junior school beginning in the fall. One-to-one

devices will match each student with a laptop computer to allow students to work more productively while learning the digital skills necessary for life in the modern world.

The one-to-one devices program will also pave the way for three new elective options at the junior schools, Digital Innovation, Media Design and Communication and Digital Ideas and Discovery. The goal of the new courses is to allow students to explore different interests and find career options after school. Students have already expressed a “huge amount of interest” in these new classes, according to Miller.

“We’re trying to provide different learning opportunities for our kids,” Miller said. “Our kids see that coming in terms of, what are they going to want to work on once they get to the high school, what types of careers do they want to do once they leave Lakota, and so we’re trying to embrace that.”

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nce the one-to-one devices have been implemented at the junior schools and the program is “robust”, the goal is to continue the program into the high schools.

Other changes coming to the high schools is the addition of the twenty-first Advanced Placement (AP) class, AP Art Studio.

The district’s goal is two-pronged: offer more of a vocational education at both high schools and provide more internships for students, to ensure that students are secure after graduation, being either employed in the workforce, enlisted in the military, or enrolled in college.

“We really want [Lakota] to be a launching pad for what comes next for our kids,” Miller said. “The goal is to provide at least one internship opportunity for all of our students before they graduate.”

Miller also addressed the problems of meeting the different needs of different students. A pioneer in this area is Todd Caulfield, a sixth-grade teacher at Cherokee Elementary, who was one of the many guest

All-day Kindergarten

All-day kindergarten will be offered to all students. Heritage and Hopewell elementary schools will become early childhood schools to accommodate this.

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state of the schools | news

We’re making those changes that are necessary for our kids for curricular reasons, But really just in the best interests of our students and for our staff.

—Lakota Superintendent Matthew Miller

speakers. Caulfield, who began teaching at Lakota twelve years ago, says that when he first went into education he realized that he “just wasn’t meeting the needs of all my students.”

Using a grant from the community foundation, Caulfield was able to purchase all new seating for his students for the 201718 school year to create separate areas in the classroom, providing a deviation from the standard rows of desks and allowing students to be more comfortable and flexible in how they learn.

“I’ve got a more active, engaged, enthusiastic, and relaxed group of students” Caulfield said.

“Empowering the students, letting them come in and choose which area is best for them each day, letting them make that commitment is huge.”

These innovative classroom techniques have been applaused around the district.

“Collaborative workspaces, it’s the wave of the future,” Chris Passarge, the Lakota Chief Operations Officer said. “We [the executive team] all sit together and work together and figure things out together. If we want students to

Technology

Specials

A pilot program Early childhood introducing oneand elementary to-one devices students will will be launched participate in yearat the junior high round daily specials schools in order to such as music, art, further personalize STEAM and gym. learning. source lakotaonline.com

be able to do that we’ve got to put them in these groups together, to help them.”

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uch innovations are to be introduced at both high schools with the refurbishment of the schools’ media centers. West’s media center, in an $11,000 partnership with Ikea, has already been transformed into a “more contemporary learning environment” according to lakota online. The library at East will receive a similar transformation before the start of the 2018-19 school year. This renovation will make learning spaces in the media centers more flexible for students and teachers to adapt the space as needed.

Another topic Miller addressed was the focus on mental health among the student body in Lakota.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in our social-emotional needs at the high school level,” Julie Shaeffer, Lakota Local School Board president said. “I think having more support for staff and students will be really helpful in that area.”

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ne solution presented to meet this need is the introduction of Hope Squads at both junior schools and high schools. These peer-to-peer programs are designed to give students a chance to vocalize their worries and various concerns, to provide more constructive ways of managing stress.

“This will be a first step, in giving people someone to talk to,” Shaeffer said. “[The students will now] have an outlet for finding better coping skills and healthier ways of coping with stress”

In the coming months and years, all 16,500 students attending each of Lakota’s 23 school buildings are bound to see changes coming to their schools.

“There are a lot of schools that are okay with maintaining the status quo,” Miller said. “But we want to push a little harder so our kids have a whole host of opportunities, so they can get a leg up in the marketplace and in college.” • Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 2

East senior Kamil Sacha preparing for a lab in Advanced Placement Biology.

LAKOTA’S AP ADVANCEMENT Lakota has been placed on the College Board’s eigth annual Advanced Placement Honor Roll. story michael croy | photo illustration isis summerlin | art mckenna lewis

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he Lakota Local School District has been placed on the College Boards Eighth annual Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Roll. Districts are put on the honor roll that increase the access to AP classes, increase diversity among students taking AP tests and increase the percentage of students passing AP exams according to the College Board. The factors were all based on AP data from 201517.

East Principal Suzanna Davis is ecstatic to have played a part in Lakota’s success on the honor roll.

“I am so excited and very proud of [the] students and [the] faculty,” Davis said. “I would say [Lakota] has deliberately tried to open up access to AP and that’s a critical part of being on the honor roll.”

Davis detailed that Lakota has been able to dramatically increase the number of AP tests given and the number of students taking AP classes.

“We have significantly increased the number of tests that are given and significantly increasing the number of students that have access to AP” Davis said. “Some people might believe if you open up the access [to AP] that the test scores might dip but it’s quite the opposite.”

East Senior Adam Johantges has dedicated much of his high school career to maintaining solid grades in his AP classes. Johantges attributes the recent success of Lakota on the

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Honor Roll to the bond created between AP classmates and with AP teachers.

“You create this culture and become a group that practices with each other,” Johantges said. “I really feel since you have that AP test at the end of the year, all the students bond in that goal.”

as well.

Lakota’s recent success with the honor roll is a combined effort between both students and teachers. East AP Government and Politics teacher Tisha Grote has been teaching AP Government and Politics for 15 years. She believes that AP is so valuable due to the work habits that it teaches students. “We’re going to talk work ethic first, not even content or curriculum,” Grote said. “Students who are in AP classes have to understand that a large part of learning is going to be on their own.”

Grote also feels that students understanding the requirements of AP classes before enrolling in them has a large impact on whether students succeed or not.

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ohantges feels that the “culture” of AP classes is created because “[they] are built on everyone learning.” Because the one of the goals of AP is to teach to the test at the end of the school year, the teachers don’t have to stick entirely to the curriculum. Johantges believes that this has assisted in Lakota’s success

he appreciation for AP classes goes beyond East. West senior Taylor Klunk has also dedicated a large amount of time to her studies within AP classes. Earning college credit is the major reason why Klunk has involved herself with so many advanced courses.

“Each college class is thousands of dollars,” Klunk said. “If I am able to get some of the credits out of the way now it will save a bunch of money in the long run.”

Klunk believes that the possibility for these engaging discussions is the reason why Lakota has seen recent success by being placed on the honor roll. Klunk is extremely appreciative of the “engaging class discussions which don’t usually happen in regular classes.” •

lodi department | news

OUTREACH, REACHED Lakota announced the formation of the outreach department which fights to end discrimination and harassment. story megan finke | photography julianne ford

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he Lakota Local School District announced the Lakota Outreach, Diversity and Inclusion (LODI) department shortly after the failure to adopt a new gender identity and expression policy.

The department has many goals according to Lakota Community Outreach Director Angie Brown. Brown said that it not only prevents hatred in the community but also provides a voice to the community and Lakota students. “[Students] can come in and tell me this is what we would like to see in our community,” Brown said. “Not so much of me doing but [the department] sitting around collaborating together to make sure are successful.”

With few aspects to finalize, Brown said that once everything is set in stone, specific actions will be assigned to the department by her and Lakota teacher Aisha Moore, but for now present actions will build onto resume of the LODI. “[Moore and I are] still really in the formula stages but were still identifying everything that will happen out of that department,” Brown said. “Once we have it all rolled out it should be ready to go around May.” According to Brown the department has existed for years, but has has been invisible until now. Many events and actions like ice cream socials and the return of the bookmobile, have occurred throughout the district for years which influenced the official creation. “[Moore and I] have been doing it, we just never had a department or had a title and so this

was a chance to formulate all of the work we have done. Which has been fabulous work, but now we are able to say what that department is,” Brown said. “It’s not that the [LODI] just started, the [LODI] has been happening and now Mr. Miller said ‘hey, let’s formulize this and make it a department’.”

Events like ice-cream socials for new Lakota families and read-aloud barber shop appointments in exchange for a free haircut have taken place hand in hand with the LODI. Brown continues to provide examples relating to actions in which the LODI can take responsibility for. “[Lakota] now has the book mobile and that hasn’t been in West Chester for 30 years,” Brown said. “It is now going to come into our community and to every school in the district and anyone can check out a book without a library card.”

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easures to prevent hurtful actions have already been taking action throughout the district. For example, the LODI leaders also started “Champions for Change,” program in each school, which is a staff voice for student ideas, help and a supportive foundation to come to.

“One of the great things with the champions is that each champion is in the building,”Brown said.”[The champions will] be able to be [at the schools] and it’s not like we have to wait to come to central office.”

At East, the three champions are English

Teacher Michelle Wilkerson, Counselor Angie Fisher and English Second Language Teacher Jill Schneider, furthermore they play a role as a direct connection to the LODI inside the walls of East by being present in any situation and a “voice,” for students.

When asked specifically what champions do inside East, Wilkerson said, “[We] increase the awareness about the diversity in our building.”

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hroughout the school the champions use their role to increase awareness in many ways. Recently a video project came afloat that not only expresses the students and champions but the LODI department as a whole.

“I mean other than trying to be their voice to the staff, [champions] did a video about how the kids feel, what they want their teachers to know and how the teachers can help them,” Schneider said. “We asked different subgroups of kids.”

In addition to the various events the LODI has accomplished in and out of Lakota schools walls, the new department is expected to grow as the year and community progresses with the help from students.

“It is community based and one of the things that we want everyone in the community involved,” Brown said. “It’s not just Lakota dealing with the whole family or the whole child. It’s just not our word. We come together and I’m saying to the students let’s partner together let’s work together.” •

Lakota Local Schools Central Office after hours.

news | substitute in-depth

DISTRICTS STRUGGLE WITH A LACK OF SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS Mone are factors as districts compete for licensed substitute teachers. story lina kaval | photography julianne ford | infographic meredith peters

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hen Larry Duff retired after teaching geology and earth science at Lakota East after 35 years of teaching, he did not expect that he would ever set foot again in the school. But two years after his retirement in 2014, he decided to become a substitute teacher. Now, he is a familiar face to East students despite not having his own classroom anymore.

Duff was “subbing” for Latin teacher Amy Elifritz.

Fortunately for her students, a substitute teacher was available for them. But if they hadn’t had a substitute teacher, they may have been sent to study hall instead.

According to East study hall teacher Macie Collopy, classes have been sent down to her room at least twice a week, in the case where there was no substitute teacher.

Because study hall is meant for students who have an empty space in their schedule, students who are sent down can’t work in groups, in order to keep the noise level down.

These students can’t be taught by Collopy either; there are too many different subjects for her to teach. And while substitute teachers normally get Emergency Medical Forms for the students they teach, Collopy doesn’t get the forms, making it worrisome for her to deal with students who may have medical needs.

As someone has “the opportunity to go into a different classroom for a different teacher everyday,” Duff sees the effects of not having enough subs. He says that when students are sent to study hall because a substitute teacher is not available, students lose class time, but teachers also lose an hour of preparing and making plans for the substitute teacher.

Out of 392 students surveyed by the Spark, 80 percent of students have experienced being sent to the study hall room because there was no substitute to fill in for their absent teacher.

“In addition to paying the teacher that’s off, they have to pay the sub,” Duff said. “But they pay us next to nothing. $85 a day, divided by 8 hours, about $10 an hour. So the money’s not the motivation, unless you’re broke, I guess.”

In comparison with other Greater Miami Conference (GMC) schools, Lakota pays $85 a day for a substitute teacher, while at Princeton High School, subs are paid $100 a day. Mason High School pays $80 a day and Sycamore pays $86 a day.

But for Lakota moms like Carrie Sitarski, the benefit of having a flexible schedule beats the lower pay.

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Background School: Check Cost: Daily Rate:

Periods in a Day:

Mason High School

$50

$80

7

Princeton High School

$46

$100

7

Sycamore High School

$46

$86

7

Fairfield High School

$46

$89

7

Lakota East and West

$55

$85

6

sources Marcia Croy, Rachel Mann, Brian Wallace, Katie Myers & Lauren Boettcher

Substitue teacher Larry Duff helping East sophomore Abilene Keating in fourth period acting class.

Although she works from home, Sitarski used to substitute teach at Endeavor Elementary, where her children attended.

“I loved getting to know all the teachers and students at my kids school,” Sitarski said. “I loved the possibility of seeing my kids at lunch or in the halls. I had to be able to drop them off and pick up at Endeavor, so that became the primary school I subbed in. I felt the pay wasn’t great but given the flexibility, being in my kids school and fitting my required time frame offset that.”

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uff also enjoys the flexibility of being a substitute teacher, with the “early in, early out,” schedule that he is accustomed to. He can easily say no to being a substitute, as well as not having to grade papers or tests.

“Once a teacher goes to work, they are locked in a cell, called their classroom,” Duff says. “They don’t have time to talk to other teachers, to compare notes.”

But according to Duff, teachers used to have a planning period within the school day. This let teachers speak with other teachers and also fill in for other teachers, in case a substitute teacher could not be found. According to Princeton City Schools Human Resources Coordinator Rachel Mann, their district currently uses this method to fill absent teachers.

“We actually have a pretty good fill rate for absences and our teachers definitely step up and will skip their planning periods to help out when needed,” Mann said. “Ideally, we would have a 100 percent fill rate but it’s hard when there are so many schools locally and we pull from the same pool of substitutes. I think

the key is paying competitively and treating the subs with respect when they are in your buildings. It makes them want to come back.”

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akota School and Community Relations Manager Lauren Boettcher says that the availability of substitute teachers shrinks as the “necessity for additional income is lower during a stronger economy,” and that schools in other districts are also feeling the effect of it.

Middletown City School District Senior Director of Human Resources Deborah Houser also said that when the economy is strong, fewer people show an interest in subbing, making it harder for her district to find substitute teachers. The substitute pay at Middletown High School is $90 per day.

But Boettcher also says that Lakota has a higher fill rate because of “other factors, like the sub’s experience and the potential to land a fulltime position.”

“Just as we do with all of our staff and students, we encourage and model the importance of being respectful to anyone, including peers and figures of authority,” Boettcher said. “As long as we continue to live up to our reputation of providing a positive and fulfilling work environment with respect as a core part of our culture, I think we’ll continue to increase our fill rate and attract the best subs and full-time employees.”

East substitute teacher Lauri Vesper agrees that the culture of East makes it easier for her to sub. Vesper is a substitute around two to three times a week, at either East, Hopewell Junior, Liberty Junior or Plains Junior.

“East specifically, I have found the students

to be very respectful,” Vesper said. “They are quite engaged in their studies and they’re enthusiastic. They are the kids of the future and I’m very impressed by them. I really like the staff. It’s an all-around good experience when I sub there.”

Before Vesper moved to Ohio five years ago, she had been a substitute in Georgia, where substitute teachers are not required to earn a substitute teaching license; they only need to have a college degree. When she moved to Ohio, she had to get a license, as mandated by the Ohio Department of Education. But Vesper says that the completion of paperwork, federal and state background checks, and attending a meeting “is easy,” so getting a license is easy.

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ast substitute and alumni Lauren Billisits says that the requirements “are fitting for the job.” Billisits is a mother of two who is in West Chester with her children’s grandparents while her husband is deployed in Iraq. As an “army wife,” Billisits has lived in several other parts of the country, she has seen what the different requirements are for becoming a substitute teacher.

Where we lived most recently in Louisiana, you don’t have to have any formal college education to be in the schools, you simply need a high school diploma,” Billisits said. “I think that this speaks volumes about how Ohio values education. They want subs to have a college education before they can come into the schools and fill in for the teachers, which I think is a great thing. It is definitely much more difficult to become a sub in Ohio than it is in Louisiana.” • Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 6

Union teacher Alicia Adkins helping the kids put their finished pasta on the plate.

KIDS COOKIN’ A

Union Elementary opened its new culinary center to all grade levels for two week rotations, allowing the students to learn the background and methods of making two dishes. story caroline bumgarner photography caroline bumgarner and julianne ford

fter a laborious process, Union Elementary has opened the new Culinary Center to second through sixth graders to rotate in two week cycles through the end of the 2017-18 school year and seven week cycles in the school years to come.

Former Union principal of five years Ben Brown stumbled upon the idea when looking to enroll his son at Children’s Learning Adventure on State Route 747. The preschool educational center focuses greatly on enrichment offerings including a culinary center of sorts which “sparked some interest” with Brown.

“If this is what our youth are going to receive at an early age in our community, we don’t want there to be a drop off once they get into Lakota schools,” Brown said. “We wanted to kind of take that same spirit and idea and thinking ‘how can we continue to round out our enrichment opportunities for kids without it being limited to just traditional thoughts of art, music, gym?’”

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The curriculum is based off recipes from the California based company Radish Kids, purchased by the Parent-Student-Teacher Organization (PSTO). The vacant room across the hall from the cafeteria was readily available when the Lakota Treasurer’s Department supported the initial take off of equipment, basic utensils and the first year of food. Current Union principal Kyle Lichey said the two ideas driving the creation of the culinary center are building health awareness and assist in battling food insecurities.

“Going into the cafeteria you just kind of notice that some of the biggest items that are thrown away on a daily basis are apples, vegetables and it’s alarming,” Lichey said. “Typically our students are on the run and [they] typically go for what’s easy and convenient but we want to build those healthy habits in our students and prove to them that healthy foods can actually be easy and guess what you can make it.”

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culinary center | news

We want to build those healthy habits in our students and prove to them that healthy foods can actually be easy and guess what you can make it.

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he first two weeks the center was open students spent 45 minutes a day in the culinary center with a designated teacher -one per grade level -- learning how to make kale salad and orzo salad. However, the students are not allowed to just jump right in, they must begin by learning the geography and origin of the dish.

Next, students are taught what all the ingredients are and what purposes they serve in the dish. Lastly, the kids are shown chopping and cooking methods specific to that dish. The teacher will make the dish and demonstrate each step in front of the class before they get started. Union Elementary fifth grader Luke Huggins said he has spent the last two weeks in the culinary center and has has a lot of fun.

“Each [person] gets a role for what they are going to do to make the dish,” Huggins said.

“For the kale salad I made the dressing and for the orzo salad I cut the olives.”

West Chester native and Ohio State

—Kyle Lichey, Union Elementary Principal

University graduate student Ana Brown works to evaluate the program. Ana said the research aligned with her studies perfectly since she is a Doctoral Student in Kinesiology specializing in Adapted Physical Activity and Human Nutrition.

“I am the program evaluator so I definitely feel that I had some insight or input in terms of the structure and the curriculum of the culinary center,” Ana said. “My primary goal is to evaluate the program so to see how is it operating, is it feasible, are children learning cooking skills and outcomes, are they picking up on any nutrition information, what are the perceptions, basically what does it take to make this work well.”

This detailed information will be used to inform other schools in the district to show what a Culinary Center looks like in Lakota and what it takes to create and run one. The program has already seeped into homes as Luke’s mom, Jennifer Huggins said the ingredient kale

popped onto her grocery list the day after Luke made the recipe in class.

“I didn’t really know what to expect like how it would benefit the students but I’ve been impressed that Luke has come home and is very energized about trying these healthy recipes,” Jennifer said. “Yesterday I didn’t even know about the orzo salad so I went to the stove and I was making a stir fry and Luke just pulled up next to me and was making his orzo.”

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nion isn’t stopping here however. Lichey said they are working with the Gifted Interventions Specialist to create a composting bin and teach kids what to do with food waste and how it can be turned back into rich soil.

“Currently [the vision is] honestly building healthy habits in kids,” Lichey said. “That’s the most important thing, to help battle those food insecurities that are out there because we all have them.” •

Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 8

“

Having gender neutral bathrooms helps people not feel excluded or unwelcomed from using the restroom. -Ursuline senior Maariyah Ahmed

OPINIONS VARY ACROS The East community voices their opinions on the 3-2 vote against a proposed policy allowing transgender students to enact and support their gender identification stances. story noor ghuniem | photo illustration julianne ford

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n a Dec. board meeting the Lakota Board of Education voted 3-2 against proposed Policy 5000, banning the proposed idea of allowing students to utilize facilities and pronouns corresponding with their identified gender.

“I believe that the school administration and the school board has a duty to protect its students interests and fundamental rights.

I was severely disappointed that they failed in this duty,” East senior Bailee Boland said. “The school board’s failure to allow its transgender students the freedom to express their personal identities shows that they hold little regard for the transgender students throughout the school district, let alone the effect of being forced to deny their identity has on those students.”

Former Lakota Board of Education Member Ray Murray took on the endeavor of tackling a formal policy for transgender students, addressing gender identification with restrooms and locker rooms, as well as chosen names and pronouns. He drafted a board policy and presented it twice, but was faced with quick opposition. Lakota Board of Education member Todd Parnell joined the opposition in saying the language of the policy proposed was “too vague,” and “could raise legal alarms.”

This reasoning however does not fly by with a number of community members, including a variety of students and parents.

“Transgender students aren’t going in

9 lakotaeastsparkonline.com Mar 2018

TRANSGENDER POLICY PART 3

[bathrooms and lockerooms] to cause trouble or do anything wrong they’re just trying to use the bathroom,” East senior Liz Hodge said. “I think that in a district that claims to be progressive and says that they support their students it’s pretty ridiculous that it wasn’t passed a long time ago.”

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he backlash to the policy rejection is not however limited to the student body of East. A number of parents selected to stay quiet concerning their opinions towards the vote, some parents voiced strong opinions identifying with their disapproval towards the board rejection. Kimberley Meyers, mother of a current East student, and various East graduates, is just one of those parents.

“I think it’s unfortunate,” Meyers said. “I’m not aware of any accomodations [being made for transgender students at East]. All people should be comfortable going to the restroom wherever they fit in, and there can be creative

ways to accomodate for everyone. The kids should not feel left out or ostracized. They need to do a better job at addressing solutions.”

An opposing viewpoint, however, could possibly be attributed as an underlying reason behind the denial of the proposed Policy 5000.

Some students, parents and other community members find discomfort in the idea of shared bathrooms, identifying with the ideal that the gender accredited by birth is the one that should correspond with the restroom or locker room facility utilized by said person.

“The point of the restrooms is to make he or she feel comfortable doing their business by giving each gender privacy from the other gender. If we let transgenders use any bathroom or locker room then that defeats the entire purpose of separate bathrooms and locker rooms,” West senior Ennis Mawas said. ”That would also basically mean that anybody who calls himself ‘transgender’ can go to any bathroom they want.”

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n additional issue at discussion is the one mentioned by Mawas was the concern that students will utilize this policy in mischievous mannerisms, both males and females, to allot themselves the excuse to enter the opposing gender restroom or locker room.

Without the proper accommodations and repercussions set, this becomes an unsettling

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transgender | news

I don’t see any reasons certain accommodations should not be made to let transgender students feel more comfortable though. -Fairfield senior Adeenah Sayani

If we let transgenders use any bathroom or locker room then that defeats the entire purpose of separate bathrooms and locker rooms. -West senior Ennis Mawas

SS DISTRICT AND CITY thought in the sense that it revokes safety for either gender, and with no set guidelines of how to approach a situation of this case, a new issue arises.

“It’s worrisome for me as a parent to imagine the possibilities of allowing young teenage boys, who when given the opportunity, will do anything for a laugh,” an anonymous East parent said. “This really does form a disturbing environment for my child, who I hope I am sending to school with no worries.

With the right actions, I’m sure there is a way to make a transgender policy work, but one that allows as student to select which restroom [or locker room] they would like to use, with no insurance they’re doing it as a joke, is not one I can back up.”

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ther schools within the Cincinnati, Ohio proximity faced the same confrontation with the gender identity issues currently at rise. According to an issuance distributed by the United States Departments of Justice and Education in 2016, schools must treat students in consistence with a students identified gender. The directive does not allow schools to ask for medical diagnosis, or other identifications before treating them with their established gender. However, according to interviewed Sycamore, Mason, Walnut Hills and Fairfield students, the issues at hand have

not been addressed to a notable extent.

“I don’t know that it’s ever been publicly addressed, and I don’t know of any transgender policies set at the moment [at Fairfield],” Fairfield senior Adeenah Sayani said. “I don’t see any reasons certain accommodations should not be made to let transgender students feel more comfortable though.”

“A statement regarding this specific issue has never been publicly addressed [at Sycamore High School],” Sycamore senior Zaid Syed said. “I do think however that currently the transgender people at our schools experience a lot of inner conflict regarding what their family or friends or even strangers think about them already, and allowing them to choose which restroom to use would help boost confidence and limit discomfort. This is too serious of a matter to simply avoid and I’m very disappointed to find out that East had the opportunity to make the difference, then didn’t.”

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evertheless, many of the students from the different schools carry these same views of employing transgender policies, suggesting ways to accommodate to make things work.

“I definitely understand that there is hesitancy in new policies and change, but a solution could be that the option of three

separate, male, female and gender neutral bathroom, so that way people feel comfortable to go into whichever they identify with,” Ursuline senior Maariyah Ahmed said.” Having gender neutral bathrooms helps people not feel excluded or unwelcomed from using the restroom — something we all do, regardless of how we identify ourselves.” ith mixed community reviews, the transgender policy still remains a pressing issue at hand with a multitude of opposing viewpoints. In wake of the Dec. rejection, Lakota school officials are now creating a new department that examines policies for students, including those who identify as transgender. The department is responsible for recommending possible changes in policies, and addressing this ongoing issue. Where the new department “will be responsible for diving into the day-today implementation of policies and guidelines already in place to protect all of our students.

They will then recommend to me how to improve the experience of students and build a consistently inclusive environment districtwide,” as noted by Matt Miller, the Lakota District Superintendent, the Lakota Board of Education does not see another vote on the transgender policy in the near future.

“Transgender students are people,” Boland said. “Just like the rest of the student body.” •

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Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 10

feature | cool place

the best home in New to Liberty Center shopping mall, Celebrate Local is a shop which celebrates local buisnesses. story rachael cornwell photography vivica heidenreich infographic alexandra fernholz Right: Handcrafted items for sale in Celebrate Local.

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hen the doors of Celebrate Local open and a customer enters the inviting atmosphere, the warmth emanates from the cozy environment. Boasting a variety of products handmade by local vendors such as candles, jewelry and clothing pieces, the store and employees make their main focus celebrating local businesses.

Looking around, there are dozens of items tastefully presented on shelves, each tainted with the smell of baked goods and everlasting peace.

In the back of the store, the petite and comfortable office tells a story of how important regional chains are.

Located in the outside neighborhood corridor of Liberty Center, Celebrate Local is a store where small, family-owned businesses come together to sell and subsequently grow both their companies and their products. For Celebrate Local regional manager Pegge Bellamy it’s both a job and a place to promote her own passion.

Bellamy developed her own line of salsa, “A Bit of a Bite of Salsa,” the same time she obtained her position at Celebrate Local and the experiences and memories from both businesses have given her a newfound sense of determination.

Bellamy first created her product in her garden at her home and was inspired by the Celebrate Local lifestyle to go big and release her salsa to the public. She says that she started the garden with her family and decided to create salsa due to her growing too many vegetables.

“It has totally given me the confidence to know that my product can sell and not just to my friends and family,” says Bellamy. “I’ve learned a lot along the way and one of the reasons why I wanted to run this store in Liberty Center is because I wanted to give back. I was in the vendor’s shoe business at one point so I know all the struggles of starting a business.”

Hardships and difficult decisions have arisen as her personal business progresses, but no matter how many obstacles hinder her, Bellamy always finds time to make her product and business the best it can be.

“I actually have to travel two hours to get my product that is made in a facility because most facilities do not work with fresh vegetables, they only use frozen,” says Bellamy. “That was a challenge for me. I would rather sell less of my product and make less money than have to put in generic ingredients in my salsa.”

With her own experience in mind, Bellamy strives to help local

11 lakotaeastsparkonline.com Mar 2018

vendors and employees at Celebrate Local who want to make a name for themselves such as Celebrate Local former employee Katelyn Thompson.

Thompson has taken advice from Bellamy who has taught her many valuable business tips and tricks. She says that Bellamy has helped her grow in the business and that she would not be where she is today without Bellamy’s supportive energy.

“She has helped me a lot with my business, whether it’s packaging or the presentation of my product,” says Thompson. “She just has such a passion to help people.”

Thompson is starting to create a name for herself as she has begun to create a line of products that’s creating a side job for her and will hopefully be able to be sold them in the future.

From making homemade salsa to working at Celebrate Local, both are unique in the way they represent local products “Everything we sell is made in Ohio. We represent over 300 small family businesses, so we directly impact the lives of many families in our state, which is a really wonderful thing,” says Bellamy. “The things here are so unique, you can’t find them at the department stores because they’re made by people in our state and not mass produced, and you know the story of all the vendors.”

The family businesses around Ohio that are represented can range from any vendor that decides to sell their products in the two locations of Celebrate Local stores, which includes one in Easton Town Center and one in Liberty Center. Celebrate Local has become an outlet for many products and businesses that wish to provide to the community around them and make the world a better place, bit by bit.

Courtney Eyre is a Celebrate Local employee who is also inspired by the positive community around Bellamy and says that the store gives off a “welcome home” kind of feeling. The store offers a more personal touch to the whole [shopping] experience compared to commercial stores.

At the end of the day, Bellamy and the Celebrate Local family says that it’s all worth it. Through hard work and humility, Celebrate Local has created a strong network of amazing vendors all over Ohio.

“I think that if people go back to their roots and realize that [the store is] all about helping each other on a small scale,” says Bellamy. “I feel like you’ll have stronger and closer knit communities [with more local businesses].” •

cool place | feature P. Bunyan Beard Oil

The Slate Lady “It has been a tremendous boost for my business and gives me a place to send my customers to purchase my slates when I can’t accommodate them. I have never dealt with another company run as well as Celebrate Local, and truly appreciate and admire all the wonderful people that make it work, and give all of us artisans a place to sell our goods.”

-Dina Cain, owner and founder

“The CL family has been exactly that FAMILY. The feedback from the locals has been fantastic. The regulars who shop there are doing it for the same reasons the vendors sell there, to give back to their community.”

-Adam Minard, owner and founder

What local business owners are saying about:

When Celebrate Local was conceived at Easton Farmers Markets in 2011 as part of the Easton Community Foundation, the pop-up shop stocked items from just over 65 local vendors.

Brewhaus Dog Bones “Being a part of the CL Family, gives our product an endorsement of goodness, meaning consumers like it and will buy it. We are so proud to be in the CL stores! ... It’s a great place to have our product!”

-Lisa Graham, owner and co-founder

One T Mixcraft “Since I started working with CL, my business has absolutely grown. It really is a great business incubator and it gives me a great place to test new ideas and to interact with other small business owners.”

–Matt Vross, owner and founder

Jewelry by Cricket Jones “In unison, every worker I met has REALLY shown that they were there for Cricket’s success. A pure appreciation for what the artist does is shown by everyone and even the sales associates have worked there for multiple years because they love working at Celebrate Local.

My kind of environment!”

–Cricket Jones, owner and founder

Latshaw Apiaries Sugar Pie Tees

Now, with two flourishing storefronts, Celebrate Local carries items from over 300 artisans, stocking everything from dog treats to hand cream.

“It gives us a great opportunity to learn about growing a successful small business alongside so many other great local companies. We also recognize that Celebrate Local is so special because of the support and true ‘local love’ from the awesome Celebrate Local founders and the great team that they have created.”

-Kelly and Jason Blanton, owners and co-founders

“Celebrate Local makes it easy and convenient for our customers to have access to our products year-round. Additionally, the benefit of having so many awesome local businesses together in one place allows all the vendors to benefit.”

-Joe Latshaw, owner and co-founder

Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 12

feature | dart

finding your senses East senior Amber White does not let her deafness affect her capabilities to thrive as a high school student and lead a successful life.

story leah boehner | infographic lucy hartmann art charis williams and tyler bonawitz Each issue the Spark staff selects a random student and covers a unique aspect of his or her life.

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he jumped from school to school as a child, each giving her unique knowledge and the ability to access new experiences and opportunities. Next year, she plans to attend one of her last learning institutions: college. But she didn’t move around schools for her parents’ jobs like many students, her parents moved for her.

East senior Amber White is Deaf, but that doesn’t make her plans for the future any different from those of many high school seniors. She works, goes to school and drives. She sits at her desk and intently watches her interpreter during her classes. East Intervention Specialist Amanda DiVito has known White for more than a year and says she is driven and independent.

“She doesn’t lean on other people,” says DiVito. “If she has something she wants to do, she’ll make it happen.”

White was born completely deaf, but her mother Amy Nickell was unaware of this until she was a week old. Fortunately for White, she was born into a deaf family and therefore was immersed in the culture.

“Her father is hearing [as well as his siblings], but he has deaf parents.

My parents are Deaf but my two brothers are hearing,” says Nickell. “[White] is deaf [as well as] her sister. Pretty much only the females are deaf in our [family].”

Having deaf family put White in an environment where she could quickly learn social skills as everyone in her house can sign American Sign Language (ASL) and communicate easily. Not all deaf people are this fortunate. Jason Herbers, known as Jaz, is Deaf blind. He came to East this month to present to ASL classes. He was born Deaf into a family of all hearing people. As he aged, he began to lose his sight. Herbers felt “very isolated” until he attended Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD) in Washington DC. “It’s a hearing world,” Herbers said. “I thought it was normal because I grew up in it. Then I transferred to MSSD. That’s when I learned ASL and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s my world! I understand things better!

Finally I understand! I’ve got my own identity, I’m like all these other guys that are Deaf!’ Everything made sense and I could be myself without having to focus in on reading lips.”

Nickell enrolled White in the Language Opportunities for Tots (LOFT) program at St. Rita’s School for the Deaf as a child. LOFT is a program open to Deaf, hard of hearing and speech impaired children, as well as children without speech or hearing impairments that are under the age of five. Grandmother of a three-year-old in the program Angie Case says that LOFT has helped her granddaughter grow and excel for her age.

“At two-years-old, she was learning colors and seasons and how to count,” says Case. “The teachers truly care about every child that comes though the program. It isn’t just another boring job for them.”

LOFT’s mission is “to promote language fluency in every child through immersion in American Sign Language paired with spoken English,” according to the program’s website. This means that every child in the organization is exposed to sign language; therefore, all students can communicate with each other and learn vital social skills.

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hite also attended St. Rita’s School for the Deaf when she was in kindergarten. Her family then moved to Indianapolis for her first grade year so she and her sister could receive what Nickell called, “a quality education” at Indiana School for the Deaf. Here, she truly excelled as communication for her was easier than ever due to the fact that all of her classmates and teachers were Deaf. She actively participated in school including playing volleyball and cheerleading. “[White] is very happy at [Indiana School for the Deaf ],” says Nickell.

dart | feature “That is where I graduated along with Amber’s grandpa and her uncle. ” White loved the environment at Indiana School for the Deaf, because she was immersed in the same community Herbers found at MSSD, but due to the fact that her parents couldn’t find jobs in the area, they moved back to Cincinnati for her fifth grade year and boarded in a dorm at the school as a freshman and sophomore. Eventually, being away from her family for took a toll on her. “[White had to make a] tough decision,” says Nickell. “We missed her terribly and she missed us so she decided to move back [to Lakota] to be with family. That left [our family with] no choice.”

She came back to East to finish up her junior and senior year of high school. Though White is in a less comfortable environment, she still excels in her academia.

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hite is able to communicate with students who know sign language, including East alumna Bryn Morgan who has been friends with White since she came into the Lakota district. White doesn’t let communication barriers stop her as she does everything she puts her mind to at school, whether that be taking pictures or molding clay for her ceramics class.

“I do anything I want,” says White. “My deafness doesn’t stop me from doing the things I like or would like to do. I won’t let it do that.”

Now, White is looking into her future. She plans to attend Rochester Institute of Technology in their National Technical Institute for the Deaf where she plans on studying to be an ultrasound technician or radiologist. Not only do these choices pique her interests, they also don’t require her to immerse herself in communication with patients, which can be difficult for her.

Morgan has been a friend of White and her family since she moved into the district in fifth grade and learned how to sign at age 11. Morgan, now a freshman at the University of Kentucky, says White is extremely bright and has the capability to greatly succeed in her life.

“If there is one thing she and her family have taught me, it’s that deafness is not a disability, but a culture,” says Morgan. •

Amber’s Family Tree key:

Amber’s grandparents

Amber’s parents

Amber

= deaf = hearing

Amber’s step dad

Amber’s step siblings

trumping normalities Deaf blind man Jason Herbers teaches East students about the deaf and blind culture. story leah boehner | photography charis williams

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ormality. It’s not just about hearing and vision but living a life that he can fully embrace and function in. Being born into an all-hearing family while being deaf and blind was something that deaf-blind man Jason (Jaz) Herbers had to undergo.

Herbers and his deaf interpreter Annie Walsh showed East’s American Sign Language (ASL) students on March 18 in East ASL teacher Sharon Coltrane’s room on how Herbers lives a normal life and gives them a glimpse into his culture.

Deaf-blind man Jason (Jaz) Herbers and his deaf interpreter Annie Walsh showed students how Herbers lives a normal life and embraces his deafness and blindness. Herbers was born into an all hearing family.

According to the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders, more than 90 percent of deaf children are born to hearing parents.

To communicate, Herbers was able to sign to Ohio Supreme Court Certified Sign Language Interpreter Bob Coltrane, who then translated into spoken English. To speak to Herbers, Bob signed to Welsh, who then signed while Herbers held onto her hands. Welsh can also fingerspell on Herbers’ legs or back.

Herbers showed the students how he can tell time, determine the value of currency, and how he shaves his face. His ‘watch’ is handheld and the size of a baseball, which is equipped with three buttons that he can press then emit vibrations to tell him hours, ten minutes, and one minutes. To read currency, he slides a bill into his iBill, an electronic currency reader. Students even had the chance to try it out.

East sophomore and ASL student Andrew Marshall said it was amazing to see how they have adapted to a hearing world and how easy it is to communicate.

“They can still have a conversation really easily. [Herbers] still has humor and talked about his experiences,” says Marshall. “This was the first deaf person I’ve met, and the fact that he was also blind was really interesting.” •

One of the many animals the Cincinnati zoo brings to local schools.

Here comes the zoo

story and art megan finke | photography fair use

Fourth grade students create an event to show their love for animals and curiosity in knowing more.

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rainstormed, researched and brought to life, a class of Independence elementary fourth graders put their thought provoking minds together to produce Animal Night and bring the Cincinnati Zoo to their classroom.

Inspired by in-class discussion and projects, these students took a small project and turned it into a full-fledge after school event on Feb. 23. Independence teacher Jennifer Garwood says that her students used their interest from a class study of wildlife photography to eventually develop the idea.

“We were inspired by the photo art project by the National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore. In that project he is trying to take a picture of every creature that is alive in captivity right now,” says Garwood. “So my kids got a chance to take a picture of an animal and come up with a poem to go with it. Our initial

56% percent of the 126 East Spark Twitter followers have visited the Cincinnati Zoo in the past year.

15 lakotaeastsparkonline.com Mar 2018

idea was to have a gallery night so they could show off their work and from that it went to a bigger event.”

The students wanted to do something that would both help them learn about the animals and to eventually benefit the animals, according to Garwood.

“They really wanted to do something where they could help some animals,” says Garwood. “The students researched the [animals] and reached out to the zoo about coming [in] and they also have set up different stations where kids can do lots of different things with their families.”

While one of the central focuses of the evening was on the live animals, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens Outreach Instructor Katie Campbell says the variety and range of species they can bring to a location is more than usually expected. “[The zoo] has about 100 different animals in our interpretive collection, which is the collection that visits schools,” says Campbell.

“Depending on the topic and the age, we can bring rabbits, armadillos, African or Australian birds, snakes, etc.”

With the zoo deciding on what type of animals to bring to the event, there are many steps that need to be taken to train the animals. The zoo staff is to determine what would fit best for not only the audience, but the animal itself.

“We talk to people and see what is easiest to work for their [events].

community | feature

They really wanted to do something where they could help some animals.

— Jennifer Garwood, Independence teacher

The [animals] go through training so they become accustomed to [things such as] being held, being touched, possibly being on the ground and in a louder area,” says Campbell. “So depending on the animal, it could take a couple of months or it could take longer [to be prepared] but the [zoo] wants to make sure every animal is comfortable in any situation.”

With the event being student led, the idea was developed inside the classroom. Independence principal Greg Finke says the kids are given the time to create ideas such as this.

“What we’ve done, here at Independence, is have different kinds of ‘genius hours’ where kids study things that they are interested in,” says Finke. “It just so happened that this group was all interested in animals and doing something with animals. So they put their collective minds together and came up with this very unique event here at Independence.”

This large scale student developed event that occurred at Independence was encouraged and potentially the start of something new. Finke says “smaller ideas have happened, but not a school wide after school event.”

While learning extensively on the topics revolving around animals, the students practiced many communication skills, according to Independence elementary counselor Kelly Carstens.

“They are able to do research, reading, writing and compile all of their data and then present,” says Carstens. “It is oral communication skills, written communication, research, presentation, and building confidence within themselves as learners.”

Carstens says that when the freedom of choice is given, passion and interest will be implemented within the student.

83% percent of the 122 East

“I think that when we are given the opportunity to choose the kind of thing that we want to do, we have more of a passion and an interest versus being told you have to do this,” says Carstens.” [The event] allowed the [students] to act on their passion and the things that are important and meaningful to them.”

With passion, drive and interest all included in this fourth grade, student ran event, it displays leadership and voice to the students for them to be involved in this learning environment.

“This event is completely student voice and choice. The kids came up with the idea, organized all the aspects of it and asked about having the zoo come down,” says Finke. “The [students] really went from top to bottom and organized the entire event based on what they would like to do.” •

Spark Twitter followers believe there is a sufficient amount of diversity in the Cincinnati Zoo.

feature | hawk spotlight

Emma Finke

Hawks On:

Every issue, the Spark asks one student fom each grade questions relating to feature stories in the issue.

What do you know about animals in zoos?

The people that work there have different permits and are very well trained so the animals well taken care of and looked after.

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Do you know much about animal treatment in zoos?

For the most part. Mainly because zoos help certain species regain their numbers and potentially move them off of the endangered list.

How do you feel about how animals are kept in zoos?

I feel like it’s okay if they’re in their habitats However, if they’re kept in small metal cages for a long time then it’s not the best option.

Do you feel zoos endangered animals?

help

preserve

There is a variety of animals and for the most part most zoos focus on being family friendly opposed to making animals its first priority.

17 lakotaeastsparkonline.com Mar 2018

Spencer Li What do you know about animals in zoos?

I actually don’t know that much about zoos but I think the Cincinnati zoo treats its animals better than majority of the zoos.

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Do you know much about animal treatment in zoos?

I don’t really know that much about animal treatments because it has never crossed any of my own paths.

How do you feel about how animals are kept in zoos?

I think that as long as the make-shift habitats reflect the real-life habitats of the animals then I’m fine with it.

Do you feel zoos endangered animals?

help

preserve

I think zoos can help preserve endangered animals because they can help keep those animals in a more beneficial way than having them out in the wild.

hawk spotlight | feature

interviews megan finke and sidney li

Bradley Samberg What do you know about animals in zoos?

I don’t really know much about animals in zoos except that there is a diverse amount of them in zoos and that animals raised in zoos behave differently than wild animals.

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Do you know much about animal treatment in zoos?

I don’t have first hand knowledge but I feel like animals in large zoos are well treated and definitely not mistreated, but in small zoos there might be treatment issues because of the lack of funds or something similar.

Do you feel zoos help preserve endangered animals?

I feel zoos really help preserve endangered animals but more zoos have them to attract the public because the primary function of a zoo is business and not scientific. I feel that nature preserves or institutions do a better job of actually preserving and reviving a species from endangerment.

animal treatment

photography meredith niemann, sidney li, and charis williams

Adam Johantges Do you know much about animal treatment in zoos?

I think the zookeepers and staff are underpaid, thus less passionate about their jobs. So the treatment isn’t necessarily as sufficient as it should be.

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How do you feel about how animals are kept in zoos?

In the cases where animals are being held in captivity for research or protecting an endangered species then it’s okay. Otherwise, I don’t believe that only a person’s joy from seeing animals is a justifiable reason to keep them in captivity.

Do you feel zoos endangered animals?

help

preserve

There are certain organizations, one that I am aware of is the Endangered Animals at Disney Animal Kingdom. It is attempting to protect species that haven’t found the necessary protection in a dynamic world. It’s expensive, but I believe this is a step that all habitat centers should take.

Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 18

quick

facts

• 25.3 percent of the 250,043 registered voters casted their ballots on the November general election..

• Cristine Matacic and Tom Farrel won the Liberty Township trustee election with 28.8 percent and 31.6 percent.

• Lee Wong, Mark Welch and Ann Becker won the West Chester Township trustee election with 31.9 percent, 30.8 percent and 32.9 percent.

• Kelley Casper, Bradley Lovell and Todd Parnell won the Lakota Local School Board election with 22.7 percent, 21.2 percent and 19.6 percent. source livevoterturnout.com

BREAKING

BALLOT

With May 8 as the primary election date, voters across the nation are voting on issues that will be found on ballots­­­, such as marijuana, people, healthcare and immigration. story ruth elendu, lexy harrison and sidney li photography ruth elendu and meredith niemann infographic landon meador

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ighteen. He had counted down towards this day since he was 17-years-old. Even though he is finally an adult, he still knew he didn’t want a tattoo. He didn’t want lottery tickets. But he did know he wanted to immediately partake in the 2018 primary election on May 8 and after, the general election on Nov. 6.

East senior Connor Richman has been involved in politics long before he had the ability to truly influence it. Being a part of the Junior Statesmen of America (JSA) since sophomore year and Chapter President for the 2017-18 year has allowed him to voice his opinion on current issues. However, this 2018 election year Richman will be a part of the 83 percent of East students surveyed who will be able to vote in the 2018 election.

“For 15,16, [and] 17-years-old there’s not much you can do [with politics], but now that I’m 18-years-old, I am able to influence legislation [and] the people who pick the legislation,” Richman says. “There’s a whole different power level that I’ve been waiting for, it’s been building to this moment where I have more civic responsibilities and it just feels good.”

According to a 2017 Pew Research Center study, there were 34 million votes casted by millennials, defined as an age group of 18 to 35-years-old, in 2016 which is double the votes from 2008.

“I would imagine that the most important thing someone can do is vote,” Richman says. “Or exercise the right not to and pursue more community interests.”

Although Richman has been waiting to vote for years, not everyone who has this ability shares the same enthusiasm. Out of the 299 East students surveyed who would be able to vote by the 2018 election day, only 164 of them said that they would actually vote.

Similarly, there was a 60.2 percent turnout rate in the United States (U.S.) for the 2016 Presidential Election, according to the 2016 U.S. Election Project, and a 64.2 percent turnout in Ohio.

University of Cincinnati (UC) Political Science Professor David Niven says that there are reasons people don’t vote because of the “paperwork shuffle” or hassle that comes with registering to vote and they don’t see it applying directly to their lives.

“In 2018, when there isn’t a presidential election on the ballot, at least half of Ohioans are likely to stay home,” Niven says. “The most thing that keeps them home is that they don’t see anything particularly important to their lives at stake. They don’t see this as something that’s going to make their lives better.

Ballot Process Unlike the gubernatorial or midterm election, issues on the ballot appear every year but the process of how they end up on the ballot can take from months to even years.

Ballot issues can either come from state legislators or the residents. If it comes from a state legislator, the House and the Senate need to vote in order to put a measure on the ballot.

On the other hand, if an issue comes from a person, a petition to put that question on the ballot needs to have 300,000 valid Ohioan signatures.

“

package | ballot

For 15, 16 [and] 17-year-olds there’s not much you can do [with politics]. Now that I’m 18-years-old, I am able to influence legislation [and] the people. There’s a whole different power level that I’ve been waiting for, it’s been building to this moment where I have more civic responsibilities and it feels good. — East senior Connor Richman “It’s very hard to collect 300,000 signatures, groups that do hire professionals and those professional consulting firms send out waves of people to anywhere they think there’s a large group of people,” Niven says. “They collect signatures at a county fair, sports games [and] anywhere they can go to get a big group of people to sign up.”

After all the signatures are approved, there is a constitutional check to make sure the question is only on one subject. From there it goes to the Ballot Board which comprises of the Secretary of State Jon Husted and three other state officials Jay Hottinger, Kathleen Clyde and Michael Skindell, who determine the exact way a question will be worded on the ballot.

Redistricting

Congressional redistricting reform has the potential to change Ohio politics. However, on Feb. 5, 2018, the Ohio Senate voted and supported the “Senate Resolution 5,” which is a measure that would have a requirement of bipartisan input and approval for federal congressional maps.

Then on Feb. 8, 2018, the Ohio House approved the “Senate Resolution 5.” This proposal will be sent and filed with Husted’s office for the May 8 ballot. At this primary election, voters will make the final decision on a new process that will redistrict the community in a different manner.

“It will require the process to be conducted in an open, bipartisan manner,” Rossi says.

“Additionally, more people may be encouraged to exercise their right to vote if they feel they are being fairly represented in Congress.

Congressional redistricting reform will change the future of Ohio politics and has the potential to change our government in Washington, too.”

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he Senate Resolution 5 would allow lawmakers to draw a congressional map before passing it to the seven member redistricting commission that will potentially draw the Statehouse legislative districts. However, the map has to pass

21 lakotaeastsparkonline.com Mar 2018

with three-fifths of the votes in each House chamber, as well as, one-third of the legislators in the minority party.

“Redistricting is a really huge question with implications for the next several decades, because [of] the way district lines are drawn in Ohio, the party of power can basically draw them now without limit,” Niven says. “This ballot question wouldn’t take politics out of drawing district lines but it would require that both parties have a say in the district lines so neither party could draw lines for their own advantage.”

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ince Cincinnati is currently in the middle of two different congressional districts, having the “Senate Resolution 5” and redistricting lines will end the confusion among residents in that area, in the future, on voting for their counties and surrounding ones too.

Women in Politics According to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, 602 women are likely to run for Congress or statewide offices in 2018. Of those 602, 480 are not incumbents.

For Liberty Township trustee Christine Matacic, she found that more women are being sworn into leadership positions across various job fields. Currently, two out of the four elected officials in the Liberty Township board are women. This, however, isn’t surprising to Matacic as she says that “I’m not surprised that women are doing this and I couldn’t be more proud for our future.”

However, out of the nine candidates running for Ohio governor, current lieutenant governor Mary Taylor and Green Party candidate Constance Gadell-Newton are the only women. Yet, there are five candidates who have female running mates as lieutenant governor.

“2018 isn’t going to get women to 50/50 in Congress or 50/50 in the State House,” Niven says. “But they can get past 20 percent to create a new benchmark, a new threshold to grow

from instead of being cast in the 20 percent range.”

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urdue University Political Science Professor Valeria Sinclair-Chapman believes that women have always been in political positions of power but more recently, being noticed by the media and other political figures.

“Women are just as capable as men to run for political positions but don’t do it as much as men because of other priorities like children,” Sinclair-Chapman says. “There isn’t much of a reason as to why women are taking charge except for how they want to break down those social walls.”

Immigration On Sept. 5, 2017 President Donald Trump officially rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a policy put in place by the Obama administration in 2012.

DACA was created to protect those who immigrated to the U.S. at a young age, from deportation. By acquiring a DACA status, those recipients were not able to be deported and could obtain a work permit.

UC sophomore Law student Isabel Johnson is one of the 689,800 DACA recipients who immigrated to the U.S. with her family when she was six-years-old. The biggest reason was for an economic opportunity but also because of the political climate in Peru at the time.

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he fear of being deported did not plague Johnston before she became a DACA recipient because despite immigrating to the U.S. at a young age, she did not discover the truth of her undocumented status until she was 15-years-old when it started to affect her ability to obtain a driver’s license and to work.

When Johnston heard about DACA, she knew that it could be a door that would lead to more opportunities for herself. Although her dad was skeptical about the process, Johnston became a “Dreamer” or a DACA recipient, the January of her senior year of high school.

ballot | package

Step By Step: How To Vote YES

Are you registered to vote?

NO

I DON’T KNOW

www.CanIVote.org -Voter Registration -Absentee and Early Voting -Poll Locations

Find your

Depending on your state, there are three ways you can register to vote.

Online, In Person and By Mail

Polling Place Ballot Locations

Hours

Depending on where you vote, it will change the form of the ballot. Election Ballots are now done either on paper or electronically.

Are you going to vote on 2018 Election Day?

No Yes Do you follow candidates or issues that will be brought up during the election

Yes

No

42% of students surveyed

vote

will be voting on Election Day this year.

Register Online

Register Online

Register

by Mail

When registering, make sure to have: • • • • • •

Drivers License Name Phone Number Date of Birth Address Social Security Number

14% of students surveyed

are connected with candidates and issues.

source usa.gov Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 22

Above: East senior Connor Richman stands behind the podium at the Junior Statesmen of America (JSA) meeting talking about the weekly topic: abortions.

“I knew that I would have access to more than I did before. When I was in school I worked two to three jobs at a time and if it weren’t for DACA I wouldn’t have been able To that,” Johnston says. “I wouldn’t be able to support my education like I did. With DACA, I felt a lot safer. It gave me a lot of hope for the future.”

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irector of International Services at UC Ronald Cushing believes that Dreamers should stay in the country.

Similarly, he is a part of the 70 percent of Americans who believe in allowing the Dreamers to stay in the U.S., according to a CBS news poll.

“The DACA program has allowed these individuals for the first time to get a workers permit and work and get a social security number and get a driver’s license,” Cushing says. “This program allowed them to do those things and to get things that they’ve never been able to have before and sort of come out of the shadows.”

Ever since the announcement of an official end to DACA, this hope has become uncertain as to what will become of the program.

Legislators from both the House and the Senate have met with Trump to discuss the future of DACA and its recipients but have not yet reached a consensus, according to a report from Cable News Network on Jan. 30.

C situation.

ushing, who has worked with DACA recipients, such as Johnston, is doubtful for the fate of the Dreamers but unable to see the reality of the

23 lakotaeastsparkonline.com Mar 2018

“What happens [to DACA] depends on what the [Trump] administration and Homeland Security choose to do. DACA [can] no longer exist and those individuals have no legal basis to remain in the U.S.,” Cushing says.

“Homeland Security could come and arrest them. Will they? Nobody knows. How many, if so? Nobody knows. But ultimately, that’s what could happen.”

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nlike the years after Johnston immigrated to the U.S., she has been recently experiencing what it feels like to live in fear of not knowing if she and her family will stay in the country another day.

“I’m feeling this fear of deportation because I see the possibility of it being very real when everyday I see the stories about DACA recipients being stripped of their status for no reason,” Johnston says. “[Everyday that] I step out of the house is another day that I live in this toxic environment discrimination against people of color.”

Despite the challenges Johnston has faced that come from living in the U.S., she believes that if she was seen as an American to everyone, no one would be trying to make her and her fellow Dreamers leave their “home.”

“We are American, the only difference between us and a U.S. citizen is a piece of paper. I have grown up in this country. I was here for 9/11. I experienced that,” Johnston says. “I am 100 percent a part of this culture and this society. I am as American as it gets and that’s how it is for all DACA recipients. We are all part of this huge fabric that makes up the U.S.

Marijuana Assistant Professor in the Addiction Sciences Division of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the UC LaTrice Montgomery says marijuana addiction is not as bad as addictions to heroin or cocaine; however, it is still addiction and may lead to trying other drugs and becoming addicted to them.

“People may smoke marijuana and smoke something else because they want to try it,” Montgomery says. “Then it’s not as big of a deal to try something else and inject something in your body. Also if you’re a heavy marijuana user, you’re more likely to be surrounded by people who are heavy marijuana users and are using other substances as well.”

In states such as Colorado, California and Washington where recreational marijuana is legal, according to a USA Today report, the substance is only legal for those ages 21 or older; however, the black market has enabled minors to access the matter.

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epartment Head and David Sinton Professor of Economics at UC Debashis Pal spoke on the topic of the legal age for alcohol consumption and purchase and related it to states with legal marijuana and how those who are of age will purchase products for those who are underage.

“There is a lot of controversy on if the age [of legal alcohol consumption and purchase] should be 21 or 18. Often times in colleges, this policy is ineffective, [so] seniors are buying it for the junior students. It happens all the time,” Pal says. “You do need some laws on

ballot | package regulation and punishment but you also need huge amounts of education on the harms [of both alcohol and marijuana] and what you should be careful of.”

President of Compassionate Cleveland Solomon Zaraa, who has prescribed medical marijuana to his patients, has witnessed a wide gamut of people’s perception around the drug change of marijuana.

“It’s not uncommon to hear these stories [of] people who were against it,” Zaraa says.

“Then [if it] was their mother, father or grandmother and becomes personal, suddenly people have a better understanding of what’s going on.”

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ven though medical marijuana is known for helping alleviate pain, it can also be a source of economic gain for a U.S. state.

In 2017, the medical and retail marijuana total tax, license and fee revenue was $247 million in Colorado, according to the Colorado Department of Revenue. Plus, there was approximately $103,000,00 in Nevada, according to The Statistic Portal. The potential Ohio tax revenue is between $100 million to $499 million, according to a 2014 Tax Foundation study.

Zaraa believes that Ohio is taking the step in the right direction when dealing with marijuana and that it will be an example to the rest of the states and even around the globe. He says that “there’s always going to be some amount of people who misuse things. I just hope that

Ohio will stand as a leader of how to do the best practices with something like this.”

Healthcare Although immigration and marijuana may be issues dominating the media, according to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, among registered voters, 29 percent believe that healthcare is the most important issue for congressional candidates to talk about during their campaign.

“Healthcare is not in the forefront of the election right now but will ultimately be on the ballot in terms of who’s left our next governor,” Niven says. “Ultimately those candidates are going to battle about that it’s not been talked about right now but but it will be at the forefront before this year’s out.”

Healthcare plays a crucial role in the lives of numerous Americans, such as Liberty Township resident Jennifer Breland, whose son Gregory Breland has been diagnosed with Non-Spastic Cerebral Palsy since birth. Additionally, herself and Jennifer’s two other children Jonathon and Sara Breland all have the pre-existing condition of diabetes and asthma.

J

ennifer and her family benefitted from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or “Obamacare” which was put in place Mar. 23, 2010. Because of the ACA, Jennifer was able to obtain health insurance without the penalties that could come from

76% percent of 392

East students surveyed will be 18-years-old by the 2018 Election Day. having a pre-existing condition. Although the individual mandate that was implemented has not helped Jennifer when it comes to the cost of healthcare.

The individual mandate, which requires most individuals to have healthcare coverage or pay a penalty was repealed on Dec. 20, 2017 when the Grand Old Party signed a new tax bill into law. However, this amendment to the ACA will be effective in 2019, according to an USA Today article.

“Parts of the ACA are wonderful [but] I do not believe anyone should be mandated to carry insurance. [Plus,] some families can barely afford food and housing with mandated insurance,” Jennifer says. “[But] if only those with preexisting conditions or life long conditions sign up it is more expensive cost wise.”

The issues that will be discussed in the upcoming months ahead of the elections will affect the lives of millions all over the country.

They will affect people’s health, safety, and ability to live in the U.S.

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espite the controversy around the various issues that will determine those who represent the American people in the years to come, Richman reflects on how far the U.S. has come in terms of who is able to vote and believes that there is still more progress to be made.

“As time goes on, we are approaching 300 years as a country and as a democracy, we should have more openness. More people have gained the ability to vote and that shows how much more democratic we are,” Richman says. “Hopefully not only will more people be voting, but more people will feel empowered to run. I see it as a trend that’s happened [and] that is going to continue.” • Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 24

EQUALITY IN RE Women in the community are running for leadership positions in fields, such as politics, trustees, and education that potentially impacts the 2018 election. story sidney li | photography meredith niemann and used with permission | infographic sidney li and landon meador | art leo rolfert

QUICK FACTS • Women hold 105 of the 535 seats in the 114th U.S. Congress • Women hold 447 of the 1,972 state senate seats • Women hold 1,428 of the 5,411 state house seats • Among the top 100 largest cities in the U.S., 19 have women mayors • Women hold three out of the nine seats in the U.S. Supreme Court • There are seven women in the cabinet and cabinet-level positions source cawp.rutgers.edu

PRESENTATION W

alking door to door in the local neighborhood isn’t the ideal way for her to spend her Saturday mornings. Despite wearing her heaviest winter jacket and a wool scarf around her neck, the chilly breeze runs through and sends a cold sensation across her body. Yet, she persevered as she knows it will have beneficial results in the end for the upcoming Election Day on Nov. 6.

As she approaches each door of a persuadable Republican, Democratic Candidate for the House of Representative for the 52nd District Kathy Wyenandt personally greets them as a community mother and running candidate representing the Butler County area.

However, this isn’t uncommon for the upcoming primary and election date as there are 118 women running for open seats in the House of Representatives, 46 women for governor, 30 women for lieutenant governor across the United States (U.S.) and seven women for the Senate;

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“the most ever in history,” according to Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics 2018 report.

“I am a mom of four kids and have been very active with the Lakota school district and community at large. We are a small business family so I have seen a lot while living here,” Wyenandt says. “People are extreme with their politics and I think it’s time that we put people over politics and come up with solutions that work for everybody.”

Miami University Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Professor Ann Fuehrer says that there has yet to be equal representation amongst gender in politics “because of traditional gender role expectations of what roles men and women should perform and [how] early government documents favored patriarchy.”

In a recent Spark survey, 62 percent of the 392 East students said that they think women should have political positions of power. However, 14 percent said that they did not think they should not have it.

When women perform well in leadership positions, misogynistic attitudes change and women are even seen as more balanced and competent than many men. Once girls see enough role models, they grow up with the possibility and expectation that they too can be political leaders.

— Ann Fuehrer, Miami University Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Professor

When Wyenandt announced her running for state representative, she has yet to experience any “overtly outlandish comments or prejudices with my decisions.”

There has been positive feedback for Wyenandt’s campaign and she hopes that it continues onto Election Day. “Just because I haven’t received any messages from people that have struck a chord with me, doesn’t mean that I occasionally have people ask me, ‘how are you going to balance home and this?’” Wyenandt tells Spark. “Yet people don’t typically ask men those questions due to the societal views on them.”

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s with any new experience, there are unknown obstacles that Wyenandt has learned to compromise with. From balancing her stay-athome role and being an active member in the community, Wyenandt is thankful that her and her husband have an equal role with running their family.

Before running for state representative, Wyenandt served on the Lakota levy committee and aided with issues surrounding the community. Whilst doing that, she was the Butler County Democratic Party Central Committee Chair and a former Butler County Board of Elections member.

“When women perform well in leadership positions, misogynistic attitudes change and women are even seen as more balanced and competent than many men,” Fuehrer

says. “Once girls see enough role models, they grow up with the possibility and expectation that they too can be political leaders.”

After noticing some issues with funding and dependency on property taxes for public schools; as well as, the funding of charter schools, these ultimately led to Wyenandt recruiting Mark Niehaus as her campaign manager as she wanted to diversify the solutions within Butler County.

According to the Ohio House of Representatives website, there are currently four state representatives representing Butler County. Even though 52nd district Republican State Representative George Lang was unanimously sworn in on Sept. 2017 after former Representative Margaret Conditt’s resignation, he is planning to run again in 2018.

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espite how Wyenandt is a woman running for the 52nd district state representative seat, she is also a Butler County Democrat running for that position.

Ever since the current 99 Ohio House districts were formed after the 1964 Reynolds v. Sims Supreme Court case, there hasn’t been a Butler County Democrat that has won a State House seat.

“Most of the races that I have worked for were a challenge to start out with a clear path to victory,” Niehaus says. “I think having to work in a ‘red’ district is a real opportunity and developing power within the State

Editor’s Note: Out of the 50 states in the United States, six of them have female governors, which is represented by the pink stars.

House for a district that hasn’t been represented by a Democrat for over 50 years is something that I’m glad [Kathy] brought me on for.”

Wyenandt was aware of the arduous obstacles that came with winning a predominantly Republican district but knew that if she stuck to her roots and stayed true to herself, she would have a clear shot for victory.

“Kathy is unique as she has constructed this diverse team of 15 people, ranging from 16 to 63-yearsold with different walks of life,” Niehaus tells Spark. “So my job as campaign manager is to manage all aspects of our team, whether it be finances, communications, volunteering and others. I’m pulled in different directions but I’m glad I’m doing this—not only for Kathy’s but any campaign.”

Niehaus also has help with intern campaign manager Landon Meador, who wants to be involved with politics in the future too. Despite how it is his

first campaign at a local level, Meador knew he wanted to be involved with Wyenandt’s due to her positive, unique energy and position.

“Kathy has done a great job bringing in such a diverse group of people in age and background that all have a similar common ground of fair politics and want to boost the millennials to get that 18 to 25 vote,” Meador says. “I am glad that I met a strong woman like Kathy that I know for certain will make a difference in our community, no matter what she will be doing as a leader.”

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he number of women serving in state legislatures has more than quintupled since 1971, according to a 2018 Rutgers University Center for American Women and Politics report. In that same report, now 24.8 percent of U.S. state legislators are women. Yet, there are only three female U.S. representatives from Ohio that are serving alongside to 13 of their male counterparts.

Amy Murray is currently serving her second term and was joining Ohio Republican House of Representative Jim Renacci as his running mate and lieutenant governor for Ohio on the 2018 ballot.

As Murray graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in economics, she soon became the global business development manager for Procter and Gamble for 15 years. However, she left Procter and Gamble in order to pursue politics after being frustrated with the continual budget deficits in the Cincinnati area.

“Women need to have their voice heard as we approach topics differently,” Murray tells Spark. “Even though women are gaining more political positions, we are still sorely behind men. For example, here we are in the urban city [of Cincinnati] and only two out of the nine council members are women.”

There are various factors that have played a role into the lack of female presence in politics. According to Miami University Political Science Professor Monica Schneider, the “stereotypes of women are very persistent.

People see women as kind and caring but want a political leader to be strong and dominant.

The difference between how we think about women and leaders means that people don’t want a woman to run. People still prefer a man to handle defense and military issues.”

In a recent Spark survey, 64 percent of

Even though women are gaining more political positions, we are still sorely behind men. For example, here we are in the urban city [of Cincinnati] and only two out of the nine council members are women. — Cincinnati Council Member Amy Murray

ballot | package the 392 East students said that they like the increased presence of women in politics. On the other hand, 23 percent said they somewhat liked the increased presence and 13 percent didn’t like it. “[The] government needs to represent all people, not just a select few [but] party leaders and lawmakers, who are mostly men, tend to ask people to run who are similar to them, meaning that they ask other men,” Schneider tells Spark. “Women seem particularly negatively affected by this as they really seem to need to be asked to run rather than taking the initiative themselves.”

By working across political party lines, women have demonstrated political leadership, despite the struggle they have faced against opposing beliefs and by “championing issues of gender equality, such as the elimination of gender-based violence, parental leave and childcare, pensions, gender-equality laws and electoral reform,” according to a 2008 report by the United Nations (UN) Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.

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niversity of Cincinnati Political Science Professor Ann Runyan founded and directed the women’s studies programs at the State University of New York College at Potsdam in 1992 and Wright State University in 1996.

“Women’s different life experiences, resulting in part from living in a maledominated world, bring different perspectives on what should be addressed and prioritized,” Runyan tells Spark. “Thus women entering male-dominated fields may be more attentive to the gender inequalities, resulting in further bad outcomes.”

Alongside to Murray and Renacci, Ohio Board of Education member Stephanie Dodd and Ohio senator Joe Schiavoni are also running as Ohio governor and lieutenant governor for the 2018 election.

Dodd is currently in her second and final term as Ohio Board of Education member.

While she is balancing her state position, Dodd

owns a consulting company SLD Consulting, LLC, that specializes in fundraising, development and event planning for nonprofit organizations.

“I have had colleagues that have tried to diminish my expertise,” Dodd tells Spark. “It’s always challenging to [work] with someone who has a preconceived notion about me, whether it’s because I am a woman or the youngest state board member.”

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hen Dodd was first elected to the Ohio Board of Education in 2012, she was pregnant with her third child Auggie Dodd.

From there, while Stephanie was on board, she brought him along to numerous board meetings and her colleagues would help her as they knew Stephanie was a working mom.

“When I first began to run five and a half years ago, I kept thinking about how I was going to do that, run my small business and be a mom to two small children with my third on [the] way,” Stephanie says. “I think women are starting to realize that we can be the voice and leaders of our families and even gravitate [towards] politics as we have every right to equally express ourselves too.”

Associate Professor of Sociology at Palomar College Devon Smith thinks there has yet to be an equal representation in politics—on a local state, national and international level as people do not donate to “female politicians as much as male politicians and voters do not vote for females as much. This is due to the sexism.”

“I think women’s equality in politics is an

64% percent of 392 East

students like the increased presence of women in politics. issue that lots of countries are beginning to take seriously. Some countries have instituted quotas—meaning that a certain number political positions must go to women,” Smith tells Spark. “Research shows that female politicians are more likely to support legislation that positively impacts marginalized communities, like the poor.”

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hrough the efforts of the quotas from the UN Decade for Women Conferences in 1975, 1980 and 1985 and the Beijing World Conference for Women in 1985, it allowed the increased numbers of women to be involved with decision-making at international and national levels as a way to better address world problems.

When Schiavoni was looking for a running mate, he knew he wanted someone who valued education starting from pre-kindergarten up to the higher end. This led to Schiavoni choosing Stephanie because she has been embedded into education for a long period of time and cherished the future generations.

Above (L to R): Wyenandt’s Campaign Member Missy Frazier, Wyenandt and former longtime Lakota Board of Education member Joan Powell are at the announcement rally at Grainworks Brewing Company.

Left: Democratic Candidate for the House of Representative for the 52nd District Kathy Wyenandt talks to Butler County residents during one of her door campaigns.

Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 28

package | ballot Six states have a female governor: Iowa, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, New Mexico and Alabama.

Key states that have a male governor

sources cawp.rutgers.edu, newport buzz, governor. iowa.gov, new mexico office of african american affairs, indalaw.com, equityfoundation.org, waterunityok.com “It’s empowering for younger women to see this pathway that female politicians, chief operating officers and more are paving for society,” Schiavoni tells Spark. “That in itself is a very strong message for not only future generations in Ohio but the U.S. too.”

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oth Schiavoni and Stephanie comprise the youngest team on the Ohio ballot for governor. This has brought some skepticism; however, they are embracing the limelight as they view it to be a unique factor with their campaign by bringing in a fresh face.

“Having more diverse voices represented in all levels of politics will benefit everyone,” Smith says. “Having the bulk of our politicians come from a small pool of the U.S. citizenry as straight, white, Christian men means that important perspectives are missing from politics and that likely many group’s needs are

62% percent of 392 East students believe women

should have political positions of power.

29 lakotaeastsparkonline.com Mar 2018

not being met.”

According to a 2018 Jan. Inter-Parliamentary Union report, 19.4 percent of the 432 members in the House of Representatives and 21 percent of the 100 members of the Senate are comprised of women.

This has U.S. placed at the 100th place by descending order of the total percentage of women in either the lower, upper or single House. However, Rwanda is first with 61.3 percent of women in their lower house and 38.5 percent in their Senate.

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ewly elected female Lakota Board of Education member Kelley Casper has been involved with the community through her children Claire and Daniel Casper in the Lakota district. Now that both of Kelley’s children moved out of the house, she decided to run for the board with the increased free time.

After being elected in the Nov. 2017 ballot, Kelley has yet to find any differences from what she expected to being a board member.

Now, Kelley tries to attend as many district and school events as much as possible in order to grasp a more tactile approach to learning what the students do on a day-to-day basis.

“There are more women in the world than men and I think now more than ever, women want their voices to be heard,” Kelley tells Spark. “Generally, the women on the board are just as respected as the men on the board too.

I don’t think there isn’t any disparity between

genders but I can’t say that is the same for all around in all universal job fields.”

As for Kelley, she believes that society will see more women; however, it will take time for men to realize that women are as qualified as they are too. Yet, “there has yet to be an equal representation within politics or leadership because it’s hard to convince a woman and be self-confident in their decision,” Kelley says.

“Women have largely been taught that politics is a man’s world. In general, women feel less confident in their ability to win,” Smith says. “Also, being a politician takes time away from one’s family [which] women are more reluctant to do this than men.”

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ven for Wyenandt, she believes that there will always be opposing forces that have different gender beliefs that will never coincide with her own. Therefore, she has found that she should embrace it and continue to spark conversations and make change for the better in the community, whether it is at the state or local level. “[Young people should] read, get involved with the community and different organizations. I would especially challenge the younger generations, whether you are a man or a woman to be involved with a cause that is out of their norm,” Wyenandt says. “I would advise to [any] young girls that ]they should and would be able to continuously break down these barriers and not be stuck in this echochamber.” •

The dreams of citizens Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipient and Xavier Univetisty junior Heyra Avila supports reforming immigration policy to be more inclusive of non-citizens seeking opportunities in the United States. story samadhi marapane | photo illustration meredith niemann

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er birthplace has always been Veracruz, Mexico. Yet, when Xavier University junior Heyra Avila was four-years-old, she moved to the United States (U.S.) with her parents, as they looked for jobs and sought to flee the poverty in Mexico. “[My parents] saw that there were more opportunities here and a better life than we could ever imagine in Mexico,” Avila says.

“We were really poor, we didn’t have food, running water [or] a stable roof over our heads.

Sometimes, [our roof] would fly off with the wind.”

In her junior year of high school, Avila decided to apply for consideration for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), in an attempt to remain in the U.S. to continue her education and work. Now, halfway finished with her time at Xavier University, DACA has allowed Avila to work as an interpreter at a law firm.

According to the American Immigration Council, DACA is a work authorization for certain young undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. With this, DACA has enabled almost 800,000 young adults to work lawfully, attend school and plan their lives without the constant threat of deportation.

DACA was an executive action issued by former President Barack Obama in 2012, initially meant as a temporary solution. This temporary residential status must be renewed every two years with a $465 fee and specific

eligibility requirements. In a recent Spark survey, 39 out of 392 East students believed that they are very knowledgeable of DACA, 87 believe only somewhat and 266 believe that they are not knowledgeable of DACA. “When I applied for DACA, the first thing I thought of was ‘what am I going to do when it ends?’ I knew from the beginning that it wasn’t going to last forever,” Avila says. “It was only meant to be a temporary solution and a push for Congress to pass legislation that would allow us to stay in the country we’ve known all our lives.”

However, currently under the Trump administration, Avila says DACA is “winding down” and opportunities are in the process of phasing away for not just her but other people too. About 690,000 unauthorized immigrants were enrolled in DACA as of Sept. 4, 2017, according to a 2017 Pew Research Center study.

D

ue to federal court orders, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is not accepting requests from individuals who have never been granted deferred action under DACA prior to Sept. 2017. Because of this, Avila says there is an ongoing fight from activist and the community to get DACA recipients a more tangible solution that’s more inclusive.

“Many immigration laws in the U.S. are outdated and unjust. Simple as that,” Avila says. “However, starting to unravel exactly how and why opens up a can of worms and a very

complex issue that spans back decades and decades.”

According to the Undocumented Students program at University of California, Berkeley, DACA protects youths from deportation and provides them with a work permit and attend schooling. However, Avila says though DACA intends to protect these youths, it hasn’t been that way for everyone.

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ll undocumented students are not eligible to receive federal financial aid for college, according to a 2014 report by the U.S. Department of Education. This requires DACA recipients, or “Dreamers”, to seek out private scholarships or pay out of pocket. If a recipient were to no longer receive protection under DACA, that recipient would lose their job as well.

Avila also says with the work permit she has, she used to be able to apply to leave the country for either . . . continue on lakotaeastsparkonline.com.

Want to read more of this story? Go to lakotaeastsparkonline.com

to read more.

Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 30

package | ballot

THE

NEGOTIATION After the passage of a new tax bill in December 2017, Americans wonder what’s next for healthcare in the 2018 election. story abby bammerlin | photography vivica heidenreich | infographic samadhi marapane art bryce forren

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n Mar. 23, 2010, former president Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) or more commonly, “Obamacare” in order to expand and regulate healthcare in America. Today, the ACA continues to impact many Americans in their everyday lives.

However, The Henri J. Kaiser Family Foundation, reported that as of January 2018, 50 percent of American people have a favorable view of The ACA, while 42 percent hold an unfavorable view.

In July 2017, the Republican Congress and the Trump Administration began working on completely repealing and replacing the ACA. Then, the Senate would later reject the Republican ‘repeal only’ bill.

John Forren has lived in the West Chester area with his family for about 16 years. He is also a political science professor at Miami University and has a love for teaching classes, such as law, government, and civil engagement.

31 lakotaeastsparkonline.com Mar 2018

Forren says that before the ACA became law, many people who didn’t have insurance would get their primary care from expensive emergency rooms.

“For a very long time before Obamacare was passed, we were the only major industrialized country in the world that didn’t have a universal or near universal system of health coverage,” Forren says. “We had a lot of people in the country who were uninsured or unable to access healthcare.”

A recent Spark survey was conducted and 8 percent of East students say that they agree with the recent changes within the past year that have been made to the healthcare legislation.

While 60 percent said they didn’t agree and 32 don’t know if they agree with the changes.

According to a report made by the United States (U.S.) Census Bureau in 2016, about 91.2 percent of people had health insurance as of 2016. Forren says that insurance works through “money pools.” These money pools help pay for everyone in that particular insurance

market.

“When we’re buying health insurance, we’re saying [to] insurance companies, I’ll give you this amount of money every month. In exchange for that, you promise that if I get sick and go to the doctor, you’re going to pay for it,” Forren says. “So everyone puts their money in, including the people that never go to the doctor. The whole idea is that money will be enough to pay for the sick people.”

O

hio Democratic U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown has been serving since he was elected in 2006. Brown says that “thanks to the Affordable Care Act, more than 900,000 Ohioans have obtained insurance coverage through the health law since 2013—many for the first time.”

The ACA also allowed for the expansion of Medicare. According to the official U.S. Census Bureau website, as of 2016, 16.7 percent of the population was covered by Medicare.

“One of the ways Obamacare worked and

ballot | package still works, is to expand Medicaid coverage,” Forren says. “For lower-income Americans it said ‘we will open up Medicaid to more people and encourage states to cover more people than they already do.’”

However, one reason for the debate around the ACA is the implementation of the individual mandate. The individual mandate required that everyone should obtain health insurance. Therefore, anyone who did not comply with the individual mandate would have to pay a tax.

Forren says that prior to ACA, once someone had a medical condition, insurance companies could deny coverage. The individual mandate essentially made it possible for people with pre-existing conditions to gain coverage. “[Insurance companies] knew it would cost a lot of money to treat,” Forren says. “[For the] people with asthma, people with diabetes, people with heart disease: [insurance companies] would say ‘we don’t want to cover you because we know upfront you’re going to cost a lot of money.”

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owever on Dec. 22, 2018, the individual mandate was repealed when the House of Representatives (H.R.) bill 1, or H.R.1,, nicknamed the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” became a law.

“What this new tax bill did was it repealed

that tax,” Forren says. “So now, you’re required to buy health insurance. But if you don’t buy health insurance, nothing happens to you.”

The Lakota Local Schools District and its faculty were relatively unaffected by the ACA and its recent changes says Tim Penton, the Director of Finance and Adam Zink, the Assistant Treasurer at Lakota. Penton and Zink oversee the daily financial operations of the district including health insurance.

“The school district already complied with the law prior to it’s passage,” Penton says. “[It was] because we did provide health insurance to our full-time employees and our part-time employees who worked over 30 hours.”

Penton says the biggest way the ACA has affected them is in their reporting to the government, detailing whether Lakota provided health insurance to qualifying faculty and whether or not faculty choose to take it.

“Once we establish who [has worked over 30 hours a week] we have to make sure that we have offered coverage to 95 percent of those people,” Zink says. “As long as we offer to 95 percent, we’ve met the requirement, but because we do offer [health insurance] to all of our full-time and part-time staff it works out anyway.”

When the individual mandate was originally implemented, many, like Chief Operating Officer of Saxon, a financial service firm,

8%

percent of 392 East students surveyed agree with the recent changes that have been made to healthcare in the past year.

Jamie Charlton, were unhappy. Saxon provides benefits, such as health insurance plans, to small companies over the past 17 years.

Charlton says that while the ACA has been “a great stimulus” to Saxon, there are still some problems with the law, including the mandate.

“What I don’t like is forcing anyone into coverage for the sake of having coverage,” Charlton says. “I talk with too many folks who don’t understand what coverage they have, but bought it because it was the cheapest option.”

E

xecutive Director at UnitedHealthCare Caitlin Clipp has over 15 years of experience in the health insurance industry. She focused on retaining

Miami University Political Science Professor John Forren believes that the Affordable Care Act has its positives and negatives for both lower and high income families.

package | ballot current customers and growing new businesses by connecting with the Unitedhealthcare members to meet their healthcare needs.

“The ACA was equally challenging because it wasn’t clear up front, and continued [and still does continue] to change,” Clipp says. “This constant turmoil is difficult for customers to understand and keep up with. So we had to do a lot of updates and education to ensure people were aware of things that changed.”

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ue to some of these changes, many want legislatures to focus on fixing the healthcare system. The Henri J. Kaiser Family Foundation reported in Oct. 2017, just a few months after the failed repeal of the ACA, 66 percent of people surveyed wanted lawmakers to work on legislatures to stabilize the marketplace. However, 29 percent wanted a complete repeal. “[A] repeal of the Affordable Care Act would kick Ohioans, including cancer patients and individuals in recovery for addiction, off their health insurance with no plan to replace it,” Brown says. “That kind of uncertainty and disruption will cause chaos throughout the

insurance market. Premiums will go up for everyone—even those with private insurance.”

While Lakota was relatively unaffected by the changes in the ACA, many in the community are worried about a complete repeal. Clipp says while UnitedHealthcare is prepared to handle changes of the the ACA, a repeal could become counterproductive.

“A full repeal of things would mean a lot of time, work and money was wasted to just revert back to old ways completely,” Clipp says.

“I don’t think anyone wants to have that wasted efficiency, but instead focus on correcting any areas of issue and revamping parts that are not successful.”

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orren says healthcare is a very complicated issue and it’s important for more people to become involved in government. The 2016 Ohio Civic Health Index, which was co-authored by Forren and Justice and Community Studies Professor at Miami University Theresa Conover, reported that while over 7.7 million people registered to vote, only about 47.1 percent actually did.

“You don’t have to be an expert on policy

issue to be an informed voter,” Forren says.

“There’s so much information out there now.

It’s very easy to just google things and find out who’s on the ballot and what they represent.”

One of the biggest problems is that lack of engagement by young people particularly ages 18 to 29, Forren says. In the 2016 Ohio Civic Health Index, Forren finds that age group of 18 to 29-years-old has the lowest percentage of any other age demographic in voting, volunteering, charitable giving, group participation, discussion of politics, attending public meetings and other activities.

I

n a recent Spark survey, 11 percent of the East students surveyed said that they would consider themselves knowledgeable on healthcare. However, 76 percent wouldn’t consider themselves knowledgeable and 13 are somewhat knowledgeable.

“Across the board, young people are the least likely in the state of Ohio to get involved,” Forren says. “That has real consequences. You may have a government that isn’t listening to young people because young people aren’t paying attention to government.” •

Health Insurance Coverage by Ethnicity Uninsured

Medicaid/Other public insurance

Private

Black

American Indian

White

Asian

Hispanic

15%

21%

41%

26%

32%

12%

11%

16%

22%

23%

44%

52%

45%

72%

68%

source kff.org 33 lakotaeastsparkonline.com Mar 2018

ballot | package

Above pictures: user prepping a blunt with marijuana content in Portland, Oregon where recreational cannabis is legal.

united

WEEd stand?

With more states legalizing marijuana, there is more debate over the drug being legalized for recreational use in Ohio.

story lexy harrison | photography sidney li infographics ruth elendu and lexy harrison

Editor’s Note: denotes name change *

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he room is consumed in smoke, smiling faces, snacks and sleeping bodies. The teenagers are in this euphoric state of mind. Even though they knew what they are doing is illegal, they don’t have a care in the world.

After hearing a fellow classmate during his sophomore year continuously talk about her experiences on the weekends smoking marijuana for recreational use, curiosity took over East senior Bruno Erbaccia* and he began to try the Schedule I drug, according to the Drug Enforcement Association (DEA).

Despite his decision to now stop smoking marijuana, Erbaccia believes the recreational use of cannabis should be legalized in Ohio.

He also says that he will vote yes on the topic when the issue is next on the ballot. According to Columbus Bureau Chief Jim Provance’s statement in The Blade, the 2018 ballot will be finalized this summer.

Alongside to this, there are multiple

cultivation facilities being developed within Ohio as of Nov. 2017, such as Cresco Labs in Yellow Springs, Ancient Roots in Wilmington and Hemma LLC in Monroe, which are approved by Ohio’s nascent medical marijuana program.

“People are going to smoke weed whether or not it’s legal. The only difference it makes is we’ll get tax revenue from it [if it is legalized],” Erbaccia tells Spark. “It might encourage more people to smoke, but I would rather have people smoking weed than popping pills or doing heroin. It’s not as bad as other drugs.”

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ccording to a 2015 study by the United States (U.S.) National Library of Medicine, marijuana has the lowest risk of mortality and is safer than alcohol, tobacco, nicotine, heroin and cocaine. Yet, under the DEA, “Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use

and a high potential for abuse.”

Under that same category of Schedule I drugs, heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy) are also viewed at the same level for prosecution.

S

ome of the short term effects of marijuana range from short-term memory loss, paranoia, hallucinations and increased risk of heart stroke and heart attack, according to the Foundation for a Drug Free World. Long-term effects include a decline in intelligence quotient, lower life satisfaction, addiction, antisocial behavior and increased welfare dependence.

“I do have gaps in my memory [when I smoked,]” Erbaccia says. “[Smoking marijuana] doesn’t really affect your long-term memory, just your short-term. Sometimes when you smoke, you don’t remember what happened in the session.”

Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 34

package | ballot According to owner of The Salmon Farm Kelly Salmon, marijuana has a high Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) level, making it psychoactive, or able to give off a “high” feeling.

Similar to marijuana is hemp and it is derived from the same cannabis plant, according to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

The main difference between cannabis and hemp is the chemical makeup, according to the Ministry of Hemp. An average batch of marijuana contains anywhere from 5-20 percent THC content while hemp hasThe a consumption maximum of alcohol and use THC level set by the federal government of 0.3 of marijuana affect percent. various organs in the

The effects of

MARIJUANA

C

human body.

annabis Consultant Carson Nation grows commercial and organic cannabis and hemp in northern Brain: Brain: Kentucky and says that different -Impaired memory -Impaired memory levels of THC and Cannabidiol which is -Hallucinations (when -Hallucinations taken in (when taken in high for dosages) high dosages) in both hemp and marijuana is needed -Increased dopamine release, -Increased dopamine release, treatments for different diseases. giving a high feeling giving a high feeling “For medical use, [The Salmon Farm] is currently doing work on shrinking cancer tumors,” Salmon tells Spark. “[We] help alleviate [issues] for children with autism, seizures and those with Parkinson’s disease.”

Erbaccia is part of the biggest demographic of marijuana smokers which are individuals that are 18 to 25-years-old, according to a 2016 Lungs: Lungs: study by the National Institute on Drugirritation Abuse. leading-Lung irritation -Lung leading to Assistant Professor in the Addiction Sciences to problems such as daily problems such as daily cough cough and phlegm, more and phlegm, more frequent Division of the Department of Psychiatry and lung frequent lung illness and a illness and a higher risk of Behavioral Neuroscience at thehigher University of lung infection risk of lung infection Cincinnati (UC) LaTrice Montgomery focuses (Use does not increase(Use does not increase chance her research on this age group. chance of lung cancer)of lung cancer) “People who are for marijuana legalization would suggest that legalizing it would decrease the [presence of the] black market,” Montgomery tells Spark. “It would be under government control with what is being made and how much is being made.”

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ccording to Montgomery, in a perfect world where marijuana is regulated by the government, the individual deciding to smoke will have a higher quality drug and he or she will know exactly what is in the cannabis he or she Heart: is intaking. However, with street marijuana,Heart: the -Accelerated heart rate -Accelerated heart rate seller may lace the substance with an addictive hours after smoking hours after smoking which drug to have the individual keep coming back which can increase thecan increase the risk of a to that seller. risk of a heart attack heart attack “I [usually] never worried about the safety of [the marijuana I was smoking,]” Erbaccia says.

Stomach: “[However,] sometimes I did [worry] when I didn’t know the [seller] or heard rumors about -Stimulated appetite Stomach: him. I feel like sometimes the weed I smoked commonly reffered to -Stimulated appetite as “the munchies” might have been laced with something because -Intense nausea and commonly referred to as it would have adverse effects [on me] or maybe vomiting in regular, “the munchies” -Intense nausea and it was just the strain of it [that was different long term users vomiting in regular, long term users compared to standard marijuana].”

According the American Addiction Centers website, “marijuana is probably less likely to be intentionally laced with other psychoactive sources drugabuse.gov, sources drugabuse.gov, healthline.com & healthline.com &

niaaa.nih.gov 35 lakotaeastsparkonline.com Mar 2018

niaaa.nih.gov

ballot | package

v. alcohol

on the human body Brain:

-Blackouts -Blackouts -Hallucinations -Hallucinations -Behavioral changes -Behavioral changes -Impaired coordination -Impaired coordination

Brain:

Lungs: -Hard to fight bacteria to spread and viruses making the body more susceptible to illnesses such as pneumonia or tuberculosis

substances than many other illicit drugs, [however] this situation does occur.” “[Sometimes,] people go to the hospital with an overdose of what they think is marijuana but it is actually marijuana plus [whatever is laced with it,]” Montgomery says. “This is [a problem] you have in the black market. But if the government is regulating it, you know exactly what is in the drug.”

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ifty one percent of 392 East students surveyed believe the recreational use of marijuana should be legalized in Ohio, including Erbaccia who says, “it would be so much easier to buy [marijuana] in a store and leave five minutes later than text someone who will text you back hours later.”

Montgomery says the idea of legalizing the recreational use of cannabis is that the presence of the black market will go down. However, this will not always be the case, as seen in states such as California and Colorado that have Lungs: legalized and medical marijuana, -Hard to fightrecreational bacteria towhere spreadthose and viruses under 21-years-old are still illicitly making the body more accessingtocannabis. susceptible illnesses Public Information Officer such pneumonia or of Colorado Boulder, Scott for asthe University tuberculosis Prible has found this to be true. “[A minor possessing marijuana is] very similar to minors with possession of alcohol here on campus,” Prible tells Spark. “If a student is [possessing,] he or she will go through the legal system with the court here at Boulder and they also go through student conduct.”

P

rible says the only issue that has changed in Colorado is cannabis being consumed in a public place. However, it is not legal to publicly smoke but only in individuals’ residential homes. “[The black market presence] has gone down because people who are 21 and older Heart: Heart:are able to walk into a shop and buy it legally,” Prible says. “However, there are still people who -Heart damage which can lead to which can lead to -Heart damage cardiovascular disease are under 21 who use a false Identification or cardiovascular disease other means to [obtain marijuana.]”

Sargent for Burbank Police Department Liver: Liver: in California Derek Green says the state’s -Increased risk for liver cancer risk for liver cancer -Increased legalization of recreational marijuana use has not affected police work adequately; however, it can still be a problem when marijuana is mixed in with driving.

Stomach: Stomach: “For marijuana, we don’t test the level -Bloating, gas and painful ulcers -Bloating, gas and painful of toxicity or influence, it’s your level of ulcers impairment,” Green tells Spark. “If we can show or it’s obvious that the amount you’ve ingested impairs your ability to operate a vehicle, then you’d be [charged with a] DUI. But that differs from person to person.”

Pancreas: Pancreas: For Erbaccia, being under the influence with pancreatitis, a dangerous -Chronic pancreatitis,-Chronic a dangerous his friends while driving was not a dangerous inflammation inflammation and swelling of the and swelling of the blood vessels in the pancreas that prevents concept to them and was practiced regularly. blood vessels in the pancreas that proper digestion prevents proper digestion Him and his friends who smoke were able to obtain this illegal substance through friends who sell in the Cincinnati area.

“When I did smoke, it’s kind of sad but I Intestines: Intestines: Damage to intestinesDamage which to intestines which may may lead to diarrhealead or to diarrhea or stomach pain stomach pain

Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 36

package | ballot had so many people that I could get [marijuana from],” Erbaccia says. “I created a notes page [in my phone] with 10 or 15 people who I could get it from because I couldn’t keep track [of everyone].”

Along with smoking, Erbaccia has experiment with drinking alcohol but not nearly as much as cannabis because, “marijuana was easier to maintain, I already had plugs. Also alcohol impairs you more than weed does and I had to be able to act sober at work and home.”

According to the Institute of Medicine, more than 90 percent of all alcohol consumed by underage drinkers is consumed during binge drinking, which, according to a 2016 study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, is responsible for more than 4,300 deaths among underage youth each year.

Department Head and David Sinton Professor of Economics at UC Debashis Pal believes a kind of alcohol awareness class should be implemented in high schools, similar to safe driving classes, to alleviate the devastating amount of accidents that occur with underage drinking.

“In some cultures, alcohol and marijuana are common. If you go to the Caribbean, you don’t see the same kind of [substance] abuse.

Kids grow up as it’s a part of the culture and they learn responsibility at a young age,” Pal says. “In the U.S., [we have to] tell the kids why they shouldn’t do it—not because their parents tell them—but for their own sakes.”

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ccording to addiction therapist for the Lindner Center of Hope Peter White, the most common risk factors for someone to indulge in a drug such as marijuana include genetics, one’s home environment and trauma.

“It’s a combination of what kind of risk factors you have and what happens to you when you intake a certain substance,” White . “Everybody’s story is unique and from [Lindner Center’s] point of view, we really want to [figure] out what are your risk factors, protective factors and what’s going to help you prevent further problems or if you develop further problems, what’s going to help you get out of it?”

White has seen an increase of marijuana use amongst teens in the past four to five years for an unknown reason. Montgomery also believes

51%

of 392 East students surveyed believe the recreational use of marijuana should be legalized in Ohio.

37 lakotaeastsparkonline.com Mar 2018

Age demographics of those who consume marijuana and alcohol.

27 percent

12 to 17-years-old

81 percent

18 to 25-years-old

15 percent

12 to 17-years-old

the presence of marijuana has increased over the years and considers peer pressure to be the biggest factor of why younger people are smoking cannabis.

“If you have a friend who smokes blunts and you introduce it to another friend, they’re going to introduce their friends into what they’re using—it’s a social thing,” Montgomery says.

“With blunts, they’re used with groups and sometimes alcohol is added. People try it once to experiment then a couple more times when they realize they like doing it. Then they realize they need it since sometimes there is nicotine in blunts and people can get extremely addicted to it.”

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or the handful of months that Erbaccia smoked marijuana, he would smoke recreationally—some days he would smoke multiple times a day and others he would smoke once every couple of days.

“It actually really helped me with homework because of [stress,]” Erbaccia says. “I wasn’t super productive but I got a lot of homework done while I was fried. Although it was harder to think about some problems.”

Despite his time with marijuana, Erbaccia is positive about the future of the drug’s legalization for the benefit of the U.S..

“Weed enhances everything,” Erbaccia says.

“Something as boring as laying on the couch and eating chips, each chip tastes 100 times better. Every single pleasurable thing you can do, feels a lot better.” •

next issue... the movement in gun culture

52 percent

18 to 25-years-old source national institute on drug abuse

photography kara echternacht Protesters stand outside of Cincinnati’s City Hall on March 24.

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LOCALMOTIVE Right: What originally opened as a fine jewelry store in 1992 has now developed into a unique gift shop with anything from hand-made clocks and blown glass to hand bags and scarves. “We carried a lot of jewelry that you would not normally see in Cincinnati or the Midwest area,” says owner David Williams. “I carry a lot of American Craft Council member artists. They are [mostly] East and West coast designers.”

William’s Jewel

st Wyoming Flori

ers

Above: The bright open shop of Wyoming Florist was opened in 1951 and now offers flowers for all occasions from Mother’s day to weddings. They pay attention to quality when processing their flowers and treat their customers like ‘liquid gold’.

“One thing we hear a lot is how long our flowers last,” says owner Mary Benken. “When something lasts there is value to that to people.”

Wyoming Pastry Shop

Below: Gaby’s, a 15-year-old restaurant with a diverse yet appetizing all-around menu, is a charming little lunch and dinner place on the corner. Owner Dino Distasi has been in the food industry for 45 years and has passed the experience on to his daughter, who created the recipe for Gaby’s black bean burger, which caters to vegetarians. Their best-selling menu item, besides their carbonara or fried chicken, is the fish sandwich. Distasi enjoys working in a busy restaurant, especially with the added load of catering, which is also available through Gaby’s.

Left: Kim Reschke grew up knowing she would one day own the Wyoming Pastry Shop, a charming bakery her father-in-law purchased in 1980. With 29 years of experience in the familyfriendly shop, starting as young as fifteen, Reschke has now owned the bakery for almost 11 years and wakes up each morning looking forward to baking her favorite item: cookies.

“We are called a full-line bakery, which means we have breads, dinner rolls, pies, cakes, donuts, brownies and especially cookies,” says Reschke.

“We have over 600 products here, but cookies are definitely my favorite. Who doesn’t like a cookie?”

Gaby’s

story caroline bumgarner, sidney li, katey kruback, jessica jones, anna mullins, charis williams and rachel voglesang photography caroline bumgarner and sidney li

Wyoming, oh

Left: Being a nail salon isn’t the only thing Star Nails and Spa has to offer as the business provides waxing and events for book clubs and parties as well. With the choice of personalized nail designs and a gamut of nail polish colors in gel and polish, “customers can feel relaxed as we want every single one of them to walk out the door stress-free and hopefully want to come back,” says owner Mae Li.

Cooking wit

h Caitlin

Star Nails and Spa

Above: Sister duo Caitlin Steininger and Kelly Trush created Cooking with Caitlin in Wyoming after 11 years of being heavily involved with the food business; however, they opened this restaurant about a year ago. “We have familiar comfort food that customers can find on a menu but [Caitlin] adds her own twist to the presentation,” says Trush. “One of our most popular dishes is not just a cheeseburger but a burger covered in cheese sauce and homemade fries.”

Right: Opened in 2006, the Half Day Cafe has been a local place for many people to sit back and relax. The owner, Dale Hipsley started the business after 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry. Hipsley wanted a family friendly cafe that would be opened half day so that he would be able to make it to his two children’s soccer games and musicals. “The larger business chains operate like a business chain and we do not,” says Hipsley. “Fresh Above: Located in a small space, Wyoming Shoe Repair offers a Flowers on the table, we have feeling of professionalism when it comes to leather repair. The dog treats and a dog fountain family owned shop offers repairs on other materials such as vinyl, on the side of the cafe for rubber, canvas and suede. “The best part about the job is being able to take something ugly and make it look new again,” says when people are walking their owner Steve Mondy. dogs.

Wyoming Sho

e Repair

Half Day Cafe

location:

199 E 6th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202

hours:

Sun-Wed 11am9pm Thurs 11am-10pm Fri-Sat 11am-11pm

price: $$

RESTAURANT REVIEW: review and photography caroline bumgarner

P

wahlberg’s Cincy burgers

aul, Mark and Donnie Wahlberg have expanded their burger restaurant Wahlburgers to 15 states as well as two franchisees in Canada. On Jan. 25 the Wahlbergs, along with franchise owner Nino Cutraro, opened a new Wahlburgers franchise in downtown Cincinnati at the corner of East Sixth and Main Street.

The new building is lined on two sides with floor to ceiling windows allowing customers to watch snowfall in the winter or absorb sunlight in the summer.

The outside appears white minimalistic with a simple sign labeling the restaurant’s name but the inside immediately strikes customers’ eyes.

Bright Green is incorporated throughout the restaurant through the chairs and tables as well as the containers the food is served in hot and ready.

The large space is filled with as many tables as possible, which causes somewhat of a tight feeling while in the restaurant. I waited 40 minutes which could have been a result of how it was relatively close to the time the new chain opened. Unfortunately, my family and I decided to walk around downtown Cincinnati and the Riverbend area because there was no space or benches to sit on and wait for our table.

41 lakotaeastsparkonline.com Mar 2018

The menu has a large variety of entrées even though as the name implies Wahlburgers is known for their famous hamburgers. I ordered the mac and cheese with smoked bacon for $5.50. It came in a relatively small cup and I wasn’t sure if it would be enough to fill me up as I expected more.

I was pleasantly surprised when the mac and cheese was large penne noodles with creamy and thick cheese. Instantly, I knew that this would provide more of a filling and I was ecstatic about it more than ever. Plus, the grilled bacon was in large cubes sprinkled on top of the mac and cheese, allowing me to get a piece in each bite.

A

s a side dish I shared thin crispy onion rings with my parents for $3.50. The large basket is paired with Paul’s signature “wahl sauce” which is commonly served on their famous burgers.

The batter on the onion rings did not have much flavor and I was not thrilled eating strings of just onion due to the stench and grease.

On to the main feature of the night, the hamburger has a small circumference but is very thick and juicy. It was the perfect amount of food with great flavor and fresh ingredients.

Sadly the $7.95 burger does not come with a side which is an additional $3.50 all on top of the $2.25 soda.

A total of $13.70 is not bad for one person to grab a good burger for lunch. It is more expensive than a burger from Five Guys but not as expensive as a restaurant such as Max and Erma’s. The location makes Wahlburgers a great option for lunch on a work day or dinner with the family on the weekend—while not breaking the bank.

T

he service was relatively slow. We did not get refills, my dad’s chili came out cold and it took quite a while to get our waiters attention to let him know it was cold. However, once the waiter brought out a new bowl of chili, my dad was very impressed with the bursts of flavor and heartiness of the chili.

Where the new restaurant fell short on service and was probably understaffed for the packed restaurant, they made up for it in flavor. From the burger to the mac and cheese Wahlburgers hit the spot with bold flavors and filling servings. Wahlburgers is the perfect spot to stop by and grab lunch while spending the day downtown. •

location: 4503

U.S. 42, Mason, OH 45040

hours:

Mon-Fri 7am-7pm Sat 7am-1pm Sun closed

RESTAURANT REVIEW:

price: $

review and photography gabbie behrmann

The kala coffeehouse

O

pen from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Kala Coffeehouse located off of United States Route 42, can certainly meet customers’ post eight hour slumber, workday or workout fuel needs.

The word “kala” means ‘good’, which is what they are all about. Their ingredients are minimally processed, locally sourced and are transformed into “carefully crafted food and drink.” They are also community oriented—a portion of profits made always go to local causes, such as helping children who are neglected. That’s always kala.

The appearance of the building from the road can be a bit weird, as it seems to be just an ordinary church. But don’t be fooled, the coffeehouse is actually located around the back, directed by a helpful sign written in chalkboard print. That same chalkboard is just a sneak peak at the country chic design that is to come.

Around the back, one may find that there are people in the parking lot and loud music is blaring in their ears. It just so happens that there is a Crossfit located directly next to Kala.

Dodging 300 pound, ripped, jogging men in the parking lot may make it seem like customers were unintentionally placed into a game of frogger, but once the other side of the parking

lot is reached, the savory scent of coffee will soon make up for it.

As customers walk in, people are immediately greeted with friendly smiling faces who are ready to serve. There is a small counter with a kitchen behind it to order at, and directly left there is a large room with a loft, complete with tables, chairs, couches and pillows.

T

here are strung Edison lights hanging across the vaulted ceilings, giving off a summer-night vibe. Window seats give the room a beautiful wash of natural light, which is a perfect food selfie lighting.

Large barn doors set off a small room, with a large table, ideal for office meetings.

The loft space seems to be the kid hangout zone, as there are puzzles and games set out to play, along with plush couches to sit on and relax. Each table has their own homemade decoration—wooden trees, flower pots and candles all tied the country-chic look together very nicely.

The menu is simple and easy to read. The coffee portion of the menu is similar to any other coffee house’s menu, complete with espressos, cappuccinos, lattes and teas. Prices range from $2 for tea, to $4.25 for specialty

lattes. They do provide almond milk for those who cannot have cow’s milk. There is also a small breakfast sandwich menu consisting of main ingredients that include egg and sausage.

K

ala specializes in toasts and they have many different options. Customers first select their choice of bread: French, honey wheat, or seedy mcseed along with seven different types of toasts pick from.

They serve classics like nut butter, and jam for $3.50 or maple butter, cinnamon and sugar for $3.25. However, they really spice things up by giving it a sweet kick with their s’mores toast, made with Justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter, graham crackers and marshmallows.

They also serve the avocado toast with their own seasoning recipe. Containing a hint of onion and garlic, the avocado almost tasted like guacamole, but not quite. The flavors were nice, but the toast itself wasn’t very toasted, as it was if they grabbed the bread fresh from the bag.

Kala’s friendly and cozy atmosphere, and reasonable prices make it the perfect place to have a coffee date with friends. And I guess the jogging men weren’t so bad either. • Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 42

culture | reviews

F

ive years after his last studio effort, Justin Timberlake’s newest album was released on Feb. 2, 2018. “Man of the Woods”, is a mixture of electro-pop sounds with a rugged outdoors vibe in sixteen singles that are unimpressive at their best.

The main issue with the album isn’t Justin Timberlake’s vocals, it’s the composition. “Man of the Woods” stands in the middle of the music spectrum, not catchy enough to spawn any chart-topping singles and not good enough to win any generation-defining awards.

The lyrical content gives off the idea that Timberlake is desperately trying to convince someone that he is an outdoors loving person from the South. “Ooh, I can’t make them understand, but you know I’m a southern man. A man of the woods and you’re my pride,” Timberlake repeats throughout the song, “Man of the Woods.” Instead, he ends up producing something that sounds like it came from the notebook of a seventh grader who ventured on a one night camping trip.

art bryce forren

At some points in the album Timberlake seemingly gives up on singing and begins speaking while the music continues playing in the background. At other times, he hands the microphone over to a mysterious woman who’s assumed to be his wife. This unnamed woman appears throughout the album and is the solo speaker on “Hers” (interlude). “When I wear his shirt, it feels like, like his skin over mine,” she says.

The lengths of the songs on the album are seemingly excessive and unnecessary. On “Filthy,” the singing gives out at about four minutes into the song, but the music continues for an additional thirty seconds. Timberlake could continue singing for the rest of time and still would not be able to fix the mess that is Man of the Woods.

Timberlake aims too high on his fifth studio album. In an effort to stay relevant and capture the sound of modern pop music, he falls far from the successful pop music he used to make in songs like his original, solo song “Sexy Back.”

— Alan Frank

MAN OF THE WOODS ARTIST: JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE GENRE: POP RELEASE DATE: FEB. 2, 2018

FEATURED SPOTIFY PLAYLIST:

“WOMEN OF ROCK”

BY SPOTIFY FOLLOWERS: 261,165

From Stevie Nicks to Courtney Barnett, “Women of Rock” offers the best and most influential female musicians of the past 50 years. — Bryce Forren

“Hold them bands down (hey) Hold your mans down (hey) Who told you come around?

(Who?)” —”Stir Fry”, Migos

T CULTURE II

ARTIST: MIGOS GENERE: RAP RELEASE DATE: JAN. 26, 2018

O

n February 15th, alternative rock legends The Smashing Pumpkins announced an American reunion tour featuring three of the four members of their original lineup. The announcement, long awaited by the band’s loyal fanbase, comes 25 years after the group released “Siamese Dream,” an album that would both change their music scene and go on to define it forever.

More so than any other band in the 90’s alternative scene, The Smashing Pumpkins carry the weight of both being inspired by the culture surrounding them and creating their own culture around their sound, atmosphere and unmistakably 90’s image.

The power and the distortion of guitarists James Iha and Billy Corgan somehow strike perfect harmony with Corgan’s soft but passionate vocals as well as the clean drums and bass of Jimmy Chamberlin and D’arcy Wretzky respectively. Their sound blends seamlessly throughout the album, shifting naturally between

reviews | culture

he Migos, consisting of Quavo, Offset, and Takeoff, released their third studio album, “Culture II” on January 26, 2018. “Culture II” is a follow up to their album “Culture,” which was released in January of 2017.

Where “Culture” was a major success, creating anticipation for an even better second album, the hype did not live up to its expectations.”Culture II” does a great job of showing us that even at the height of fame, good music is not guaranteed.

“Culture II” is the epitome of mumble rap. One of the most anticipated songs was “Walk It Talk It” consisting of a feature with Drake.

Saying the song was a disappointment is an understatement. The chorus of the song is Quavo saying “Walk it like I talk it” over and over again. That’s not a joke.

You would think that some of the most famous recording artists in the hip hop industry today would be able to think of more interesting lyrics, but I guess this is what passes for hip hop these days. Hip hop’s lyrics used to mean something. People loved rappers like Nas and Tupac because their lyrics meant something to them personally and the audience. Now, we have the Migos saying the same thing over and over again.

soft and heavy styles.

The album immediately strikes a defining chord with the driving beat of its opening track, “Cherub Rock,”, giving their audience a taste of what unique style the album has to offer. Followed by the even heavier “Quiet” and the overblown power ballad that remains a favorite of rock radio stations, “Today.”

The Smashing Pumpkins evidently didn’t bother with filler throughout “Siamese Dream”’s track list, allowing each song to have its own distinct purpose.

Entertainment Weekly called The Smashing Pumpkins “the next Nirvana” upon the album’s 1993 release, citing their ambition to do more with their sound than mimic the grunge band that ruled the world at the time. However, with “Siamese Dream,” The Smashing Pumpkins prove that they stand with Nirvana as one of the musical greats in a decade of innovation, creating a ripple in the music world that roots itself in their incredibly unique sound. — Bryce Forren

Aside from the repetitive lyrics in each chorus, some of the lines in their songs are incredibly inappropriate and low quality. In their hit song “Motorsport” with Nicki Minaj and Cardi B, their lyrics show an incredible amount of profanity paired with inappropriate and unnecessary concepts.

Migos made it to number one on the Billboard top 200 chart showing that profanity dominates the top of the charts in this era of music, no matter what the quality of music is. However, this album shows that profanity doesn’t guarantee success.

Nevertheless, I thought that their song “Stir Fry” shined over an otherwise terrible album. “Stir Fry” combined an upbeat, rhythmic beat with fast paced lyrics that complemented each other well. The only problem is that “Stir Fry” is the only song that actually combines decent lyrics with a rhythmic beat to make a song that wasn’t total garbage.

All in all, the Migos wasted the great mix of featured artists and the potential this album had, creating songs that seemingly took a minimal effort to make. Their DJ summed it up himself by revealing that they didn’t spend more than 45 minutes on each song. It certainly sounds that way.

— Broc Nordmark

SIAMESE DREAM

ARTIST: THE SMASHING PUMPKINS GENRE: ALTERNATIVE ROCK RELEASE DATE: JULY 27, 1993

culture | steal or no steal

STEAL OR NO STEAL

BLUSH Brand: Urban Decay Product name: Afterglow Cost: $26.00 Available at: Ulta

Brand: Wet n Wild Product name: Ombré Blush Cost: $4.99 Available at: Kroger

High end makeup has been coveted as worth the expense but makeup doesn’t have to break the bank. Here are five drugstore products that can pass for expensive makeup products. story bea amsalu | photography caroline bumgarner

EYESHADOW

Ombré Blush has the same intensity of color as Afterglow, the only difference being the light shimmer in Afterglow.

Not every color of Naked 3 has a match in the Blushed Nudes palette, but the ones that do are exact matches.

Brand: Maybelline Product name: Blushed Nudes Cost: $9.99 Available at: Kroger

Brand: Urban Decay Product name: Naked 3 Cost: $54.00 Available at: Ulta

45 lakotaeastsparkonline.com Mar 20182018 # lakotaeastsparkonline.com | Mar.

steal or no steal | culture

Concealer

MASCARA Brand: L’oreal Product name: Lash Paradise Cost: $8.89 Available at: Kroger Brand: Two Faced Product name: Better Than Sex Cost: $23.00 Available at: Ulta

Brand: Tarte Product name: Shape Tape Concealer Cost: $27.00 Available at: Ulta

Brand: Maybelline Product name: Fit Me Concealer Cost: $6.49 Available at: Kroger

The mascara wands are identical allowing for similar application, however the Lash Paradise formula is wet and dries not quite as black as Better than Sex.

FOUNDATION

Brand: Urban Decay Product name: Naked Skin Cost: $40.00 Available at: Ulta

True Match is liquidy but blends quicker with a nicer, matte finish than Naked Skin. However, Naked Skin is a more full coverage foundation.

Fit me has a very liquidy formula compared to Shape Tape. Shape Tape has more full coverage in one swipe.

Brand: L’oreal Product name: True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Cost: $10.99 Available at: Kroger

Go to lakotaeastsparkonline.com to view a full swatch gallery.

2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 46 Mar.Mar 2018 | lakotaeastsparkonline.com #

from strut to finish

Being a model for NV Models just like her older sister has allowed East senior Ally Fine to find her true self and gain self-confidence. story alanna schlaeger | photography sidney li

T

he flash of the camera goes off as she strikes a pose in her modeling shoot. She has been prepared and ready for the what the rest of the day has in store. After realizing in the middle of junior year that modeling and being in front of the camera was her passion, a young East student began the start of her career in modeling.

East senior Ally Fine pursued her career in modeling with the inspiration of her older sister Sydney Fine who has also modeled. Sydney has been modeling for eight years now and her career started off at NV modeling just like her little sister.

“It’s really fun to see to see Ally experiencing similar things,” says Sydney. “ As I went through those similar events, it’s something that we both can easily bond over. I love being able to give her advice on the way.”

As Sydney is a model herself, she says that she is beyond proud of all the hard work Ally has put into developing her modeling career. Both Ally and Sydney’s mother Kristi Fine is proud of both of her daughters as she knows modeling isn’t easy, due to the unique requirements, work hours and visibility. However, Kristi knows that they have learned how to be very independent.

“Up until recently, both girls have held other jobs as they go to modeling jobs, and have to carefully balance asking their employers for time off of work when they are offered modeling jobs,” says Kristi. “They have never let their employers down—by trying to be communicative about their other obligations. Sydney is now a full-time model, and Ally continues to work at Top Golf as a food runner.”

Ally first started looking around for an agency and landed upon NV modeling. This business allows for young aspiring models to take classes, which include runway and interviewing. After completing the classes, the upcoming models get to sign with the agency as a professional.

LOCAL LEGENDS

D

irector of E-commerce and a booking agent at NV models Jessica Lincks has had a really close relationship with Ally in the past year as she is also Ally’s agent.

As Ally’s agent, Lincks is responsible for booking Ally to work locally and in the greater tri-state area including various casting opportunities.

“When Ally and I discussed her making a career out of modeling, [it] was a by far a meaningful moment as her agent,” says Lincks. “Since Ally has tremendous potential and with the effort that full-time modeling requires, she can [have] a successful career.”

Through David’s Bridal, Ally has been modeling prom and wedding dresses in four different shoots. Besides David’s Bridal, Ally models for Tultex, a t-shirt company. Her favorite modeling opportunity was being in the “Columbus Book Project.” It involved many different models to go around the Columbus area in different shoots. The shoots were then composed into one volume of different modeling shoots in the area.

“For my section of the book, a group of models and I went to the Columbus zoo and dressed up as different wild animals,” says Ally. “Since I love animals, it was such an amazing experience to be apart of.”

Ranging from eight to ten hours of just trying on clothes, the actual time to prepare for the shoot depends on the location. However, Ally quickly began to fall in love with the whole aspect of traveling for modeling shoots. Even though Ally models as a side job, she wants to focus on her education and balance between them.

Ally has not figured out where she will be going to college. She is currently deciding between Colorado State University and Ohio State University with a major in Zoology.

However, she is intending on taking as many modeling opportunities as much as she can throughout the years.

While beginning her modeling career, Ally has learned so much about gaining selfconfidence and even through the hard times, she is determined to keep pushing and pursuing her ultimate dream.

“Sometimes I may be rejected, but I always remember that it doesn’t make me less than them and it doesn’t mean that I’m not good enough,” says Ally. ”Different clients look for different aspects in a model and sometimes I won’t be picked, but [in] another opportunity [I] might be exactly what they are looking for.” •

If you can

DREAM IT we can help

Your credit union with HEART since 1939.

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SWISH, SWISH

Recreational basketball team Chilli Hoops had an undefeated 10-0 season story tyler bonawitz and sidney li photography julianne ford

T

East senior Kamil Sacha dunks the basketball into the hoop at Courts 4 Sports.

he ball dribbles across the court as hollers reverberate through the Mason Courts 4 Sports. Their infamous white shirts were plastered with their nicknames in black Sharpie. Welcome to Cincinnati, home of the Chilli Hoops, a recreational basketball team comprised of 12 East senior boys.

One of the original team members and East senior Kamil “Kamillionare” Sacha created the team name “Chilli Hoops.” As the team started out in the seventh grade, all of the boys wanted to have a recreational team that allowed them to play outside of the school level.

At one of the games, they got in a huddle and wanted to say something before breaking the huddle up but had no idea for the name. Then, someone said “chili on three” and Chilli Hoops was created.

“The traditional spelling of ‘chili’ is not used simply because I misspelled our team name once by using two l’s,” Sacha says. “It has stuck ever since as ‘Cincinnati Chilli Hoops.’ Our goal is to have a fun time and win some games.”

East College Prep (CP) Pre-Calculus and Advanced Placement (AP) BC Calculus teacher Pat Kreider had many of the East senior boys in their junior years for pre-calculus and decided to come to one of their basketball games in support.

“I actually made it out to one game [in late January.]

They gave me a blue jersey, which is simply an eightdollar t-shirt, and they’ve used Sharpie marker on it.

I picked a game where the other team didn’t show up, so [Chilli Hoops] won by forfeit,” Kreider says. “But it was fun because they decided to play each other. They needed an extra guy, so I went out and played with them. I didn’t tear any muscles, which is all I was happy about.”

East AP AB Calculus and CP Pre-Calculus teacher Lisa James says that “they invited me eight million times to watch them play. A lot of them are my students, I know them.” Yet, she has been able to support them through Twitter with their winnings.

Despite their regular season final score of 10-0, Chilli Hoops didn’t win their playoffs and the championship game. However, they are still in high spirits and proud of their accomplishments throughout their high school years.

East senior Dustin Horter has been an associate head coach for Chilli Hoops for two years and was formerly a team member in the fifth grade, when they were on the club team Thunderbirds basketball.

“There has been a lot of good games with the Chilli Hoops as it was always something that I looked forward to,” Horter says. “After the games, all the guys get together and go to Buffalo Wild Wings or Westshore Pizza and bond. At the end of it all, it’s just a bunch of guys having fun with a love for basketball.” •

STICKIN’ WITH IT The Lakota School Board approved lacrosse as a school sport, allowing the students to receive a gym credit for the sport. story dustin horter | photography joe phelan

East junior Andrew Douglas playing against Indian Hill High School.

T

he ball moved pocket to pocket with little hesitation on a Wednesday night in the Hawks Nest. A crowd of about 150 parents, friends and lacrosse fans gathered for a match between East and Moeller that began the 2016-17 lacrosse season. However, lacrosse, despite the revenue it had generated over the past five years of its existence at East, still was not sanctioned by Lakota as a sport.

The Lakota School Board finally made its move to approve lacrosse as a school sanctioned sport on Feb. 26, 2018. In a 5-0 vote, the board approved funding and recognition of the sport as a whole. This approval now allows both men and women playing lacrosse to receive a gym credit, help with purchasing uniforms and more fundraising availability through the East Boosters program.

I

n the 2015-16 school year, the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) voted to make lacrosse a state recognized sport in schools across Ohio. According to the OHSAA’s website, the Ohio High School Lacrosse Association (OHSLA) ran their association under the OHSAA’s bylaws for years, so the transition would’ve been smooth for all schools who approved lacrosse as a sanctioned sport. Spark attempted to contact the OHSAA about the sport, but received no response on multiple occasions.

The teams who immediately made lacrosse a sanctioned sport have run stable programs in lacrosse for three years. Centerville, Beavercreek

and Springboro were among the schools who had the sport sanctioned almost immediately after it was approved by the OHSAA. On the contrary, Lakota was still reluctant to make the move to approve lacrosse for boys or girls, despite 122 boys and 118 girls teams existing as approved, sanctioned sports at the time. With failed levees and a tight budget, Lakota was not quite ready to help fund lacrosse over other important issues and needed to see its popularity grow, according to Former Lakota Local School Board Member Ben Dibble.

“All of the factors needing to get the sport approved by the board were met,” Dibble says. “The board and district have always been focused on creating more opportunities for our students.”

East Athletic Director Richard Bryant stated that the process to get the “emerging” sport approved by the OHSAA and by the Lakota School board was a complicated and lengthy process.

“First the OHSAA must monitor the sport and it’s activity around the state,” Bryant says.

“Then papers are filed by our district, and those papers see a team of principals, athletic directors and treasurers before they are voted on by the school board.”

B

ryant stated that the budget created for lacrosse will not take away from other areas around the district, rather it will be an additional cost. The team will receive money as being a part of the sports budget

while also fundraising to help fund itself. he approval of the sport has not only affected the school and its budget, but the players. The team is comprised of twelve seniors, according to first year head coach Matt Tassos, who are going to catch the back end of the benefits lacrosse will see coming in the future. Tassos stated that despite what the team was given as a club, he is proud of the way his men have presented themselves, as six seniors will be playing lacrosse in college

T

S

enior goalie and team captain Ben Sabelhaus hopes the sanctioning of lacrosse gets the sport more recognition among students.

Sabelhaus will play lacrosse at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina next year.

“I remember when our coach told us the decision was finalized,” Sabelhaus says. “We lost it. We were cheering that now we would not be looked down upon for being a club, but respected in the school as a sport.”

Senior defensemen and four year varsity player Peyton Bruce was thrilled to hear the news, and highlighted the benefits the future lacrosse players will receive that are just now being implemented into the program.

“The funding is a huge deal,” Bruce says.

“Just getting the money from the district will make better equipment we need to be an elite program in the state more available to future players. I think you’re going to see us improve as a program this year and in years to come as a result.” • Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 50

sports | wrestling

MADE FOR THE MAT East senior Drew Katona has powered his way to a GMC Championship and beyond while leading a special group of wrestlers during his final season.

story jack parr | photography used with permission | art used with permission would not have come without an abundance of hard work and dedication. Current East varsity wrestling coach Ben Kellerman credits Drew’s drive to continuously improve himself and his concentrated attitude in allowing him to achieve his goals.

“Drew is a hard worker. He’s focused on getting better and has the right mentality,” Kellerman says. “Drew buys in, listens to his coaches and trains every day to make himself better.”

Kellerman, who became the head varsity coach in late January before the GMC meet, was faced with the challenge of leading the team to success late in the season after an in-season change in leadership. Katona was impressed with the way the team handled the coaching change and kept on fighting to end the season strong.

“The coaching change was a hard hit for us and it affected some guys differently than others,” Drew says. “We all stuck together as a team and tried to push through with what we had.”

Above: Drew Katona wrestles at 182-lb at amid-season match.

H

e stares across the mat at his competitor, visualizing the big pin that he is ready to attack. The final whistle blows, he can almost taste the pressure that is mounted upon his shoulders; however, he is not nervous.

He has been waiting for this moment his entire wrestling career.

For East senior Drew Katona, winning the 2017-18 Greater Miami Conference (GMC) wrestling championship is the culmination of the effort he has put into the sport since he was four-years-old.

“Wrestling has been a part of my life since kindergarten and even a little before,” Katona says. “I was more of an active, violent kid, so my dad had me involved [in the sport] just to kind of even me out.”

When he first began wrestling, his father Andy Katona could not have imagined the

51 lakotaeastsparkonline.com Mar 2018

success that he would eventually withstand on the mat. Winning this year’s GMC Championship was an accomplished goal that he had been working towards throughout his high school career. “[Winning the GMC] is something I’ve been hoping to do ever since my freshman year,” Drew says. “It’s been good to see the progression every year and it is rewarding to see my hard work pay off.”

Drew’s championship comes after three years of improvements in the conference. He placed fourth in the 2016 championship as a sophomore and second in 2017 as a junior.

Before winning the GMC title this season, Drew placed third at the Coaches Classic and fifth at the Fairfield Invitational, both esteemed meets.

The success that Drew has recently enjoyed

K

ellerman and the wrestlers have succeeded in coming together after the shift and are gearing up for the Division One Sectional Tournament after this successful season.

The team is led by seniors Sean Ackerman, Zak Merrigan and Drew, who has a 23 to six record this year with 11 pins.

The accomplishments of the group are no small feat in a sport that requires lots of mental and physical strength. Drew says his love for wrestling allows him to have the drive necessary to succeed in such a grueling and demanding sport.

“I love it because it takes a special kind of crazy to want to wrestle,” Drew says. “Just being in that room every day and getting beat up and wanting to come back and do it again is the part that I love.

East junior Cristian Chavez is a member of the eight person team that went to the district championships and says that Drew’s positivity and strong attitude is infectious and aids him in succeeding. “[Drew] is a really good guy and he’s always positive and working hard in the wrestling

wrestling | sports room,” Chavez says. “He’s always pushing everyone in a positive way which really helps us feel good and motivates us to work hard.”

Success in any sport can be made possible by having a strong group of influential people for guidance and support. Kellerman credits Drew’s parents for having a big role in their son’s wrestling achievements.

“Drew’s parents have also been a big reason for his success,” Kellerman says. “They have been very supportive of the program and have helped Drew every way along his path.”

Of course, quality teammates are an essential quality for success in any sport.

Drew has enjoyed becoming close with his teammates and having the opportunity to learn and grow together.

“It really builds a brotherhood with the other wrestlers because you’re all going through it together,” Drew says. “Wrestling has taught us some life skills like determination and how to power through whatever is happening.”

D

rew and the rest of the 2018 senior class will leave a lasting impression on the East wrestling program according to Kellerman, who praised Drew for his character and leadership throughout his time

Above: Drew Katona’s personal logo made by his parents. as a student.

“Drew has been a remarkable example of a Thunderhawk during the past four years,” Kellerman says. “He’s a good, honest, hardworking kid who has a bright future ahead of him.”

C

havez and the rest of the underclassmen will look to take what they have learned from the departing senior class and use it to their advantage next year and in the future. Chavez says that he learned important lessons from Drew and the other seniors that will certainly be helpful throughout the rest of his wrestling career.

“I’ve learned that just working hard and being determined is going to get me far,” Chavez says. “Focusing on what’s ahead and not on the past will help lead to success.”

While this special group of wrestlers will leave a legacy behind at East, the impact that wrestling has left on Drew will continue to grow as he moves on to the next stage of his life at the University of Cincinnati where he will study engineering.

“Wrestling has taught me how to fight through something when it gets difficult,” Drew says. “It may knock you down but it can’t knock you out.” •

Left: Drew Katona earning first place at the GMC Championship.

Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 52

sports | alternative sports

BALANCING ACT

As she has found her niche within the sports, East senior Emily Harmon’s passion with baton twirling and dance has impacted her life in numerous ways.

T

he metal baton sits aloof in her hands as she stretches her back straight, perpendicular to the wooden floor. Taking deep breaths, she calms herself down as the crescendo of the music starts to dissipate in.

With sweat glistening all over her body, East senior Emily Harmon didn’t have a care in the world as she continued to finish her baton twirling routine.

“Twirl has played such a major part in my life as I have been doing this since I was fouryears-old,” Harmon says. “It is an individual sport but I’m on a team too. But through it all, it seriously is an underrated sport that I wish more people were aware of.”

Harmon competes on both an individual and team level for the United States Twirling Association (USTA) team Encore. With the four individual categories—freestyle, solo, dance twirl and strut—Harmon has found that she enjoys dance twirl the most with her dance background that she started when she was twoyears-old.

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fter having Harmon fill in for one of her other twirlers in 2010, coach Machelle Steihl had Harmon join the team until 2014 where she decided to focus on herself. Then, Steihl created her USTA twirling team Encore near November 2017 with a total of 10 girls from across the United States (U.S.).

“Emily is a very talented dancer and twirler.

She has won several state, regional and national

53 lakotaeastsparkonline.com Mar 2018

story sidney li photography richard giang infographic lauren maier art charis williams

twirling titles,” Steihl says. “She is beautiful inside and out; she goes out of her way to support and cheer on her competitors [while] always exhibiting superior sportsmanship.”

The team meets up every other weekend in order to practice and perfect their choreography for eight hours on both Saturday and Sunday.

Under the lead of the Steihl, Encore is currently preparing on trying out for the U.S. World Trials at the end of March.

“When we compete at that, we have a chance at being the world team or otherwise known as ‘Team USA,’” Harmon says. “My schedule has been a little crazy because of it but I don’t mind it as I love doing this—there wouldn’t be anything else that I would want to spend my whole weekend doing.”

W

hile her mother and older sister Cindy and Megan Harmon both participated in baton twirling themselves throughout their lives, it wasn’t unnatural for Emily to try her own hand at the sport too.

“My mom actually got me into baton twirling with my friends and their own moms as we were all young girls at around five-yearsold at the time,” Cindy says. “I’m sure it was just another activity that was used to keep us all busy but we all loved it and continued with it as we got older.”

When Cindy went to college at Miami University, she decided to become a coach for local girls in the neighborhood. One of the

girls that Cindy coached is East senior Julia Bergquist. Now, Bergquist is accompanying Emily as one of the 10 members for USTA’s Encore team and they practice around 14 hours together.

“Emily inspires me every time she twirls,” Bergquist says. “She tells a story with her facial expressions and movement that makes me inspired to perform my best as well. Every movement [of hers] is perfected [and] every time I see her perform, she is always fully involved in the performance.”

As she has “always been a fan of the University of Kentucky’s dance team and [Emily] hopes to pursue that rather than twirling for [college].”

From driving to competitions together and spending hours practicing at local gymnasiums, Cindy not only supports Emily in both dance and baton twirling, but she coaches her daughter on a weekly basis before her lessons and choreographies throughout the week.

“Emily sets her own goals, which I had no idea she’d do. It is exciting to see her do that; yet, it’s nerve-wracking too,” Cindy says. “That’s why she has other coaches besides me because it does get hard being a mom and a coach, plus they can be more pushy than me.”

H

owever, due to Emily’s dedication and love to the sport, Cindy says this does lead to some arguments but “I just want to help my daughter get to somewhere where she loves doing what she does.”

Above: Emily Harmon practices to perform at the basketball game.

Cindy teaches at Star Performance Centre— the same place that Emily dances too. Even though Cindy doesn’t coach Emily’s teams, Emily does often help out with the younger girls in the classes that her mom has.

“I know a lot of people can’t deal with teaching younger kids because of how patient one has to be when dealing with them,” Emily says. “But the fact that I am incorporating dance into teaching makes it really enjoyable.”

E

mily has won the dance twirl and strut category at the 2017 Ohio State Baton Twirling Championship. Not only did Emily win state but she won her first national title in 2016 as the 2016 16-Year-Old National Dance Twirl Champion.

“Last year, I competed in this international competition called the Pan Pacific Cup,” Emily says. “So that was really cool to see teams representing other countries, which is what I also hope to see at World’s this year.”

Despite the obstacles that Emily has reached since she started baton twirling and dance as a child, she has no regrets with what they have taught and instilled in her.

“Both dance and baton has brought me my best friends. I have learned to be driven and determination and motivation has really shaped me into who I am,” Emily says. “Those two sports have definitely helped me figure out my personality. I wouldn’t be who I am without dance and baton.” •

3 1 2 3

FUNDAMENTALS OF BATON TWIRLING The incorporation of acrobatic movements adapted to baton twirling to create additional elements of risk and excitement.

Expression of the body through dance and movement to create a demonstration of strength, flexibility, physical fitness, beauty, aesthetics, and harmony in coordination with the manipulation of the baton.

Handling of the baton instrument to create visual images, pictures and patterns, executed with dexterity, smoothness, fluidity, and speed, both in and around the body and by releasing the baton into the air. source wbtf.org Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 54

SHIFTING INTO HIGH-GEAR Mason graduate Spencer Petrov becomes a professional cyclist immediately after graduating. story lauren maier photography used with permission infographic caroline bumgarner

H

e looks forward, not letting his nerves get the best of him as the crowd around grows quiet of anticipation. The starting gun goes off, the crowd screams as the clicking of the bike gears shift. For Mason alumnus Spencer Petrov, this is how he has spent most of his Sunday’s for the past five years, racing his bike.

Starting around eight years ago, Petrov found the sport through his mom. Petrov, like any other young kid, road a small bike around with his friends. Over some time, he and his friends ended up getting into a few crashes. His mom had to put her foot down.

His friend said that he would be able to ride on a whole bunch of different types of terrain and hills. Ever since then he’s been hooked to cycling.

East sophomore Barteck Kolakowski’s story on how he started is very similar to cyclists around the nation and even here in the Greater Miami Conference (GMC) area. Mason High School 2017 graduate and professional cyclist Spencer Petrov

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alternative sports | sports

of East has not heard about the sport of cycling

start to cycling was very similar to Kolakowski’s. “[My mom] had a friend that told her that she should take me to the local cyclocross practice called Kids on Bikes,” Petrov says.

“That’s what got it started for me.”

Once he started he never stopped. After his first practice he would go to that same place every day until the first race of the season.

Cycling was different for Petrov, it was a perfect match for him.

“I’ve played sports all my life and growing up,” Petrov says. “But, it’s something about cyclocross in particular that really just clicked for me. I was justs hooked.”

Like Petrov, Kolakowski got into cycling at a young age and stuck with it right when he put his foot to the pedal.

“Trying sports like soccer football, all those kind of sports I just like didn’t really feel like that this was for me,” Kolakowski says. “I tried cycling for a while and found that I was just really enjoyed it and it sparked a passion I just kept going.”

Both Petrov and Kolakowski competing wasn’t the only thing that kept them in the sport. The desire to see their friends every Sunday at the races.

“A lot of the kids that I was racing with at the time, were really great friends to me and we got along well,” Petrov says. “So, it made that every week was me only waiting for the weekend and seeing my friends. Because of that, it is what made me almost do road cycling.

[I would think] boy I miss seeing my friends, I miss seeing everyone. So, I started racing road.”

The start to Petrov’s racing career was fun and effortless for him. Not only could he be with some of his closest friends but, he could also get on the podium almost every time in every condition. s local races became less of a challenge for him, he started going further and further to race. Some weekends he would be in Illinois and on others he would be in Wisconsin. He would go there to challenge himself and get a certain type of point, that can boost him in an overall rank.

A racer gets a certain amount of points based off of his or her rank in the race. The better you rank in the race, the less points the racer receives. At the end of the standard season, the top racers get to go on an participate

in postseason races leading up the the world championships.

I

n the past 2017-18 racing season, Petrov has raced 30 races giving him a total of 6014.39 points This averages each race at 200.48 pts.

10 of the races that Petrov has raced in the past season, have been in the top five when finishing.

“It was pretty good for the first couple of years,” Petrov says. “I mean it’s still good now but I started seeing challenges when I was

Cyclists utilize external oblique and abdominal muscles to balance on the bike.

about 16 when I traveled all over the United States (U.S.) so I could get Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) points which are the international points you need for the world cup and world championship.”

When Petrov started competing in these races, he would travel and compete and also be in school. At one moment during Petrov’s high school career, he was competing in Europe and was out of school for two weeks.

Competing around the country and overseas at times, brought up many academic challenges

They also engages biceps, triceps and deltoids while gripping the handle bars to steer.

Because a majority of the body’s weight is put on the ischial tuberosities located in the pelvis, cycling is easy on joints thus making it easier to continue the activity throughout life.

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Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 56

sports | alternative sports through the duration of his high school years. But, with administration to help him, he was able to race at a high level and also participate in school.

“I was very fortunate to be good friends with the administration,” Petrov says. “They were very helpful and being patient with me and making sure I was getting everything I needed so that I would be successful.”

Several leg muscles are used to pedal: Hip flexor Quadriceps

Gluteus maximus

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source trainingpeaks.com

It’s something about cyclocross in particular that really just clicked for me. —Professional Cyclist Spencer Petrov 57 lakotaeastsparkonline.com Mar 2018

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retrov’s administrators were invested into his athletic and academic achievements.

They saw cycling as something he was passionate about and he could go and experience Europe and different cultures around the world.

“After every trip [my teachers and administrators] would call me and they just wanted to hear all about [my trip],” Petrov says.

“I was in a great community and I am very fortunate for the people in my life letting me pursue my dreams and my cycling career.”

One of the people at Mason High School that made a big impact on him was Mason High School counselor Sally Clark, who helped him all throughout high school.

“I think Spencer was a pioneer for us,” Clark says. “[Many] athletes like Spencer would have to be homeschooled or some in some type of online school. [This was something] his parents did not want him to do.”

Clark and other administrators devised a special academic and athletic plan for Petrov to follow. He would be able to follow his cycling career and graduate high school.

Within the plan, Petrov needed to have a lot of communication with his teachers in addition to making sure he was passing his classes.

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oth East and Mason have flexibility with different ways on how to gain credit in gym. East Athletic director Richard Bryant says that any student athlete can sign the waiver if they’re qualified to gain their gym credits.

“A few years back,” Bryant says. “There were these twin girls who were in Archery.

[They were] extremely high level athletes. They could be olympic bound. They missed a ton of school but, they met the requirements for school requirements [academically and ath letically with the waiver].”

Bryant says that it is important for the athlete of this level be extremely involved with guidance counselors, administrators and teachers so they can stay up to date with their academics.

Petrov faced these hurdles involving communication with the school as well as performing to the best of his abilities in the cycling field.

“I have been pretty lucky thats for sure,” Petrov says. “There have been some hard times [throughout my career] but, my family and administrators have helped me immensely.” •

R

FINDING R E H

ROUTE East junior Abby Bammerlin has found her passion in rock climbing as a part of the Cincinnati Slopers.

story stephen mckay | photography used with permission

sports | alternative sports

For indoor, recreational climbing, a more flat-toed shoe works best for climbing the standard rock wall.

A standard indoor rock wall available to both beginners and competitors use can cost on average $22, which includes shoes and harness rental.

The moderate shoe is a good in-between option for both indoor climbing as well as a good shoe to anchor onto rock slabs.

The aggressive shoe is the least comfortable because of its large arch, but it is the best choice for outdoor rock climbing especially climbing in between cracks.

A crack in a mountain that climbers may come across. source gearjunkie.com

Below: Bammerlin scales a cliffside in aggressive shoes in Red River Gorge in Kentucky.

T

enth birthdays were once a beautiful time. The anticipation to reach the double-digit milestone was incredible. Of course, there was always a party with as many family and friends as possible with presents and cake.

However, for East junior Abby Bammerlin, her tenth birthday introduced her to rock climbing, a new team and a new favorite place. RockQuest Climbing Center, located in Sharonville, Ohio is a place where a lot of local climbers gather, whether it’s for a team, as a hobby, or in Abby’s case, her tenth birthday party.

“I first started climbing when I was looking for a place to do my tenth birthday party,” Bammerlin says. “Then I found out that they had a climbing team and I started climbing.”

Bammerlin climbs for the Cincinnati Slopers, who climb out of RockQuest and she travels all over the midwest, participating in competitions and testing herself against other highly talented climbers. Although her coach, Becca Ewert, knows she is not out of place.

“Abby is a very well rounded and naturally gifted climber.

Abby’s strengths are executing precision footwork, hold sequencing, and focus at climbing competitions.” Ewert, who has been coaching Abby for four years says. “Abby is probably one of the best overhanging climbers we have on the team.”

Ewert believes that Bammerlin has a chance to be a force in local and regional competitions this year. She wants to see Bammerlin be successful in her divisional championships this coming year.

“I would like Abby to qualify for day two of the divisional championship,” Ewert says. “She will be climbing against the top athletes from our neighboring regions.”

Ohio is in USA Climbing’s Region 702, which is also called the Rust Belt. Pennsylvania and New Jersey are also included in this region and is one half of Division seven.

This division is also made up by Kentucky, West Virginia, Massachusetts, and Delaware. This area is where a lot of climbing competitions and championships take place for this division and where Ewert wants Bammerlin to have success.

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ccording to Bammerlin, she rarely has competitions close to home. She usually travels hours to participate in competitions for her region and division. Sometimes, she says she even participates in other regions so that she can participate in more competitions.

For Bammerlin, she is looking to qualify for nationals, not just divisional championships. This is a goal that she has been trying to achieve for the past few years. Last year, Bammerlin finished 19th in the second round while trying to qualify for the Sport Youth National Championships.

“I want to make it to nationals,” Bammerlin says. “A couple of years ago I was close to making it to nationals, one point away so one hold because they didn’t tell me a special scoring thing so I didn’t end up getting to go and that was really disappointing so I’d really like to go.”

In all of these competitions, Bammerlin usually takes place in sport climbing, where the climber climbs up a route made by setters with permanent anchors. In most climbing types, the climber has to remove and place their own anchors to make it up the wall. Sport climbing is going to be a new sport in the Olympics in 2020 in Tokyo. Bammerlin also climbs outdoor, which she says is one of her favorite things to do when climbing.

“We took a team trip down to Red River Gorge in

Above: Bammerlin works her way up a mountain crack in Pisgah National Forest outside of Ashville, North Carolina.

Kentucky and me and one of my older coaches went out on our own and we were climbing on this one route and its was quiet and perfect weather,” Bammerlin says. “I just remember feeling so at peace and just so happy.”

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eing a part of the Cincinnati Slopers has been a great learning experience, according to Bammerlin. She is one of the oldest members of the team and she enjoys being a leader and helping the younger climbers out with their technique. “[Rock climbing has] taught me how to teach people how to do things that I’ve known all of my life,” Bammerlin says. “It’s taught me patience more than anything.”

Bammerlin has also met new people and made new friends as a part of the Cincinnati Slopers. Lydia Filgis, who has been climbing with Bammerlin for six years, has developed a very close friendship with Bammerlin through being teammates.

“We would go to the gym for the whole day, and we would only climb for like the first two hours,” Filgis, who is a sport climber and also does bouldering, says. “Then we would go to the root beer stand, and run around the building and hide each others gear around the gym.”

According to Ewert, Bammerlin has a special piece of gear, her chalk bag, which she uses for grip on her holds and her fingers.

“My favorite memory of Abby is always being able to tell her she has chalk on her face. Abby has a tendency to use a lot of chalk while she climb,” Ewert says. “We could be five minutes into practice and Abby would have chalk on her nose or above her eyebrow. It was one of the funniest things because she would just leave the chalk on her face for the rest of practice and wear it like a badge of honor.”

Ewert hopes that Bammerlin’s climbing career does not end as soon as her time as a part of the Slopers is over. She believes rock climbing isn’t just something you have to do as a team.

“I can only hope that Abby continues to climb long after she graduates,” Ewert says. “[I hope she] gets the opportunity to climb and travel all across the country.”

Filgis also hopes her climbing connection and friendship with Bammerlin will last way past climbing. She says that Bammerlin is one of her best friends.

“I know that I can always count on Abby, she is so reliable, and honest,” Filgis says. “We always said that we would be climbing partners forever.” • Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 60

sports | alternative sports

THE GLO H

er heart beats, slow and calm, like the tick-tock of a clock… “and Junior Miss Earth 2016 goes too”... her heart beats faster, like a ticking time bomb until, the moment comes. She hears her very own name over the loudspeaker. Looking out into the roaring crowd, they place the tall, sparkling crown atop of her head and the white and purple ‘Junior Miss Earth 2016’ sash over her shoulder. Soon her eyes catch her mother’s proud gaze, and she knows that all of her hard work had paid off.

Balancing school and extracurriculars can be stressful but, in the long run, it leads to great success. This happened for East Sophomore Keeley Goldberg, when she won the Junior Miss Earth 2016 title at the Miss Earth pageant in the summer of 2016.

“I was beyond excited,” Goldberg says. “I won my age group and $1,000 in scholarship money. Most of all it’s about who you are; it doesn’t really matter what dress you wear or what you look like. It has nothing to do with your beauty. I was in braces, coming out of 8th grade when I won. I was super young.”

Goldberg originally wasn’t allowed to compete in pageants due to their negative stigma in the community.

Her mother, Amy Goldberg, allowed her to start competing at the age of 10 when she found that there are natural pageants.

“It started out as a joke,” Keeley says. “I used to watch ‘Toddlers & Tiaras’ when I was little. So my mom [said] ‘why don’t we just try it?’ Of course she was skeptical about it, she didn’t want me to become one of them, so we decided to start with natural pageants.”

Keeley explains that these pageants are all organic based and are very strict about saving the earth. Amy thought that since they focused more on saving the earth than on beauty, that she would like that better. The Miss Earth United States competition is a pageant for the most “beautiful and dedicated” women of the Earth to act as “role models dedicated to uphold advocacy and preserve mother earth.” When Keeley won the pageant, she attributed her part in helping the earth.

“I did a lot of community involvement, such as creating wildlife habitats and planting trees for earth day,” Keeley says. “I helped enforce recycling with younger generations by reading a book about the Earth at Princeton’s elementary schools.”

Although pageants require lots of physical practice and training, there is also a mental aspect that goes into it. Amy, who has been teaching dance at various locations for 30 years, explains that Keeley really puts herself out there on stage.

OBAL GIRL “She’s a different person when she is on stage,” Amy says. “Sometimes she’s shyer than you think in certain situations socially, but then you put her on stage and shes a different person completely. She seems to get rid of any concerns about what people think, she just does her thing.”

Keeley’s Grandmother Karen Stegmuller feels that pageants are a great learning experience. She believes Keeley has learned countless lessons throughout her career.

“I think it will help the kids grow in certain ways, and they get self confidence,” Stegmuller says. “They learn how to talk to people. Its good life skills. Keeley will be able to interview for a job just like that.”

Pageants often come with a hefty price tag.

Entry fees are around $200, while wardrobe costs can be over $1,000. Stegmuller helps cover all of the different expenses. She explains that she had “nothing better to do” with her money. Amy and Keeley nicknamed her the “Fairy Pageant Gramma,” because without her it would be hard to afford.

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my says that Keeley’s tenacity is definitely something that she admires. Sometimes there are things that don’t go her way, but instead of backing down she rises to the occasion.

“I worked really hard for this,” Keeley says.

“At times its really overwhelming because I dance competitively and it’s hard to balance everything. I miss weeks of school because of travel. No one will truly understand [pageants].

It’s more about who you are. These shows make it seem like something it’s really not.”

Along with competing in pageants every summer, Keeley also dances competitively for Star Performance Center (SPC), located right across from East. Her mother and her grandmother opened the studio in 2000, wanting to continue to share their love for dance with everyone.

“For a long time I was teaching baton twirling,” Stegmuller says. “Amy twirled a baton and danced big time when she went to college.

She danced on the dance team and coached at the University of Cincinnati and then after she got done with that we decided we wanted to open a dance studio.”

For Amy, that decision was an easy one to make.

“I had always taught other people at other studios so I thought I might as well open my own. I started teaching dance at 15, teaching an after school dance program,” Amy says. “I’ve been teaching a long time, 30 years now.”

Just like her mom, Keeley has a passion for dance. She has been dancing since she was two years old, and doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon, no matter how exhausting her days are.

When she wakes up in the morning she’s still tired from the day before. She goes from school to dance for a couple of hours, then back home to eat. Sometimes there will be tumbling or pageants lessons in between. After dinner she starts homework, including assignments from advanced classes. Sometimes it’s really hard for : ir & ha keup r ma /hou 50 $2

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her to catch up, but somehow “I’m able to do it,” Keeley says.

Having a rigorous schedule isn’t enough to keep her from doing what she loves. Keeley is apart of the senior teams and is on two hiphop teams, one jazz team, and one pom team at SPC. Along with the East dance team, she also participates in East football cheerleading in the fall.

She describes being on stage with some of her best friends as one of the “best feelings in the world”. Her friends have supported her during pageants as well as dance competitions.

Along with making many lifelong friendships, being a part of a dance program has also taught Keeley many life skills.

beauty pageant | sports

story gabbie behrmann photography used with permission infographic landon meador “[Dance has] taught me so many social skills,” Keeley says. “Each year when you try out, you have to open new girls into the program. It’s taught me to be fearless, when you’re trying new tricks you can’t be scared of what you’re about to do. Pageants and dance have really helped shape who I am. Dance is such a good stress reliever. I cant even explain how many times I’ve taken my frustration out dancing.”

C

aitlyn Beck, one of Keeley’s dance coaches, says that she pushes her students to be the best versions of themselves. Seeing the progression in the dancers is her favorite part. With Keeley, in particular, she knows she always gives 110 percent.

“She’s very positive, bubbly and hard worker, “ Beck, who has been teaching at SPC for 10 years, says. “She enjoys taking on many tasks, while facing challenges head on, and not backing down. Most kids say I’ll just do this one thing but Keeley says ‘I will do four things, but I can do them well’. In the 10 years I’ve know her, I’ve never seen her in a bad mood.”

From learning pirouettes, to practicing her runway walk, Keeley explains that what’s most important in competing is how you present yourself, and that comes from how much selfconfidence you have.

“Of course there’s modeling aspects to it,” Keeley says. “There will always be categories like Photogenic, runway modeling and formal wear.

But all that matters is how you present yourself on stage, if your smile is big enough, and how happy you are to be there. These shows make [pageantry] to be like something its not, its all about who you are.” •

story broc nordmark photography richard giang

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Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 62

sports | alternative sports

SHREDDING THE SLOPES East junior Jake Brinck has developed a passion for snowboarding at Perfect North Slopes. story stone shields infographic anna mullins art tyler bonawitz

T

he icy wind is chilling to the core as he shoots down the snow covered “far side,” hill at Perfect North Slopes. Reaching speeds near 50 miles per hour, he jets down mountains.

However, the freezing temperatures and high velocities don’t phase him, snowboarding is his passion.

East junior Jake Brinck has been snowboarding since he was 10 years old and has loved it ever since. When he was first starting out, he had a little toy snowboard that he went down backyard hills with. It wasn’t long before he discovered snowboarding was something he wanted to do on a more serious level.

“As a Christmas present one year my parents paid for a years worth of snowboarding lessons for me at Perfect North Slopes,” Brinck says.

“Since then my love for the sport has really taken off.”

According to Perfect North Snowboarding Trainer Megan Holthaus, beginners lessons can differ based on the comfort level of the snowboarder.

“We always start by introducing the snowboard, how to put it on and how to stand on it,” Holthaus says. “Then we usually start clients off with only one foot latched onto the board, this helps them ease into snowboarding.”

Brinck tries to snowboard at least once a week at Perfect North. If he is unable to do so he tries to double up the following week. Perfect North is his main snowboarding location but he has also been to resorts in Minnesota, Colorado and most recently Michigan.

“Snowboarding really is totally different at these places compared to Perfect North,” Brinck says. “The snow itself has a totally different feel and other resorts are just so much bigger and more spread out.”

Brinck has fallen in love with the feeling he gets when snowboarding. He says he sometimes enjoys going fast down hills and enjoying the adrenaline rush. Other times, he likes taking it slow because it is relaxing to take everything in and feel the snow underneath his board.

Brinck likes to get better at snowboarding and enjoys it but doesn’t take part in any serious events.

“I’ve never really had the urge to be in any competitions,” Brink says. “But every so often when I go with friends we will race each other but it’s all really just for fun for me.”

63 lakotaeastsparkonline.com Mar 2018

O

ne of his friends he attends Perfect North with is East junior skier Josh Ring. Brink and Ring have been friends for a long time and they love hitting the slopes together.

“It’s fun to go with Jake because he’s a real funny and easy-going guy,” Ring says. “He doesn’t take snowboarding too seriously to the point where he can’t have fun with it. He’s always trying to do new tricks and it’s pretty funny when he messes up, but that doesn’t happen often.”

Ring also added how good Brinck is at his craft, which Ring says is a testament to how hard he works at it. “No matter what time it is Jake would be snowboarding if he could,” he says. “He works really hard and gets better every chance that he gets.”

Snowboarding is a very difficult sport to master. It requires incredible balance and guts to be able to fly down a steep, slippery incline.

Brinck says the number one thing to being a successful snowboarder is having confidence in yourself.

“If you think about falling you’re going to

fall,” Brinck says. “But if you are relaxed and not discouraged when you do fall, which will happen, you will be fine.”

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dditionally, snowboarding can be quite a dangerous sport. Cruising down icy slopes at high speeds can pose an injury risk and this is something Brinck’s father, John Brinck, is aware of.

“It can be a little nerve-racking at times,” John says. “He broke his nose last spring break out west. But he wears the right equipment and we trust he will make good decisions.”

Other than the pending accident that is one wipeout away, John had nothing but good things to say about the sport. “I love that you can move and enjoy it at your own pace and skill level,” John says. “There is always room to improve and challenge yourself and it is a great activity to enjoy with friends.”

Brinck looks forward to making more memories out on the mountains.

“This is what I love doing,” Jake says. “I hope I can do it for a long time.” •

Helmets are comprised of two main parts: the shell and the inner liner.

The shell helps to protect against impact and the inner liner provides comfort and warmth. Cost: $60-300

Goggles have lenses that reduce glare and protect the eyes from snow.

Cost: $30-200

Snowboarding jackets fit loosely and are longer than normal jackets in order to provide protection from cold weather and snow.

Cost: $200-500

Snowboarding pants tend to be baggier to allow movement and contain extra padding in the knees and rear. Cost: $90-300

Boots used for snowboarding are commonly referred to as soft boots.

They are attached to the board using the bindings. Cost: $175-230

Bindings attach the boot to the board using several screws. The most common types of bindings include strap-in, step-in, and hybrid bindings. Cost: $100-250

Snowboards vary greatly depending on the rider. They transfer energy from the rider to the ground.

Cost: $275-600

source rei.com

opinion | editorial cartoon

“The New Liberty� - Alex Fernholz 65 lakotaeastsparkonline.com Mar 2018

column | opinion

REFUGEE REDEMPTION

BRYCE FORREN

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undreds of thousands of Middle Eastern refugees crossed the Mediterranean Sea into multiple European countries in 2015, creating an influx of undocumented immigrants and heating an already-fiery political debate that would become a crutch for Presidential Candidate Donald Trump.

But when the fourth of July came around that year, my 14-year-old self was hardly listening. I was more invested in my “DJ set” for the party my family was hosting for 33 college students, all of whom happened to have come from different parts of the Middle East.

My father, the big-shot-professor, had been co-hosting the Study of the United States Institute for Student Leaders (SUSI Program) through Miami University. The 33 students were expected to return to their countries at the end of the summer with ideas to improve and impact the people in their communities.

But I soon discovered that they were practicing these techniques on me, radically impacting my perspective on the importance of co-existence.

I was lucky to have gotten bored of DJ-

saying she wished that she would be able to stay in America.

A week or two later, attending a food festival in Chicago, I overheard the same girl make remarks that she thought it was weird that this many people were able to gather together in public like this. She added that If people ever did this in her country, they would be an easier target for a potential attack.

But when Weezer played their muchanticipated set that night at the festival, she and her friends passionately sang along to every lyric of “Island in the Sun.” They embraced the compacted crowd in spite of what they had grown up surrounded by. Outside of their own country they were able to feel safe, have fun and be the twenty-somethings that they were.

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s the summer went on, my father encouraged my sister and I to stay involved in all of the SUSI Program’s activities, and eventually the two of us collected enough change to pay for gas to get us to Washington D.C.. This meant that we would be allowed to travel there along with the group for a few days.

My sister began to grow close to one of the

Through the civil war and oppressive regime tearing through his country that he and many around him were desperate to escape, he had cultivated many stories. However, he wasn’t able to exercise the liberty that America sometimes takes for granted in its free press. ing that afternoon, instead letting the speakers broadcast a Pandora playlist that one of the students selected. Soon I had learned everyone’s names and picked a side for the intense volleyball game taking place a mere 30 feet from where I had been standing. With every moment I spent with them, I began to get a look into the lives of people who had a shared history with those hundreds of thousands of refugees.

Watching a fireworks display that night, somewhere muddy and slightly windy in spectacular Blue Ash, Ohio, a girl stifled tears,

Syrian students, who was able to both radiate excitement and capture the emotion of what he had gone through living in Syria. He told us at one point of how in Syria he had to change the routes he took for his morning runs in order to avoid attacks from ISIS, which was rapidly becoming a very hot topic in America.

The student was admittedly loud, but undoubtedly smart. When he spoke it demanded attention, especially because he had so many stories to tell. He told everyone who would listen in the SUSI program that it was his dream to tell stories for a living by becoming a

journalist.

Through the civil war and oppressive regime tearing through his country that he and many around him were desperate to escape, he had cultivated many stories.

However, he wasn’t able to exercise the liberty that America sometimes takes for granted in its free press. But it was evident that he dreamed big, and that borders, physical or instilled by hate, would not keep him from doing what he set out to do.

One night, we left our hotel to visit the monuments in D.C. He didn’t. He told everyone that he was sick. He wasn’t.

He left the hotel in our absence and boarded a flight directly to Germany. Abandoning the connecting flight home to Syria, he fought through hours of interrogation after pleading for asylum from the German National Police who were guarding the airport in Munich.

Upon discovering that the student was alive in Germany, a team from CNN offered him an internship in Berlin, remembering the help he had volunteered to give to their reporters when they had previously covered his home country.

After advancing through the ranks and working for The Washington Post in addition to CNN, he applied as a transfer student to an American college in late 2016.

He was accepted and flew back to America in December in a rapid mid-year transfer, only weeks before President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring Syrian immigrants from entering the country.

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hrough the hardships that Western countries have established for immigrants like him, he has managed to live his dream to become a journalist, making a bold statement for the hundreds of thousands of refugees whose voices have recently been taken from them. He is an example of the leadership and power that refugees offer to a country that was built on immigrants. Among the refugees are countless others like him who have the potential to develop the new world around them. •

Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com 66

HEAD TO HEAD I

’ll be blunt here, (no pun intended). For the sake of complete honesty, being a stoner doesn’t interest me. As an average nerd that people regularly mistake for a librarian, my main focus in high school has been academics.

The parties I attend are of the birthday variety and you would never for one second think that I would be interested in weed or drugs or anything more interesting than a Friends marathon. But when it comes to the legalization of marijuana, my views aren’t as boring as my Friday nights.

California, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Colorado, Washington, Alaska, Oregon and the District of Colombia are part of a secret clique,

the kind that sits in the corner of the cafeteria, the kind that the entire school gossips about.

They are the Regina George of America, the only parts of the United States to legalize recreational marijuana for adult use.

In 2017, 20 states had bills pending that would legalize adult use of marijuana according to the National Conference of State Legislature, Ohio was missing from a list that contained Arizona, Pennsylvania, even our southern neighbor Kentucky. In fact, in 2015, Ohio voters defeated a ballot that addressed commercial sale of recreational marijuana.

There is one hope to get out of this pothole, Ohio is one of 22 states that have decriminalized marijuana, which basically means that if someone gets caught with something they shouldn’t, they don’t have to go to big bad state jail, it’s only a civil or local infraction.

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ccording to the Pew Research Center, in 2018 61 percent of Americans support the legalization of marijuana, a percentage that is nearly double the 31 percent that supported legalizing it in 2000. These times they are a-changin’, and here’s why the other 41 states need to change with them.

For starters, let’s get rid of the taboo on marijuana. It’s very hard to compare the negative effects of marijuana to any other regularly abused substance. For example, according to the Huffington Post, no one person has ever overdosed on marijuana versus a legal stimulant like alcohol which caused 107,798 deaths in Ohio during 2014 alone according to federal officials.

Then, instead of ignoring it, let’s promote healthy practices instead and provide reliable education on marijuana.

In a state where marijuana is illegal, there’s no school curriculum on how to smoke it safely with no lingering consequences like there is with alcohol. There are no pamphlets or over-informational, eager

MARIJUANA

speakers on how overdoing it socially can have negative consequences like there is with sex education. There’s very little mention of it’s benefits in medicine and how it’s been proven in studies that it eases pain.

According to the American Cancer Society, there have been studies where smoking marijuana has proven to relieve nausea and pain from chemotherapy, inhaling it can increase food intake in HIV patients and taking marijuana extracts can reduce the amount of pain medication needed.

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hen it’s just a matter of comparing the cold, hard, solid statistics, and how I do love those statistics, despite my less than satisfactory grade in Mr. Orlando’s AP Statistics class right now.

In 2016 Colorado celebrated their lowest level of adolescent monthly marijuana use since 2007 with a mere 9 percent of teens ages 12-17.

In fact, according to a federal study, teen alcohol, heroin and tobacco use are all down too, all in the first state to open recreational marijuana markets.

I am not a complete supporter of unrestricted marijuana use by any means. I still hold firm to my beliefs that teenagers and other adolescents should have zero contact with mind altering substances until they can be mature and handle it responsibly and I doubt that my mindset will change.

H

owever I don’t support this system of both keeping responsible adults from making their own choices and keeping those who truly need it from learning properly about what marijuana is.

The key to acceptance is not ignorance. With all the mistakes America has made compared to the rest of the world, we should know this.

There’s a difference between outright banning something and pretending like it doesn’t exist. I would like to see Ohio benefit from legalization the way Colorado has, with teens becoming more responsible with their choices now that they know they don’t have to sneak around and make unsafe choices.

Lighten up Ohio, and think carefully before refusing to light up. •

As more and more states legalize the recreational use of marijuana, the debate on whether or not it should be legalized in Ohio has become more and more prevalent.

columns vivian kolks, joe phelan art mckenna lewis

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am pretty sure my mom is not the only mother out there that has preached on the harmful effects of marijuana. When I was younger, I always heard a constant refrain of “don’t do drugs,” and “drugs are bad for you.” When I reached high school and I began hearing so many people begin talking about and using marijuana, I had to uphold my resolve.

Today it’s hard to witness so many people doing something so detrimental to their health.

Although legalizing medical marijuana may give an alternative for some conditions, this toxic culture will only contaminate more American youths and adults.

The people who I happen to know are far from the only ones who smoke, in fact, more than 36 percent of high school seniors said that they smoked marijuana in a survey from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). And those are only the kids who stayed truthful on ths for its medical benefits, the key point is that medical marijuana is an “alternative” source of medicine.

I

n a study led by the University Hospitals Bristol in the United Kingdom, it was established that “there was low-quality evidence suggesting that cannabinoids were associated with improvements in nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, weight gain in HIV, sleep disorders, and Tourette syndrome.”

But even though the substance can temporarily relieve some conditions, its harmful side tips over its benefits.

What those who support legalizing marijuana fail to take into account is that “marijuana smoke, like tobacco smoke, is an irritant to the throat and lungs… It also contains toxic gases and particles that can damage the lungs,” according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

It is also associated with large airway inflammation, increased airway resistance, lung hyperinflation, and chronic bronchitis. Guess what other substance leads to those conditions?

Tobacco.

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he icing on the cake is that it is not even approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who must approve all medicines. The FDA has been studying

the effects and nature of marijuana for over 50 years now and they have concluded that marijuana is not a safe or effective medicine and has the potential for harm and is addictive.

According to NIH research, one in six teens who start using marijuana become addicted and 50 percent of daily users will also become addicted.

In the pharmaceutical land, there is only a few strains of cannabis that is FDA-approved as treatments. In fact, medical marijuana contains an unstable mixture of over 400 chemicals, with some of them appearing in uncontrolled strengths, according to the California Narcotics Officers Association.

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ut the 29 states, by legalizing medical marijuana, have totally disregarded these facts.

Most importantly, marijuana can cause permanent brain damage.

Dr. Marc Seal of Melbourne University released the statements that marijuana reduces the amount of white matter in the brain by as much as 80 percent and can also shrink the hippocampus.

In plain language, it basically means marijuana decreases IQ, judgment, and memory in an adult brain. Just imagine its horrific effects in a stilldeveloping, adolescent mind and keep the thought that the United States is already ranked 26th academically in the world.

Legalization of marijuana does not help solve the problem of underage drug use either. It could in fact promote it. In the 1970s, Alaska legalized the drug— only to recriminalize it in 1990 after Alaskan teen marijuana use

jumped to twice the national average, according to a study from CNBC and the Washington Post.

It took an entire generation to discover all of tobacco’s harms. We are almost like guinea pigs, ready to be tested with this harmful substance that we assume is beneficial for the society. At this very moment, our country is lost within the dense smoke but is opening its gateway to let in yet another harmful, addictive substance.

Don’t let history repeat itself. Don’t let the smoke cloud your judgment of the truth. •

opinion | column

MELA-NO-MA GABBIE BEHRMANN art tyler bonawitz

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he year is 2008. I was a scrawny, bleachblonde 2nd grader who’s world revolved around lisa frank stickers, and making sure my “littlest pet shop” collection was better than the other girls. Sounds normal right?

Wrong.

My dad had been diagnosed with the most dangerous and deadly form of skin cancer, Melanoma, in advanced stages. Being 7 years old, I didn’t understand that his sickness had been caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun, or that once it spread to other parts of the body it was very hard to treat. All I knew was that “daddy is very sick”, and we needed to “pray extra hard for him”...yeah, whatever, and I went back to building my kingdom.

My young mind couldn’t wrap its grubby fingers around the fact that the Fates were close to cutting his life string. He got thinner and paler after his surgery. When the chemotherapy kicked in, he looked like a pile of bones with a thin gray sheet tossed over it.

5 days a week for 4 months my mom would administer the medicine through an IV in their bedroom. The bedroom, which was once full of life, seemed to be just another hospital room. After the chemotherapy ended, he gave himself a shot in the abdomen 3 times a week for 11 months. My family hoped and prayed that this would rid his body of the foreign invaders in his left shoulder and neck lymph nodes.

One day, as I sat playing with my littlest pet shop empire, I stopped and thought, “How did

sunscreen is not something one can simply choose, or not choose, to apply. In fact, it is something that is needed to be worn everyday, rain or shine, overcast or sunny, up or down, — ok I think I made my point- to protect yourself.

Wearing it can prevent the development of the “final boss” of all diseases— cancer.

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ccording to the Skin Cancer Foundation, Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer, killing an estimated 10,130 people in the US annually. If it is recognized and treated early, it is almost always curable, but if not, it can become more severe, and spread to other parts of the body which can possibly be fatal.

The American Cancer Society say one of the main causes of the disease is ultraviolet radiation (UV rays), from sunshine or tanning beds.

Think of the sun and its UV rays like they come from the one of evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz “inator” machines from the Disney Channel show Phineas and Ferb. Would you want to be pulverized by it’s evil rays? No? Well have no fear, because Perry the Platypus is here once again to save the day, this time in the form of sunscreen. The sun acts the same way as an “inator” machine. It’s UV rays penetrate the skin, causing damage to cells. This can lead the cells to grow out of control causing cancer. Not to mention they also create excruciating burns that make skin feel as if its burning 24/7...but that’s no big deal.

The mindset of “my sunburn is just the first step in tanning” needs to go.

Now. Sunburns are immediate reactions that cause a lifetime of damage. this happen to him?” It’s simple. He never wore sunscreen.

Now I know what people think, ‘I don’t wear sunscreen because I like to be tan’. Or, ‘only the pale girls that blend in with the bottom of the pool need to wear it’.

Apart from popular belief, wearing 69 lakotaeastsparkonline.com Mar 2018

I remember seeing old pictures of my dad in the summer with his burnt-to-a-crispskin. Sunlight reflected off of his sunglasses, his shoulders and chest were beat red, and a carefree grin was anchored to his face. He doesn’t regret the fun he had in the sun, but he sure does regret the burns that nipped him in

the bud— well… shoulder.

Most sun damage is actually accumulated in childhood and teen years, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. Out of 392 East students surveyed, 218 of them think it is not important to wear sunscreen everyday. Some live to get sunburned, showing off their red, flaking skin like a trophy. When they change clothes, their charred epidermis creates lines, as if they never changed clothes at all. They see that as a victory. The mindset of “my sunburn is just the first step in tanning” needs to go. Now. Sunburns are immediate reactions that cause a lifetime of damage. The effects may not show themselves now, but when the damage rears its ugly head in the form of early aging, wrinkles, sun spots or worse 10-20 years later, you”ll for sure be sorry. Think about that the next time vacations are spent with hours baking in the sun. Will your skin be shown off in its new redbronzed glow? Or will it be on display along with that newly developed mole that has a high chance of being melanoma?

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esides being a cancer preventative, sunscreen has lasting effects on the skin.

Youthful, healthy, wrinkle free skin is just the start.

Many cosmetic companies have sunscreen products such as facial moisturizer, BB creams, and tinted moisturizers that make wearing your SPF so much easier. When it comes to sunscreen itself, The Mayo clinic recommends any type that is labeled “broad-spectrum”, which means it protects from all types of UV rays. So wearing it really isn’t that hard to incorporate into everyday life.

Flash forward to present time, my dad beat “the final boss”, with one life to spare, and has been cancer free for 10 years. Now he is a sunscreen-applying god. He has passed down his wisdom to us, his four pale little children, in the form of tubes that contain the life-saving white cream, with hopes that we too will utilize it’s powers.

Slap some sunscreen on that skin. Sincerely, your non-cancerous skin cells. •

guest column | opinion

THE WAR ON DRUGS RYAN ACKERMAN art tyler bonawitz

Guest columnist and East senior Ryan Ackerman lends his perspective to the disadvantages of the War on Drugs.

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ow I understand that drugs are a rather hot topic, now and always, but I would like everyone who reads this commentary to try to leave your preconceptions at the door, even if you have to replace the word drugs with kittens or bunnies or something.

The illicit drug market in the United States of America is a multi-billion dollar industry.

Much of the money made from drugs like cocaine or heroin is funneled back into gangs or cartels, which in turn use that money to fund everything from prostitution to weapons. Now, think about if that money was instead going to schools or legitimate businesses.

Now to everyone’s favorite topic, taxes! The Cato institute estimated back in 2010 that if all of these illicit substances were taxed at similar rates to alcohol than they would produce a total of $46.6 billion a year in taxes. Parts of this unfathomable amount of money could go towards education on drugs or closing the national debt or any matter of other beneficial programs.

The Drug Policy Alliance estimates that the United States spends $51 billion dollars a year

on the War on Drugs. This is money that could be used to fight a losing war, aka promoting the highest incarceration rate in the world with an astounding 46.2% of inmates are incarcerated for drug crimes, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Now the typical argumentative response to all of this is that legalizing drugs means more people will use them. This fact is contradicted

by Portugal, a country that actually saw a fifty percent drop in drug usage post decriminalization, according to Portuguese health officials. But let’s assume for one moment, for the sake of my point, that because drugs are legal, more people use them.

Well if drugs were in fact legalized or at least decriminalized, than the money that has been liberated from the War on Drugs can be used to educate people on drugs and work to decrease the number of people dependent on them. Now the next logical jump people make is, if more people use drugs more people will overdose, another assumption that is contradicted by Portugal where there are 6 drug deaths per million compared to 185 per

million in the United States.

However assuming that more people are going to overdose there is another solution, with legal drugs there is more control over the flow from producer to consumer, there’s no shady black market deals when everything can be monitored in the light of day.

Legalizing the use of certain drugs means that there can be some modicum of control over how much the public is allowed to have.

If we do not allow people a supply of of a substance large enough to overdose, they wouldn’t be able to overdose in the first place, a strategy that has worked with heroin in the Netherlands.

Another side to decriminalizing drugs is that it would allow for people to seek treatment without getting hauled off by the police in the back of a PT cruiser. So just to reiterate, ending the war on drugs would save $51 billion a year and redirect revenue away from gangs and cartels in addition to ending the crime that has incarcerated almost half of our prison population.

Seems like a pretty decent deal to me. •

EAST SPEAKS OUT

Should Marijuana Be Legalized In Ohio? interviews and photography isis summerlin

YES

I don’t think I’d use it but for a lot of people it is...you know in Ohio it’s illegal for medicine too and it would help a lot with that.

Tanya Kukreja

NO

Trying to legalize it...that right there is a moral breakdown of society, so I am a huge advocate of making drugs still not legal.

Hunter Oswald

YES

I think enough people use it for medical and nonmedical purposes and if we can make Satullo it as-Dominic a recreational use I think it would be fine to legalize marijuana.

Evelyn Kolks

NO

There are a lot of people who might not use marijuana correctly.

Kennedy Chenault

opinion | editorial cartoon

“Star Wars Episode 45� - Bryce Forren

71 lakotaeastsparkonline.com Mar 2018

LOVE AND HONOR JULIANNE FORD T

he best time of the year is finally here. It’s the time when I can finally tell my friends and family where I am going to college and what I am going to study. I am proud to announce that I will be studying early childhood education at Miami University, Oxford next year. Yes—I am that “crazy” girl who wants to be in the classroom the rest of her life. But as I have started to share my major with everyone, I have received many mixed comments.

Last year when I began thinking about my college majors, I became overwhelmed with the idea of only doing one thing for the rest of my life. Education was always a major that was sitting in the back of my head. I had always told everyone that I wanted to go into education, but the thought of going into it scared me. I had heard so many negative things about the profession that I was skeptic about following that path. At that point I was debating between multiple majors that I didn’t have a passion for.

Over the summer I teach swim lessons to young kids at a private pool. I have had the opportunity to see first hand their growth. Every time a child grew and accomplished one of their goals, I was super proud to have helped them. These short lessons greatly impacted my decision to go into education. Seeing the success of the kids has inspired me in so many ways.

Being a news editor for the Spark means I have been extremely active within the Lakota community and this past year I have seen Lakota grow into an innovative, forward-thinking and influential school district.

The growth that Lakota has displayed this past year has shown me that education is a powerful tool that can help influence the next generation. When I finally decided to go into education I was super excited to tell my teachers and peers. However the response I wanted was far from what I received.

One comment I have heard was from a teacher, after I told them I planned on going into education. They asked “If I hated myself.”

I was taken back by that comment. That was something I would never expect to hear from someone who was talking to someone wanting to go into their profession. I was expecting them to tell me how they have seen kids grow and form into amazing, successful individuals through teaching.

Another comment I have heard was from another educator, they said, “don’t go into [education], there is no money.”

I have known from the start that education is not the highest paid job in the country. But I am not going into education for the money.

I am going to see the change of the impact that I will have on future generations.

If one more person tells me not to go into education I will smile, and kindly respond, “You are the reason I am going to go into education. Thank you for inspiring me to teach the next generation of leaders.” •

Mar 2018 lakotaeastsparkonline.com #

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