LH Feature Magazine

To Take a Knee A Dividing Decision

Escape from reality - Hungry for halloween - Summer Safe Haven - Halloween in the streets

T h e L i t t l e H aw k F e at u r e s M aga z i n e

TO TAKE A KNEE: A DIVIDED DECISION

By Nina Lavezzo-Stecopoulos and Reese Hill

4-7

“A movement that has spread across the nation arrived at City High Friday night before the varsity football game. Earlier that week Amelia Morrow, Mary Liebig, Bihotza James, and Kawther Rouabhi decided to organize a time for City High students to partake in the act of kneeling during the national anthem to raise awareness for the Black Lives Matter movement and to spark conversations about race that are not heard as often at City.”

Escape from reality

By Mina Takahashi

“Deep breathing, calm music, and an instructor’s soothing voice fill the library each Monday as teachers gather for a de-stressing yoga session, an idea started by English teacher Mandy Sotillo.”

10-13

Hungry for Halloween By lindy rublaitus

14-15 2 The Little Hawk

A look into the best foods for your slightly-late Halloween party, get together, or general early-November spookiness.

Summer safe haven

By Nina Lavezzo-Stecopoulos and maya durham “Camp Wapsie, tucked away in the woods near the Wapsipinicon River, looks like it came right out of “The Parent Trap.” But for many of the children who attend every summer, Camp Wapsie is much more than a camp — it’s a safe haven from the anxieties, stresses, and traumas of their lives.”

16-19

Halloween in the streets

By Sylvia gidal and nina lavezzo-stecopoulos

20-23

Spooky, halloween-inspired outfits put together by sylvia gidal and

DEar Readers, Welcome to the second Feature Magazine of the year. Let us tell you, it’s a good one. We start off with a story about City’s take on the kneeling protests that have been sweeping the NFL. We have a story about how to destress and “Escape Reality,” and about Camp Wapsie as a safe haven for campers and counselors during the summer. Finally, we have two fun pages — Halloween food and Halloween fashion. Go check it out, let us know what you think, and we’ll all have a grand old time.

Special thank you to YMCA Camp Wapsie for allowing us to use their photos.

Love,

Maya Durham

Mina Takahashi

November 3, 2017 3

To take

By Nina Lavezzo-Stecopoulos

& Reese Hill

a knee: The Dividing Decision A movement that has spread across the nation arrived at City High Friday night before the varsity football game. Earlier that week Amelia Morrow, Mary Liebig, Bihotza James, and Kawther Rouabhi decided to organize a time for City High students to partake in the act of kneeling during the national anthem to raise awareness for the Black Lives Matter movement and to spark conversations about race that are not heard as often at City.

“I think this is a serious issue because police brutality against black people is a bad issue,” said Andrew Usachev ‘18, “but protesting it at something like this I

feel won’t be the most effective way, because we’re the student section and if you look at something like the NFL that’s the teams that actually do that. The fact that we’re doing it [is] awesome and we’re coming together.”

An estimated sixty-five or more people decided to kneel or sit during the national anthem. But behind them, Lance Bormann ‘18 brought a 20 foot long american flag to the game, and remained standing with the rest of the student section. So Mr. Jespersen stood in between the group of students upright and the group who knelt.

“One of the big reasons [I stood] was I had a grandpa who was drafted into Vietnam,”

said Bormann. “And it wasn’t necessarily something that he wanted to do, he just respected his country and knew that he was being called on. That was something that even though he didn’t want to do, he decided that he was going to do. It honestly kind of bugs him when he sees all these people that are kneeling just because he lost friends over there and that was rough on him, and he feels it’s dishonoring those people. I want to honor him and those people he lost.”

Through exchanges and listening, it becomes apparent that there are more than just two sides to this discussion, but all students interviewed agreed that everyone has the right to their freedom of speech and should be allowed to kneel.

“Everybody has their right to believe in what they believe,” said Kate Swenning ‘19. “I’m showing respect to the troops because I’ve had a lot of family serve. I made the decision to stand myself but having family that has served has definitely impacted that.”

“It honestly kind of bugs him when he sees all these people that are kneeling, just because he lost friends over there and that was rough on him, and he feels it’s dishonoring those people.

I want to honor him and those people he lost.

- Lindy Rublaitus The football players of City High were not on the field during the national anthem. They waited patiently on the stairs beside the bleachers, none of them visibly kneeling, waiting to run through a piece of paper before their entrance -- a longheld City tradition. However, eight out of the nine cheerleaders knelt and linked arms with each other.

The largest group of students kneeling in the student section were in the front portion, including the four girls that introduced the idea.

Marching band members were told by Mr. Bacon not to kneel on the field, as they are representing the marching band. But if they were to make that statement, he asked them to do so on the front of the field, thus representing their individual choice.

Principle Bacon spoke to Matt Carver, a legal expert on situations like these, who instructed Bacon to advise students against kneeling on the field, not only because they are representing the school’s marching

“Everybody has

their right to believe in what they believe, I’m showing respect to the troops because I’ve had a lot of family serve.”

- Kate Swenning

band but because it is an assignment for their class.

However, Brian Hauss, the ACLU Staff Attorney for Speech, Privacy & Technology, explained that government and schools cannot legally force students to participate in patriotic rituals such as the anthem or pledge, citing the 1943 Supreme Court case, West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette. “...Students cannot be forced to recite the pledge of allegiance. The Court famously declared, ‘If there is any fixed start in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein.’ Those words still ring true today, and they apply with equal force when students want to peacefully protest racial injustice and police brutality by refusing to stand for the national anthem on the playing field.”

On the morning of Friday the 29th, Bacon initially told the band students that if they chose to kneel

“He made a very courageous move to allow these students to express their opinions when they fully could not have.”

- Lindy Rublaitus and not participate in playing the anthem they would receive a failing grade for that assignment. Later that day he decided otherwise, stating that anyone who chose to kneel and not play on the field would still receive full credit.

“Bacon took that step and allowed [the band] to express their opinions, which I think was the right thing to do,” said Lindy Rublaitus ‘19, one of three drum majors for City High’s marching band. “...He made a very courageous move to allow these students to express their opinions when they fully could not have. I respect

the people who [knelt], I respect the people who don’t [kneel], and all of it makes sense.” Rublaitus herself decided not to kneel for educational purposes.

Students with all opinions exercised their right to protest in whatever way they found most meaningful.

“I’m not going to be kneeling, I’m just going to be sitting down,” said Destiny Gibson ‘20 before the event. “What’s going on with police brutality and people not getting the rights they deserve is really upsetting me personally. Just thinking that if I were to walk on the street alone that that could happen to me and I wouldn’t get the justice that I deserve, it really affects me being a young black person.”

“Just thinking that if I were to walk on the street alone that that could happen to me and I wouldn’t get the justice that I deserve, it really affects me being a young black person.”

- Destiny Gibson

Even though the original goal was to raise awareness for the Black Lives Matter movement, in some perspectives that aim seems to have been lost in the disputation it has aroused. The flurry of passionate opinions and contradicting values has led to a controversy much more complex than most predicted.

“Over the past week how this has escalated into everything, what the original point was has gotten completely jumbled up,” said Elias Perez ‘19. “Now it’s just people fighting against each other for no reason. I respect people standing but I also understand people kneeling. But what we do at City High as a community is not this. We’re supposed to be a community together and this is dividing us.”

Escape From Reality

By Mina Takahashi

By Mina Takahashi

D

eep breathing, calm music, and an instructor’s soothing voice fill the library each Monday as teachers gather for a de-stressing yoga session, an idea started by English teacher

Mandy Sotillo.

“I was talking with Kelli Jackson, one of my instructors at Zenden, about how a lot of my co-workers in the English Department are interested in yoga, but struggle to find time to fit it into their schedules. I was like, ‘Gosh, if you could come to us, I know there would be interest,’ and she said that would be a possibility,” Sotillo said. “I started with my department, e-mailing them to see if they were interested. It will be open to the whole staff, but I wanted to see if there was interest in my department first.”

Sotillo has used yoga as an outlet to relieve stress since college, and it has quickly become part of her lifestyle.

“When I was in college, I had some yoga DVDs that I used. It can be really strengthening,” Sotillo said. “It gets your heart rate up quite a bit and now I use it as a form of exercise as well.”

Sotillo has been doing yoga for ten years. The number of classes she attends each week depends on the number of papers she has to grade. In a busy week, she might go once or twice, whereas in other weeks she might be able to squeeze in three or four classes. Because yoga is such a vital means of stress relief, Sotillo tries to attend as many classes as she can.

“The most calming and de-stressing parts are the deep breathing, and, at the very end, when we just lie there in Savasana for a few minutes.

There’s a lot of deep breathing that goes into it,” Sotillo said.

“For me personally, I think yoga is really individualized. With every pose, there are modifications so you can work at your own level, and you can really see improvement quickly, and you just feel better.”

mandy sotillo

“Your breathing goes along with your movements. Usually there is calm music, although if it’s a power class, there might be music that is more upbeat. Sometimes the instructor is doing the moves with you. The instructor at the studio where I go cues us and adjusts our posture if we’re doing some of the poses incorrectly so that we don’t injure ourselves.”

People are also attracted to yoga because it includes all skill levels.

“For me personally, I think yoga is really individualized. With every pose, there are modifications so you can work at your own level, and you can really see improvement quickly, and you just feel better. You don’t have all of these aches and pains. I think it’s something that a lot of people incorporate into their workouts. They might be doing other forms of exercise and then they might use yoga for stretching. There’s a lot of research out there about it being good for you mentally and physically.”

New teacher Haley Johannsen is one of the teachers who participates in after-school yoga.

“What stresses me out is students turning in late work,” Johannesen said, “so I do yoga to calm myself.”

Although there were only four teachers who attended the first session, Sotillo is expecting a lot more participation in the future.

“Right now we have eleven teachers interested just within the English Department,” Sotillo said. “I’m hoping to offer this to the whole staff and anyone who’s interested in the future. I feel like there would be a lot of people on staff who would like it. Because it’s on site, we’re hoping it grows. All levels will be welcome so I’m hoping more people will join us when the word gets out.”

November 3, 2017 11

Ask the Seniors What do you do to de-stress?

“I Netflix. I also prioritize, and I just know that if things don’t get done, it’s not the end of the world,” Kawther Rouabhi ‘18 said.

“I watch a movie,” Sam Bloom ‘18 said.

“I meditate, and I turn on my essential oil diffuser. I try to make a list of all my priorities and cross things off one at a time. I just sit down and try to get things done in one sitting,” Ava Otoadese ‘18 said.

“I drink tea and listen to music,” Bihotza James-Lejarcegui ‘18 said.

“I make a list of things I need to do and if I don’t feel like getting them done, I go for a run,” Sarah Nunez ‘18 said.

“I talk to my mom, and I pray,” Maylee Brown ‘18 said.

“I listen to music and I watch shows to enter another world,” Hewot Getachew ‘18 said.

“I eat to de-stress,” Aleysia Kolyvanova ‘18 said.

“I read memes, play video games, and do math,” Patrick Weiss ‘18 said.

“I bike when I’m stressed,” Miles Morrow ‘18 said.

“I like to take my dog on a walk,” Katie Cleveland ‘18 said.

November 3, 2017 13

HUNGRY FOR HALLOWEEN

By Lindy Rublaitus

Black Cat Cake Ingredients:

2 boxes of red velvet cake mix (make with box instructions) 2 16 oz canisters of black frosting (or white frosting with black food dye) 1 bag of black colored chocolate Cake pop sticks

Instructions: 1) Bake red velvet cake, distributing the batter between 3 pans.

2) When cooled, spread an even layer of black frosting on top of one cake. Repeat this until you have frosted all three cakes to create 3 layers.

3) On wax paper, create 3 triangles of chocolate for the nose and ears of the cat. Make sure they are thick so they don’t crumble.

4) While the chocolate is cooling, stick 6 cake pop sticks into the front of the cake to create whiskers.

5) For the ears, place them on top of the cake sticking up.

6) Place the nose in the center of the cake between the whiskers.

Candy Corn Milkshake Ingredients:

1 Quart Vanilla Ice Cream 1 Quart Orange Sherbet Whipped Cream (Homemade or Store bought) Yellow Food Coloring

Instructions: 1) Add around ⅓ of the quart of ice cream to a bowl, stirring in yellow food coloring until combined.

2) Fill clear glasses around ⅓ of the way full with yellow ice cream. Return to freezer for 5-10 minutes or until set.

3) Once set, fill cup around ⅔ of the way full with orange sherbet. Return to freezer for 5-10 minutes or until set.

4) Fill cup nearly full using the plain vanilla ice cream. Top with whipped cream.

Ghost Pretzels Ingredients:

30 pretzels 1/2 (12oz) bag Guittard Vanilla Milk Chips1 tube of black frosting with small frosting tip

Instructions: 1) Line a baking sheet with wax paper.

2) Melt the white chocolate and immediately dip pretzels in the bowl. Shake off excess chocolate from the pretzel with the fork.

3) Place on wax paper.

November 3, 2017 15

Summer Safe Haven

By Nina Lavezzo-Stecopoulos

& M aya D u r h a m

C

amp Wapsie, tucked away in the woods near the Wapsipinicon River, looks like it came right out of “The Parent Trap.” But for many of the children who attend every summer, Camp Wapsie is much more than a camp — it’s a safe haven from the anxieties, stresses, and traumas of their lives.

Micah Williams hasn’t had a stable summer for quite a few years, and for her, Camp Wapsie has been a lifeline “My family’s really complicated because they’re all divorced, so the summers are usually really hard because I’m always traveling between different houses you know,” she said. “Camp is the one place where I don’t have to worry about which house I have to go to, or what family problem is going on

16 The Little Hawk

right now.”

Williams is not alone in her perception of camp. Asha Sandhu, who participated in the camp’s Leader in Training program, has noticed a common trend of difficult experiences at camp.

“A lot of the people at camp don’t really have the best home life and I don’t really know why,” said Sandhu.

“But I feel like they want to go to camp to talk about everything that might be happening with their friends, family, or anything really. They can go to camp and not have to worry about it.”

Williams, who has been attending Camp Wapsie for the past 11 years, said that she often finds solace in the energy of the camp.

“There’s no issues there: you go there,

everybody’s happy, and everybody wants to be there,” she said. “It’s kind of the one place where I actually don’t have to worry about anything, and that’s really important.”

For Williams and Sandhu, a lot of the support they have found at Camp Wapsie has been through the staff members.

At Wapsie, the majority of people on the counseling staff are required to go through two years of training, in the “Leader in Training” and “Counselor in Training” programs. In these programs, the “ITz,” as they’re called around camp, learn how to address problems from abusive situations to homesickness.

“During the Counselor in Training program, you have an abuse meeting, where you learn that we’re mandatory reporters,” said Lucy McGehee ‘16, a

counselor at Wapsie. “You also learn that you’re never alone in the process of reporting.”

Clara Gilbert, who served as the Counselor in Training Director last summer, said that it is necessary to be vigilant and observant as kids may show red flags. Kids may disclose information at any time, even in passing. One of the main ways counselors are trained to identify possible abusive situations is through a process called “Bumps and Bruises,” where they run through a list of possible injuries the campers could come to camp with, such as large bruises, burns, and other wounds.

“When it comes to training counselors, the most important aspect is not putting words in the camper’s mouth. Instead ask open-ended

November 3, 2017 17

questions,” she said. “it’s important to not promise that you won’t tell anyone because you are a mandatory reporter.”

Gilbert added that in her experience, it’s most important to give the camper disclosing your undivided attention and respect, and to remain patient throughout the entire process.

“I know of counselors who sat with kids all night as they talked out their experiences and struggles,” she said. “In my experience, red flags were a mature knowledge and vocabulary and isolation.”

This training has proven to be very useful to many staff members, including McGehee, who had to address a situation of abuse in the first two years of being on staff.

“I noticed that one of my girls was very, very shy. When I talked to her she just would not respond, sometimes even physically turn away from me when I tried to talk to her,” she said.

“Later, she confided in my co-counselor that she had been abused at home previously. It was resolved in the courts already, so we didn’t have to report it to Child Services, but it had a very clear impact on her personality and even her time at camp.”

McGehee took this encounter to improve how she interacted with other campers.

“I do this thing where I will play with people’s hair, out of affection or just as a habit. And I did it to this girl and she immediately said ‘Don’t touch my head.’

I later found out that her step-dad had pulled her hair, and that’s why” she said. “I’m very aware of things like that with other campers now — if they’re shy there could be other reasons that just their personality, if they don’t react well to some interactions there could be other factors.”

Anna Basile, who used to be the Leader in Training director at Wapsie, has also encountered sensitive situations with her campers, including situations surrounding abuse.

“Noticing signs of abuse and having

18 The Little Hawk

to bring them up with a kid during camp can be really hard,” Basile said. “Because on the one hand you feel like this should be their one week away from it, the one week they can actually be a kid, but on the other you have to make sure that they will be safe when they leave camp.”

At Wapsie, some of the training counselors go through is understanding the chain of command when it comes to reporting abuse, mental illness, and other types of harmful situations. According to Gilbert, with mental illness and self-harm, you often report to the camper’s parents or guardians, but with reports of abuse, counselors are told to fill out confidential incident reports and inform Child Protective Services.

“Wapsie offers a safe and nurturing environment that kids feel more comfortable to speak up than they do at school,” she said.

While campers often do confide in counselors and staff members, they can also find comfort and

companionship in their fellow campers and ITz. Together, they can talk about everything from crushes to suicide.

These discussions often give campers a chance to view things from another’s perspective.

“People tell stories about things that have sucked in their lives,” said Sandhu.

“You give input and I like to think that people take the into consideration and get a different viewpoint from people of all walks of lives.”

Megan Hentges, another participant in the leadership program, went through some hard moments at camp. Hentges thought that having her director and fellow campers helped her through a “rough patch” in her life.

“I kinda broke down during [my second week last summer,]” Hentges said. “And [our Leader in Training director] wasn’t like ‘It’s going to get better,’ and all that — he was there for us in the realist way, like how you want someone to be there for you.”

For Hentges, she doesn’t only talk things through with her fellow ITz when she needs a spirit-lifter — she also throws herself into interacting with campers.

“When when I’m feeling down,

helping a kid always makes me feel better,” said Hentges.

This support extends beyond Camp Wapsie. Campers often keep in touch over the summer and throughout their lives.

One prime example of these friendships is between Williams and Hentges — the two met at Wapsie four or five years ago, and have been close ever since.

“I know that I can go to Meg or Micah and talk about anything if I need to because we’ve gotten so close at camp,” said Sandhu. “I feel like when you live with each other, it could be just a week but even three weeks that just brings you so close you definitely have support.

[You] can just have a safe place to open up and talk about anything.”

“I know that I can go to Meg or Micah and talk about anything if I need to because we’ve gotten so close at camp,” said Sandhu. “I feel like when you live with each other, it could be just a week but even three weeks that just brings you so close you definitely have support.

[You] can just have a safe place to open up and talk about anything.”

November 3, 2017 19

Halloween in the streets

photos by nina lavezzo-stecopoulos and sylvia gidal

November 3, 2017 21

22 The Little Hawk

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