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Published by thecourierstaff, 2023-05-03 08:04:46

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march 2023

March 2023 THE COURIER Volume 15 Issue 5 THE PROGRESSION OF FEMINISM 2840 E Orange Rd., Lewis Center, Ohio, 43035

ADS 2 | MARCH Design | Shreya Arunkumar

TABLE OF CONTENTS EDITORS IN CHIEF EDITORS STAFF ADVISER design - makenna shrager writing - aryan bommena & kendall cadegan writers: kari phillips darius agbotui rebekah richter adam welch ava valentik nathan staten caroline albert designers: nathan chow wyatt downey lincoln hake mackenna miller hiya patel sophie rogers audrey selsor business manager - shreya arunkumar & natalia favila inacua columnist - rachel lehman sports columnist - justin blevins copy editors - zion clifon, luna perez delgado, & molly sullivan design & photo editors - teresa christian & lily clark digital editor - rachel lehman feature editor - achintya perumal lifestyle editor - taylor goudie news editor - shreya arunkumar projects editor - taylor goudie sports & opinion editors - nick woolard & gabby raney A WIN FOR WOMEN............................................p.6 SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST........................p.9 THE PROGRESSION OF FEMINISM....p.12 TYRANNICAL TARDIES................................p.24 Check out !e Courier’s online site! All your favorite writers and designers go digital. Scan the code with your camera to be taken directly there! TOC & COVER DESIGN MAKENNA SHRAGER MARCH | 3

. . 4 | march march | 5 america’s gun epidemic the new normal writing kendall cadegan | design hiya patel gun violence | op ed writing the editorial board | design hiya patel staff editorial | pop culture staff editorial women in powerful roles !e Courier is the o"cial student-produced medium of news and information published by the Advanced Newspaper Journalism students of Olentangy Orange High School. !e Courier has been established as a designated public forum for student journalists to inform, educate and entertain readers as well as for the discussion of issues of concern to their audience. It will not be reviewed or restrained by school o"cials, adults or sources prior to publication. !e content of !e Courier is determined by and re#ects only the views of the student sta$ and not school o"cials or the school itself. !e Courier will not publish any material, determined by the sta$ or adviser, that is libelous, obscene or disruptive to the school day. !e adviser is Kari Phillips. Readers may respond to !e Courier through Letters to the Editor. Letters may be mailed, e-mailed to thecouriersta$@gmail. com or dropped o$ to room 2213. !e sta$ asks that submissions be 300 words or less and contain the author’s name and signature. Editors reserve the right to edit or withhold publication of letters. !e Courier strives to uphold the Canons of Professional Journalism, which includes accuracy, impartiality, etc. !erefore, major errors will be corrected in the next issue. Distinction will be marked between news and opinion stories. Beyoncé, Lindsay Lohan, and Bella Hadid are just a few female faces that engross pop culture and the entertainment industry. !eir stardom on TV and in magazines remains an impressive feat. But as women in a society de%ned by sexist ideals and malemanufactured gender roles, it’s necessary to acknowledge the double standards established by men in power of show biz. Just one of the many sectors in which women are a$ected by these double standards is the music industry. A big part of this is in their performances; we can count on our %ngers the number of times a recent male artist has put on a good show. Take the Super Bowl for example. Maroon 5’s Adam Levine decided to take his shirt o$ when he realized no one wanted to listen to him. !e Weekend’s million-dollar idea was to run through a maze with a sel%e stick. And don’t even get us started on Coldplay. On the other hand, female Super Bowl performances created shi&s in pop culture. Lady gaga #ew through the sky while delivering her vocals. Katy Perry rode a giant golden tiger. Beyoncé’s was self-explanatory. Female artists are held to a much higher standard and constantly forced to reinvent themselves, their brands, styles, and appearances. Taylor Swi& has gone through at least seven hair changes since her debut album, while Ed Sheeran still looks like his same ugly self. !e worst part is that these issues and other women’s rights have had a lack of progression within the entertainment industry. !e 2017 Me Too Movement tried to address sexism and harassment in the workplace, but the e$orts failed to create an institutional impact for victims. Movie producer Harvey Weinstein was accused of harassing actresses and female %lm employees while also being honored with multiple %lm awards, according to NPR. It wasn’t until years later that he was %nally brought to justice. However, his long-term reign of terror over female employees shows the lack of power in female voices. Moreover, workplace discrimination extends to female pay in which critically acclaimed actresses such as Natalie Portman and Jennifer Lawrence were paid signi%cantly less than their male costars, according to NPR. In a broader sense, we question what these con#icts say about how our society treats women in the workplace: if females in powerful Hollywood positions encounter consistent harassment and sexism, then what level of abuse is the average female worker facing? Women are expected to compete exceptionally better than their male counterparts to succeed while also confronting pushback in a gendered society. While movements like Me Too have pushed for change, we’ve yet to see conclusive evidence of a safer environment for female talent. !e issue isn’t that people aren’t %ghting for change, but that their attempts at change aren’t valued. Other marginalized communities are facing the same problems when %ghting for social justice. Unless everyone listens to the experiences and perspectives of disenfranchised groups, society can’t progress forward—further continuing the cycle of oppression and terrible super bowl performances. Within the %rst few months of 2023, numerous mass shootings have been covered by the media, yet only the bad ones are shown. According to the gun violence archive, 113 have already happened. !e Gun Violence Archive de%nes a mass shooting as a shooting where four or more people are injured or killed, excluding the shooter. !ey also have to occur around the same location and time. !is issue has plagued the United States for many years, but year a&er year it continues to be a much larger problem than in other countries. “Age-adjusted %rearm homicide rates in the United States are 13 times greater than they are in France, and 22 times greater than in the European Union as a whole. !e United States has 23 times the rate of %rearm homicide seen in Australia,” according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. !e di$erence is signi%cant, and people are le& to wonder why that is. One reason is likely a result of stricter gun control laws and requirements that go into owning a gun. In Switzerland, the average ageadjusted %rearm homicide rate from 1994 to 2021 is about .84 according to gunpolicy.org. !ey have a higher rate than the majority of Europe, yet have not had a mass shooting since 2001 according to Business Insider. !is is due to their strong gun control laws. !ere is a high percentage of gun ownership but the country prohibits people who have “been convicted of a crime or have an alcohol or drug addiction” and anyone that “expresses a violent or dangerous attitude” from owning a %rearm according to Business Insider. In the United States, the level of gun control varies depending on the state’s legislation. Some regions like the Northeast have stricter gun laws, making them more similar to European countries, yet the e$orts still don’t compare. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, “age-adjusted %rearm homicide rates range from a high of 17 per 100,000 in Washington, DC, to a low of 0.91 per 100,000 in New Hampshire… Even though New Hampshire has the lowest rates of ageadjusted %rearm homicides in the US, its rate is nearly %ve times greater than that of the European Union as a whole.” Additionally, di$erent areas of the United States face more mass shootings than others. Large cities for example, like Los Angeles and Chicago have a larger number of shootings, largely due to the population density. Regardlessly, whether one wants to enhance gun control throughout the nation or not, it is di"cult to say that gun violence is not a prevalent issue in the United States. Especially in places like schools. According to the Washington Post, the worst year of school shootings so far. !ere were “46 acts of violence during school hours, 34 students and adults died while more than 43,000 children were exposed to gun%re at the places they go to learn and grow. While looking at what other areas of the world do to prevent these tragedies it is clear that some additional gun control would help to improve the United States’ situation. More in depth background checks would help to ensure that the people who own guns are mentally able to do so. More support from people in government positions to ensure that the extra parameters can be implemented. As a student who constantly sees these atrocities occur at other schools and colleges around it is worrying that little is being done to reduce them. Other countries don’t need to worry about this, so why should we? It is necessary to start making changes within our country to combat the issue. Continuing to make little to no changes will only continue to devastate the children and the people of America.

. . orange supports the girls As the high school begins to welcome more students, it also welcomes a new frontier of empowering clubs for its students to join, one of these clubs is I Support the Girls. I Support the Girls Club is a volunteerbased group that, according to its president, sophomore Alina Rakhimzyanova, can give students the opportunity to “earn volunteer hours for donating feminine hygiene products to homeless women in need”. According to Rakhimzyanova, the club has donated around 4,531 women’s self-care items including, “2,164 pads and 1,320 tampons for women in need around Columbus” she said. Students are also offered an incentive of an hour’s worth of volunteering for each box of women’s toiletries they donate. With the infux of donations from students around the school, the impact of the cause is seemingly immeasurable. “Right now, I am shocked and impressed at the outcome and amount of donations we’ve been able to collect. It shows that the students really do care about the cause,” English Teacher and Adviser Alicia Barden said. The club is a chapter of the international I Support the Girls non-proft organization. The goal of the nonproft is to give women in need access to feminine hygiene products that can many times be expensive and unaffordable. “When you love, you give the people you news | for the girls 6 | march march | 7 The Multicultural Fair is an event at OOHS that allows students to explore different cultures around the world. The Multicultural Fair will take place on March 24 during all lunch periods in the auxiliary gymnasium. “The Multicultural Fair is for everyone: students, parents, and teachers! It’s held in the aux gym, and there are multiple tables scattered around with different countries at them. Almost like little booths” sophomore Annie Tanjavur a member of Student Council said. Students participating in the set-up and management of the fair split up into groups to represent different countries such as China, Mexico, and India. Students take time to create booths that properly represent an entire culture and nation. “Most groups pick a lot of dominant and popular things within their culture, whether that’s food, or some type of game, or maybe an object,” Tanjavur said. The fair is looking to build off of what last year’s fair accomplished and improve. “We are hoping this year we see even mre countries that we do not usually see. Last year, there was a China booth with many different traditional Chinese items that you could pick up and look at,” Tanjavur said. The Multicultural Fair is a good opportunity for students at OOHS to express and explore the diversity at the high school. “It’s a great and extremely fun way to show off diversity within our school, and show the different backgrounds from all the different students. Overall, it’s a great event to come check out and learn more information about other countries.” Tanjavur said. The Multicultural fair allows students to learn about other cultures in a fun and interesting way. “It gives time to let students learn about other cultures that they might not understand. It also provides a more fun and interactive way than being stuck in a classroom watching a video or reading passages,” junior Tyler Fu said. march 2023 news briefs writing nathan staten | contributer sofa terlesky | design lilly wood news briefs | news writing zion clifton | design lilly wood | photos lilly wood a win for women Picture of For The Girls donation box in front of Student Services. Picture of For The Girls donation box in front of Student Services. Scan this QR code to learn more about the club and it’s cause! love what they need, and so with this club the goal is to love by giving these women who are in need the things that they need,” Barden said. With the infux of donations from students around the school, the impact of the cause is seemingly immeasurable. “Right now, I am shocked and impressed at the outcome and amount of donations we’ve been able to collect. It shows that the students really do care about the cause,” Barden said. The club also plans to meet at Olentangy Local School District Central offce to propose the addition of free pads and tampons in all OLSD school bathrooms. Rakhimzyanova and other members of the club are in the process of creating a slide show for their presentation. “I believe no women should ever have to make the choice between food and their health,” Rakhimzyanova said, “Feminine products should be available to everyone, and no one should ever have to give up a meal and their dignity for it.” The club’s meetings take place every month, in Barden’s classroom from 2:35 to 3:30 p.m. Activities include designing and decorating donation boxes, organizing bras, and creating gift bags for women in need. The club just met on March 14 and will meet again next sometime in April. Donations will be accepted until the end of the year and in years to come. Why Should You Get Involved in I Support the Girls Students are encouraged to join the club not only for the extra incentive of volunteer hours available but also the lasting impact they can have on their community. “They will be helping out their city and fghting for a good cause,” Rakhimzyanova said. The easiest way is to donate to the club by bringing in feminine hygiene products. Things like gently used or new bras and new underwear, pads, tampons, cleansing wipes, deodorant, and other toiletries are welcomed. Participating in meetings are also encouraged as they help to get donations out to ones in need as soon as possible. With clubs like I Support the Girls, the high school community can say it is helping to contribute to helping the overall community. While Rakhimzyanova is only one of the students helping to better the community, she is making a difference and urges other students to support and be the ones advocating for those in need. Without student contributions, clubs like I Support the Girls wouldn’t be possible and for that she thanks the students who have and plan to donate to the cause. The club also plans to meet at Olentangy School District Central offce to propose the addition of free pads and tampons in all OLSD school bathrooms. For more information of I Support the Girls club, visit the club’s Instagram. important dates multicultural fair 3/24 spring break 3/27 - 3/31 band concert 4/4 home varsity boys tennis game 4/11 home varsity softball game 4/12 home varsity boys lacrosse game 4/13 state testing 4/13 - 4/27 home varsity baseball game 4/18 home varsity girls lacrosse game 4/18 home varsity track and feld 5/5 A train car in East Palestine, Ohio derailed on Feb. 3. This train car contained toxic chemicals that caught on fre and left a large amount of black smoke over the city according to the New York Times. This happened on Feb. 3, but East Palestine has been dealing with the aftermath since. On Feb. 4, the city was in an offcial state of emergency and on Feb. 6, citizens were asked to temporarily evacuate and the city is still working on clean up. “If you have organisms like a small insect or fsh that gets access to a certain amount of toxin within the environment, that fsh will in time, get eaten by a bird. Imagine that bird eats 100 fsh. Not only is that bird taking on the environmental impact of that one dosage. It’s taking on 100 doses within those fsh that it’s eating as well,” Biology Teacher Kevin Guse said. Around 5,000 people reside in East Palestine, Ohio, many of which were alarmed at the train derailment and the government’s handling of the situation. Many government offcials have visited East Palestine to aid in the damage control, offcials including Governor Mike DeWine and former President Donald Trump. The train derailment was so dangerous because of the chemicals the train contained. Some train cars held up to 1.6 million pounds of hazardous chemicals. Over 700 tons of contaminated solids and almost 2 million gallons of liquids have been collected and disposed of. “My biggest concern would be the water supply- Even if we “flter” out the toxins, where are we going to put the waste? Where is the toxin going to go? If this contaminates groundwater supplies, that is a huge issue because treating groundwater is almost impossible,” AP environmental Science Teacher Jessica Timmons said. The train derailed because of overheating in the train car’s wheels. Some trackside detectors and workers detected the overheating moments before the disaster but didn’t have enough time to act. . . celebrating diversity environmental trainwreck

. . educating orange’s entrepreneers The business program at the school is a great way for students to get a grasp on the basics and complexities of business principles. !e business program has many di"erent classes that di"er in what a student may learn. While all of them are centered on business, they may cover di"erent subtopics. “!e school o"ers Business Foundations, Business Tech, Personal Finance, Entrepreneurship and Marketing,” senior DECA president Luke Border said. One of the most popular business classes o"ered at the school is Marketing. !is class, which is o"ered to just juniors and seniors, gives students an opportunity to see what business in the real world is like. “When you join the marketing class as a junior or senior, you get to not only participate in DECA but also work in and run operations for the school store,” Border said. DECA, which is the Distributive Economic Clubs of America, is an organization that aims to prepare students for future business careers, such as marketing, hospitality, and #nance, according to DECA. “DECA competitions test us in many di"erent aspects of the business world,” business member Vyom Bhatt said. !e #rst type of competition that a DECA member will attend are district competitions, which are held at Easton Mall. !ese competitions will entail two di"erent events: role-plays, and written events, according to NEWS | FORT ORANGE 8 | MARCH MARCH | 9 L i$ing fanatic’s favorite part of the year is the #rst week of March. !is is when the Arnold Sports festival or Arnold Classic brings athletes all over the world to Columbus, Ohio. !ese athletes come to compete in one of the world’s best physique and strength sports competitions. Not only does the festival bring in athletes, but it brings in many people who want to try the latest #tness products being sold and watch these professional athletes compete. !ere is a wide variety of competitions that athletes can compete in at the Arnold Sports Festival. !e competitions are grouped into body building, strength sports, combat sports, strongman, and #tness which are all held in the Ohio Convention Center. In addition, other competitions such as cheerleading, dance, baton twirling and martial arts are held in the Ohio Expo Center along with booths selling the latest #tness products such as supplements, apparel, and more. According to the Columbus Dispatch, the festival was created in 1989 by Arnold Schwarzenegger, a famous actor and the governor of California during the 2000s. Most importantly Schwarzenegger was arguably one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. “He was Mr. Olympia seven times and Mr. Universe three times” and “took li$ing and bodybuilding to a new popularity in the famous documentary “Pumping Iron,” the Columbus Dispatch said. Due to Schwarzenegger’s in%uence on the the arnold sports event SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST WRITING CAROLINE ALBERT | DESIGN WYATT DOWNEY | PERMISSION TO PRINT AP NEWSROOM THE ARNOLD | SPORTS WRITING NICK WOOLARD | DESIGN WYATT DOWNEY | PERMISSION TO PRINT LUKE BORDER BIG BUSINESS festival, people from all over the world come to Columbus, Ohio to compete in the Arnold Sports Festival. One of these people is Pesay Em, a 37 year old from Lewis Center who attends the Yoga/Fitness factory in Westerville Ohio. “!e events that I have competed in were bodybuilding shows. I have done about seven of them and I am getting ready for two more this year,” Em said. !ere is a lot to do in order to prepare for these events due to the intensity of the competitions. Many competitors have to be very aware of their diet and training leading up to the festival. Em had to incorporate “a lot more gym time and more of a restricted diet. Gym time was about #ve days a week with more cardio and diet starts at a pretty high intake then slowly gets lower in calories closer to show day.” Not only is preparation for these competitions hard on these athletes’ bodies but it is hard on their mental health as well. “Your body changes so much from bulking season to maintaining your weight to leaning out. You are literally in a sport where you get judged on your appearance and every body part, so sometimes it can take a mental toll on questioning yourself if you are good enough,” Em said. When preparing for these competitions these athletes usually need to #nd a coach. !is can be di&cult due to many inexperienced competitors trying to sell meal and competition preparation packages with limited experience. “A true seasoned coach who has been coaching for years will know how to assess other people’s bodies other than their own. !ere are so many factors to consider with other people such as hormonal issues, di"erent ages, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), and diet restrictions,” Em said. Although the competitions are the main point of the Arnold Sports Festival, there are still other activities available for viewers to do. !ese other activities are held in the Ohio Expo center. “A lot of people attend for the Expo. Some of the top vendors in supplements, workout equipment, and apparel are there to give out samples and o"er great deals,” English Teacher Christine Dutrow said. Dutrow attends the festival every year due to her love for powerli$ing. Even though she does not compete at the Arnold, she has competed in smaller, local meets. “I was there to watch the powerli$ing Pro Series. Jen !ompson, Celine Crum, and Sam Calhoun are just some of the super strong women I’m excited to cheer on,” Dutrow said. !ere are many di"erent competitions to watch and samples to try at the Arnold Festival. More information on this festival can be found on the Arnold Sports Festival website including tickets, competitions, and more. Junior Store Manager Sierra Toot. “In the role-plays, you are given a di"erent scenario for which you are supposed to come up with solutions and try to pitch those ideas to the business owners/managers,” Bhatt said. On the other hand, the written events are prepared before the main competition, during class time or other free time. “Written events are prepared before competition,” Toot said. “Written event competitors have 10-15 minutes to give the judge a presentation and a written paper. Typically, the top three to #ve placers move onto the next level of competition (states and nationals).” At the high school, there have been many students who have made it to nationals, and this year, they are planning to have even more go. While the team/school as a whole has already punched a ticket, it is still waiting for individual results to see who will go. “My favorite memory so far has de#nitely been our trip to Atlanta for ICDC (International Career Development Conference) last spring, and hopefully our trip to Orlando this year if we qualify,” Border said. While DECA is a large part of the business program at the school, another important aspect of the business program is helping run the school store. “Our school has a school store called Fort Orange, which is run my members of the DECA chapter,” Bhatt said. “We run the school store to let the members gain real life experience about running a small business, and it helps to promote school spirit!” !e Fort, which is located in the café, is open every day, during every lunch period, where students are able to stop in and purchase anything. As well as this, the Fort is occasionally open for a$er school events, such as basketball games. !e Fort o"ers a variety of items for purchase, such as co"ee, energy drinks, candy, chips, hats, stickers, clothing, and they also take custom clothing design orders, according to Bhatt. Marketing program students also have lots of plans for new ways to appeal to customers. !is ranges from new items to sell in the store, but also ideas for how to renovate the store itself. “We want to make Fort Orange a modern, timeless and open space that customers enjoy coming into and that students enjoy working at,” Toot said. “We also hope to continue to grow Fort Orange in as many ways as possible by o"ering new products and serving our customers to the best of our ability.” Workers at the Fort are currently creating a proposal to the Olentangy School Board, to see if they can turn their renovation dreams into a reality, according to Toot. “We think that a renovation would feed our ultimate goals of maximizing revenue and having fun while learning,” Toot said. ICDC QUALIFIERS Luke Border & Tuckor LambertEntreprenuership Team Laura Felderean, Pranjal Kumar, & Bella McLaughlin - School Based Enterprise Erika Brown, Sierra Toot, & Jessica Mallett - Chapter Campaign + Thrive Academy Junior Larissa Paduchik converses with other DECA students at the Ohio DECA districts event on 1/26. Seniors Tuckor Lambert(le$) and Luke Border(right) a$er placing 3rd in Ohio’s DECA event.

! ! athletes prepare for outdoor season SPORTS | TRACK 10 | MARCH MARCH | 11 march midness FROM THE SIDELINES WRITING JUSTIN BLEVINS | DESIGN MACKENNA MILLER MARCH MADNESS | SPORTS COLUMN WRITING AVA VALENTIK | DESIGN MACKENNA MILLER | PHOTO TERESA CHRISTIAN STAYING ON TRACK My name is Justin Blevins. I have been watching and playing sports for as long as I can remember. This is my frst year in journalism, but I am excited to share my sports opinions with everyone. ABOUT THE COLUMNIST Senior Lucas Frye participating in the Boys Shot Put, Jan. 14. “ Runners, make your way to the start line,” announces the offcial. The pressure starts to seep in as the countdown begins. The offcial raises his arms and shoots the gun. As the gun’s blow echoes through the track facility, all that is heard are the sounds of the runners’ pounding feet. Indoor track was frst created in the 19th century, according to scienceofrunning.com, and became a big hit shortly after. Indoor track is a big deal at the high school, even if some students don’t realize it, multiple athletes per season go to state in their event each year. “All outdoor events are offered indoors except for discus and 4x100m. Instead, indoor includes weight throw, triple jump, 60-meter sprint and 60-meter hurdles races instead of 100m and 100-meter hurdles,” Assistant Track Coach and Science Teacher Zachary Grubb, said. Some more examples of outdoor events are longdistance running (800 meters through two miles) and sprints (100 meters through 400 meters). Something unique about the track is that there are feld events along with running events. “For the indoor season, I’m doing shot put and weight throw this year, which are the only throwing events for indoor,” sophomore Jacksen Bice said, who has been throwing since seventh grade. Indoor track has fewer events than outdoor track. This is due to limited space in the indoor facilities and a track that is half the size (200 meters). Some events offered in outdoor track and not indoor include discus, 100m sprint and 100-meter hurdles. This indoor season was very successful for the Orange athletes, with many breaking past personal bests and three college-signed athletes already, Abby Wells, Cassisy Shimp, and Carter Giacomelli. “This year my indoor season went really well. I set new personal bests in both of my events and I’ve started talking to colleges,” Bice said. Many athletes use the indoor season to either get into good condition or practice their event more to be prepared for outdoors. Fewer athletes compete indoors versus outdoors, only about 80 athletes compete in indoor track, compared to the outdoor roster of around 240 athletes, according to Ohio MileSplit. “Indoor season is optional, and the athletes typically compete in fewer meets. Also, most of the better meets which are on 300m tracks are not in Central Ohio, so athletes have to travel more,” Grubb said. The indoor team ran in places such as The Ohio State University, Otterbein, and Akron. The indoor team recently came out with its indoor state qualifers. Here are just a few of the outstanding athletes: Brooke Chapman, Teresa Christian, Abby Wells, Kayla Sucharski, Ashtyn Alphin, Lucas Frye, Carter Giacomelli, and many others. The full list of athletes competing can be found on the Pioneer Track Twitter page. “Overall, the season has gone well. We have several athletes who have achieved PRs and have several athletes and relays that will compete at the indoor state meet,” Grubb said. The indoor track meet will take place Saturday, March 4 at Spire Institute, and the team has a total of 22 athletes competing in both running and feld events. In order to compete in the state meet, an athlete or relay team must be listed on the fnal top 40 performance list located on the MileSplit Ohio website. Along with the top 40 list on MileSplit, there is lots of other information, on the state meet, including results and replay videos. As this indoor track season comes to an end, the outdoor season has already begun. Track athletes will continue to run in hopes to make outdoor PRs and enjoy the great weather to come. March Madness is known to fans across America as one of the best times of year. The tournament ranks up there with Christmas and Leprechaun’s Day. Watching basketball on computers during school, game winning buzzer beaters, and one’s favorite team staying alive for the next round, it honestly is the best time of year. The only downside is Ohio State being horrendous this year, held back by the awful coaching of Chris Holtmann. It really has been disappointing this year for the Buckeyes and a disappointing fve-year stint at Ohio State for Holtmann. It was nice seeing a Columbus product in Branham come to college here and now is a rising star in the NBA. Malaki played middle school basketball in Columbus and then moved to Akron to play for Lebron James alma mater Saint Vincent- Saint Mary. He earned scholarship offers from Alabama, Michigan State, and Xavier along with the Buckeyes, but chose his hometown team in the Buckeyes. It’s easy to say that Branham would be averaging 30 points per game at Ohio State right now, but normally that’s true about any frst round draft pick in the NBA draft. Some dark horse teams to possibly win the National Championship are Miami, Texas, and San Diego State. Central Ohio representative Sean Jones is coming off the bench for Marquette making impressive appearances as a freshman. He will be a potential NBA draft prospect in the few coming years. Marquette will be a tough team to beat, but they will be poised for a good matchup with Kentucky in the Sweet 16. The Miami Hurricanes might be one of the sleeper teams to win the whole NCAA tournament. Junior Isaiah Wong leads the Canes with 16.2 points per game and is looking to take them on a run deep in the tournament run. Alabama star forward Brandon Miller made headlines a few weeks ago for supplying the gun to teammate Darius Miles used to kill 23 yearold Jamea Jonae Harris, after Miles texted him and asked him to do so. Miller then responded by dropping a career high 41 points with a game-tying layup at the end of regulation, along with notching six of Alabama’s 10 points in the overtime period. He’s projected to be a top 5 draft pick in the 2023 NBA Draft along with that Wembanyama kid and Scoot Henderson. Miller was recently named SEC Player of the year, and Freshman of the Year. However, Alabama is not in my bracket to go super far considering they’re very young and upset prone. The Tide took a brutal loss on the road to Oklahoma by 24 along with a blowout loss to Uconn early in the year. TOP FINISHERS -THE BOYS 4x800, CONSISTING OF SENIOR CARTER GIACOMELLI, SENIOR COLIN MCCLOSKEY, JUNIOR SAKETH RUDRARAJU, AND SOPHMORE MATTHEW SCHROFF GOT RUNNER UP WITH A TIME OF 7:50 -THE GIRLS 4x400 CONSISTING OF JUNIOR MAIRIN O’BRIEN, SENIOR AVA OTEY, FRESHMAN BROOKE CHAPMAN, AND SENIOR ABIGAIL WELLS, PLACED THIRD AND SET A SCHOOL RECORD WITH A TIME OF 4:01 -SENIOR AUGUSTINE DAVIS SCORED SECOND IN TRIPLE JUMP -FRESHMAN BROOKE CHAPMAN PLACED FIFTH IN THE 800M RUN WITH A PR OF 2:19

the history of women’s roles and empowerment 12 | march march | 13 women’s month | cover writing caroline albert, rachel lehman and achintya perumal | design teresa christian | permisson to print gale student resources the progression of feminism “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.” - Ruth Bader Ginsberg cover | women’s month Within Olentangy Local Schools, there are many women in leadership positions to celebrate. Not only are their positions highly deserved, but they also serve as role models and inspirations for other women and young students. Nancy Freese, the current Director of Human Resources, has a long history with the Olentangy district. She is an Olentangy lifer who attended school when there was only one building for students K-12 called the Shanahan Complex. “Back then, when we weren’t passing levies and we had leaky roofs, there were core people who believed so much in the foundation of this district who made me want to move my children back home and come back to my roots,” Freese said. When Freese returned, she became a teacher at Olentangy High School, then she taught at Orange High School when it opened where she was promoted to assistant principal. She was assistant principal at Shanahan Middle School and eventually became the principal at Liberty Middle School. From there, she was promoted to assistant director of human resources at the central o!ce, and as of this year, advanced to director of human resources. “From identifying candidates who we think could be a really good "t for Olentangy whether it be food service, bus drivers, secretaries, custodians, teachers, and administrators. From there, we work really hard to create the best employee experience possible,” Freese said. Olentangy Local Schools has grown tremendously within the last decade. It is the fourth largest school district in the state with enrollment of students increasing by 5,000 over the past ten years, according to delgazette.com. “I see that with growth is a lot of opportunity for everyone. I see myself being a role model for females to be able to be anything they want to put their mind to. #e sky’s the limit,” Freese said. Jaclyn Roscoe is the assistant director of pupil services/preschool. She oversees the seven Olentangy preschool locations which include about 130 sta$ and 550 students and is involved with professional development and hiring sta$. “I’ve had many di$erent positions within the district including being a second grade teacher at Tyler Run Elementary, assistant principal at Alum Creek elementary, and principal at Glenn Oak elementary,” Roscoe said. “I’ve also been on the report card committee, the union representative for teachers, and worked on data analysis and standardized testing for kindergarten through high school principals.” Additionally, it’s important for students to see themselves represented by sta$ within the district. “Just like racial and cultural di$erences, I think it’s important for kids to see gender di$erences in leadership positions because it’s important to see people that represent them,” Roscoe said. Another female leader in the district is Karen Sedoti. She has previously worked in secondary and higher education and served as the assistant principal at Olentangy Orange High School from 2012 to 2018. Currently, she is the principal of Olentangy Academy that includes the STEM Academy, Teacher Academy, and Academy for Community Transition. “I recognize there is unique responsibility as a woman in a leadership position. For me, there is a natural inclination to lead with these characteristics in mind, and each one plays a vital role in leading,” Sedoti said. It may come as a misconception that women are outnumbered within the district. Out of the 16 elementary schools, eight have female principals as well as 13 assistant principals. Out of all of the principals at the high schools in addition to the OASIS and STEM buildings, three out of the six of them are women. “Every leader comes with a passion to serve, to inspire, to empower, and to lead with integrity and teamwork while working towards two of Olentangy’s strategic goals: overcoming non-academic barriers and creating a culture of inclusive excellence,” Sedoti said. Olentangy Local Schools is full of many accomplished leaders, many of which are women. With the growth of the community comes more opportunities for all. Many achievements contributed to history by women have been overlooked or ignored due to prejudices prevalent throughout society for centuries. Women’s History Month is a way to celebrate women’s accomplishments and highlight moments in history that were overlooked. #e month-long celebration started o$ as International Women’s Day on March 8, and has been celebrated since 1911. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter extended this day-long celebration to become Women’s History Week, making sure it aligned with the international holiday. Women’s History Month was "rst put into law in 1987 “when Congress passed Public Law 100-9 and then passed subsequent resolutions requesting that the U.S. president make an annual declaration. Since 1995, each U.S. president has declared March to be Women’s History Month,” according to EDSITEment, a website run by the government to educate readers about humanities in America. Since then, “Women’s History Month is a time to recognize and remember all the important things that women did and still do for the world,” junior Kyleigh Jochum said. #e importance of sharing accomplishments of minority groups is to show the world that history has more stories and perspectives to it than what is typically taught. Learning about people who have di$erent experiences helps bring forth respect for people of di$erent backgrounds, and Women’s History Month is a way the world can do that for women. “History can be viewed from so many di$erent lenses, so all of us can learn from women who have fought to change the status quo and made societies more accepting and accessible for women of all backgrounds,” Abigail Adams Nancy Freese Billie Jean King Jaclyn Roscoe Karen Sedoti Jeannette Rankin Sojourner Truth

cover | women’s month 14 | march march | 15 women’s month | cover Social Studies Teacher Leslie Hosgood said. !ere are many stories out there about women who have made great contributions to history. !ere are many well-known stories of women who have made history; however a lot remain uncovered leaving the events to fade into the past. Women’s History Month is when some of these stories are looked at again and give these women the recognition for their contributions to history. One woman who made great contributions in American history is Abigail Adams. Adams was one of the "rst women to stand up for women’s rights in America. Adams’ did this by writing a letter to her husband, John Adams, while he was away attending the First Continental Congress trying to gain independence from Great Britain. She wrote, “I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.” Adams’ full letter along with this excerpt can be found online at the National Constitution Center, an organization that keeps records of original documents related to America gaining independence. Abigail Adams “stood out to me” as a historical "gure Jochum said. Abigail Adams’ letter was one of the very "rst steps to women gaining su#rage years later in 1920, which is the reason why it is so important. Although it was a small action, her words in her personal letter are greatly recognized and appreciated today due to the fact that few people were concerned about women’s rights at the time. “In our U.S. History courses, we usually spend a lot of time focusing on the women’s su#rage movement. Although the 19th Amendment is incredibly important, it did not grant women equality with men overnight,” Hosgood said Many women in history have fought in order to achieve equal rights for women. !ese women have not only fought for the right to vote but also to prove that they are just as capable. Some more women who have fought for these rights includes: Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth and her famous “Ain’t I a Woman” speech, Elizabeth Blackwell the "rst woman to graduate from medical school, Amelia Earhart, Billie Jean King’s famous tennis match the Battle of the Sexes, Jeannette Rankin the "rst women sworn into Congress, and many more. In the end, “the most signi"cant contributions of women in history happen when they build community, organize, and inspire others. Any major movement for change, including the various women’s liberation movements throughout history, are driven by people recognizing that there is an issue and bringing together groups of people to "ght for change in attitudes and laws,” Hosgood said. One potential obstacle to female progression in society is the abundance of alpha males and their high presence online. Alpha males are the new fad for men across social media. Some view the concept of a dominating gender powerhouse as empowering, while others see it as another social failure due to toxic masculinity. !e term ‘alpha male’ was originally understood to describe the leader of a pack— speci"cally those of wolves and canines. Even now, the modern concept of an alpha male is someone who expresses dominance and assertiveness, according to !e Guardian. “An alpha male is a guy who is in control of his environment. He is highly motivated and ambitious, thinks for himself, and doesn’t care what society says about him or the things he does because he knows he is righteous,” a senior boy said. One of the most popular alpha males storming social media is entertainer Andrew Tate. According to NBC News, Tate considers himself a “success coach” that advocates for avoiding “low-value people.” With over 4.6 million followers on Twitter, his support for a dominant male leader is supported by many of his fans. “Tate is a very successful, real man, along with his brother Tristan. I don’t think he human tra$cked anyone; he may have done some other illegal things, but I don’t know everything a guy halfway across the earth has done. He is spreading a good message to young men, in general, to take control of their life by hustling, working out, etc.,” a senior boy said. Others, however, see this upbringing of traditional gender roles as harmful to society. “!e idea of alpha males nowadays is used to boost male egos. I personally have never seen a woman call herself an alpha male, and the idea is honestly just ridiculous. Self-proclaimed alpha males like Andrew Tate teach young boys that they need to be dominant over women when honestly, they need to be taught to respect women,” junior Hallie Whisler said. !e discussion over the ethics of alpha males brings upon the years-old debate over toxic masculinity and its long-term e#ects on gender expression. According to the New York Times, toxic masculinity is de"ned as the suppression of emotions and the use of violence to establish power. Many opposers to the alpha male ideology address the issue through this lens. “Considering oneself an alpha male stems from toxic masculinity. You can’t be an alpha male and not have a toxic sense of masculinity—it just doesn’t happen. Being comfortable in your own masculinity also means you can respect femininity or someone’s choice to stray from the traditional form of femininity, and alpha males can’t do that. In my opinion, strong men respect women and don’t feel the need to control them,” Whisler said. Others deny the existence of ‘toxic’ masculinity and its suggested relation to toxic men. A senior boy said, “Masculinity is never toxic. !ere is nothing toxic about con"dence, drive, or strength. !e thing you are alluding to is a feminine trait of insecurity.” However, recently, feminist movemnts have claimed to "ght against the disparities between men and women. Some view feminism as faulty and see the movements as adversities to society. “Feminism is the second worst invention ever, behind modern agriculture. I oppose all feminist ideals. Most if not all modern problems are a product of feminism,” a senior boy said. “First, feminism strays from God’s command for men to rule over women, even though the wife will want to have domain over her husband. Second, the biggest problem in the world today is demographic collapse. !is is a direct result of women’s ‘empowerment’ (feminism): women are choosing to have fewer kids and focus on their careers.” Supporters of the feminist theory, on the other hand, believe that feminism addresses stark power dynamics that place men in leadership positions and women in systemically disadvantaged statuses within schools, workplaces, and society. “Feminist movements and protests open opportunities for women to "ght for their rights and use their voice,” senior Autumn Predmore said. “It is both bene"cial and empowering for young girls everywhere to see that they can stand up and make themselves heard.”. “In my opinion, strong men respect women and don’t feel the need to control them.”- Halle Whisler. “Feminism is the second worst invention ever, behind modern agriculture.” -anomynous senior boy

. Scene | Wrestling Wrestling | Scene 16 | March March | 17 The Scene !ree time state quali"er and district champion senior Alicia Coleman gets ready to pin an opponent from Delaware Hayes High School. Coleman took states by storm placing 4th in her weight class, and looks forward to continuing her wrestling career at Siena Heights University. “I naturally just picked up wrestling. My dad would always say ‘it’s in our blood’ because he was a wrestler in high school, and he always said I wrestled like him which is so special.” Design Lily Clark Photo permission to print by Isabella Purschke .

. MARCH | 19 S pring break is quickly approaching and while some people are planning to go on vacations, others are planning on staying home. However, there are many things to do around Columbus to entertain those staying home. From Easton, German Village, Worthington, and Uptown Westerville, there are many areas for teenagers to go and enjoy. Tese towns within Columbus are flled with shops, Easton mainly chains and known brands, but there are many boutiques and eateries to fnd here. Junior Ohanna Cho notes that German Village is the best place to go in Columbus. Pistacia Vera (541 S 3rd St, Columbus, OH 43215), a bakery in German Village, has the best macaroons and pastries and is worth visiting, Cho said. Another bakery located in Worthington is La Chatelaine (627 High St, Worthington, OH 43085). “La Chatelaine has so many diferent desserts. Te building and seating areas are really prety and good for taking pictures as well. And when you are done eating you can walk around to the stores around it,” junior Sofe Terlesky said. things to do around columbus STAYCATION WRITING GABBY RANEY | DESIGN & PHOTOS AUDREY SELSOR DISCOVER COLUMBUS | FEATURE be an option. Barnhart notes that it is scenic for walking, but they also have picnic tables that can be used to eat food with friends. “Te Book Lof (631 S 3rd St, Columbus, OH 43206) in German Village is a popular spot. It’s decently priced, and there’s a lot to do at the shops and restaurants around it,” Terlesky said. Barnhart notes that downtown Columbus also has a lot to do including shopping at boutiques and well-known shops. Tere are also many popular spots to take pictures for social media. Another popular hangout spot is Alum Creek, and even when the water isn’t warm enough to swim there are other things to do. “Tere is a popular hammock spot down the path of the dam entrance that I like to go to with my friends. It is fun to bring snacks and just talk with your friends,” Terlesky said. Everyone has diferent plans for spring break, whether they are staying at home or going on vacation. Regardless of this there is a lot to do around Columbus whenever they have downtime. If not on a budget, junior Emma Barnhart suggests the Melting Pot (4014 Townsfair Way, Columbus, OH 43219) at Easton. Although it may be on the expensive side, it ofers a cool experience and good food, she said. Tird quarter report cards were released on March 17, and for every “A” a person receives on a report card, they may redeem it for a free donut at Krispy Kreme up to six donuts. However, if not interested in geting food, there are plenty of places to shop or hang out with friends. Cho notes that going to the mall with her friends is one of her go-to spots. Barnhart ofers a suggestion for another place to shop for high schoolers who may be on a budget. “Plato’s Closet (591 S State St, Westerville, OH 43081) is an amazing thrif store in Westerville that I love to go to because I can always fnd high quality clothes from brands that I like for a way more reasonable price,” Barnhart said. For those who enjoy the outdoors, Mcnamara Park (7049 Big Walnut Rd, Galena, OH 43021), located in Galena, may The beach at Alum Creek park. “I’m just gonna be at home chilling, I don’t really have any plans. I usually spent my past spring breaks at home. My dad’s a teacher so we don’t really get to go anywhere because we’re all on different schedules,” senior Ava Huffman said. “I’m going to Daytona Beach, Florida. My family’s getting a condo, It’s gonna be fun,” senior Jackson Robbins said. “ I’m going to Orlando for my little sister’s softball tournament. I used to play volleyball so I spent my spring breaks at volleyball tournaments. I would rather stay home, but it’s fun to travel every once in a while,” senior Payton Sarbaugh said. As spring break approaches, many students are looking forward to spending some time away from school. Some may be traveling out of the state or just staying home while spending time with friends and family. TRENDING | SPRING BREAK PLANS WRITING DARIUS AGBOTUI | DESIGN AUDREY SELSOR SPRING BREAK PLANS where students are traveling . 18 | MARCH The Polaris Mall’s main entrance. The outside of Krispy Kreme on Polaris Pkwy.

new technology impacts education FEATURE | CHAT-GPT 20 | MARCH MARCH | 21 Allie is the middle child, and a!er her crazy night of sneaking out, it’s Noah, the oldest sibling, who must be responsible for making sure she gets home safe without their parents "nding out. Meanwhile, Maddie, the youngest sibling, can go out as late as she wants to wherever she wants with no consequences from their parents. Does any of this scenario sound somewhat familiar? A responsible older sibling, rebellious middle child, a younger sibling who gets away with everything? #is scenario considers di$erent birth order theories: the idea that the order in which siblings are born a$ects their personalities in certain ways. Each sibling has their own characteristics and ways in which they’re treated. AP Psychology teacher Jamie Paoloni explains the idea of birth order and each child’s characteristics. She starts with the oldest siblings and their common personality traits. “Oldest children tend to be a little bossy. #ey tend to be, in many instances, more responsible, and they tend to take charge of their younger siblings and therefore get that de"nition of being more responsible and bossier,” Paoloni said. According to one of the leading psychiatrists in charge of birth order Alfred Adler, the oldest sibling can feel dethroned when the second child arrives. Since the oldest sibling used to be the only baby, they had their parents’ full attention. But with a new baby, that attention is now split. “No matter what the lineup is, the oldest sibling may have some feelings of dethronement by the second to oldest sibling as they now have to share their parents’ attention, all of which can shape birth order,” Paoloni said. According to Healthline, middle children have trouble "tting in between the youngest and oldest siblings. However, their characteristics are a bit di$erent depending on the number of middle siblings. “If it’s three siblings, middle siblings are o!en described as being a little bit more how birth order impacts family dynamics THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SIBLINGS WRITING LUNA PEREZ | DESIGN NATHAN CHOW BIRTH ORDER | FEATURE WRITING ADAM WELCH | CONTRIBUTOR MARSHALL MEDLEY | DESIGN NATHAN CHOW AI ADVANCEMENT . . . All of the English language right at your "ngertips: “Make me an essay in MLA format on the summary of #e Great Gatsby” or “write me a thesis statement on the causes of the Civil War”. Within seconds, users can get fully generated written documents thanks to ChatGPT. However, it’s unclear how much this resource will help or hurt students. To no surprise, cheating has passed its course through the American school system through the decades. Whether it be passing answers through notes or writing answers down on one’s arm, cheating has always existed at every education level. But now, it seems like everyone can cheat without because noticed, digitally through AI websites like ChatGPT. WHAT DOES CHATGPT THINKS ABOUT ITSELF? In order to learn more about this resource, it’s always best to seek the primary source or the root of the cause, ChatGPT itself. ChatGPT generated insight regarding how it’s being used as a means of dishonesty in academic assignments. “I do not condone or support the use of any technology or tool, including myself, to engage in plagiarism or any other unethical behavior. It is important for individuals to always uphold academic integrity and honesty, and to use resources like mine as a means to enhance their understanding of a topic, not to substitute their own work or ideas,” ChatGPT said. But a!er asking the AI if it will be even harder to monitor AI more advanced than itself in the upcoming years, ChatGPT said it’s possible future AI could be used to generate more sophisticated and convincing essays or other academic assignments, making it more di%cult to detect plagiarism. #e AI also said that future versions might become so advanced that it could take tests for students in real-time. WHAT SCHOOL OFFICIALS THINK ABOUT CHATGPT? Arti"cial writing is writing done by a computer. #e computer is given a prompt and will write an entire essay about it. #e essay can be written in seconds. With that short of a writing time, students can use this when they are in a time crunch. Some AI writing websites include Writesonic, Rytr and the most common, ChatGPT. #ese applications are free and can be used by anybody with a device. “ChatGPT is new — it was released in late November — but it has already sent many educators into a panic,” New York Times reporter Kevin Roose said. “Students are using it to write their assignments, passing o$ A.I.-generated essays and problem sets as their own,” according to the New York Times. AI writing could create problems in classrooms including taking away learning from students and letting them do things the easy way. However, AI writing isn’t perfect. “Currently, AI writing cannot conduct research or cite sources properly,” English Teacher Chrstine Dutrow said. “But it is hard to know if that will change in the future.” Even if teachers have not noticed AI writing, there will be consequences when they do "nd it. It is plagiarism and not the students’ original work. AI writing will count as cheating. Students know there will be consequences and that drives them away from using AI writing. If the consequence is the same as the consequence of the paper being late or plagiarized, then students should consider taking their time and completing the assignment as their original work. “I don’t believe the risk is worth the reward,” a sophomore student who wished to remain anonymous said. “It is looked at as plagiarism and enforced the same way too.” With the knowledge of the consequences and risk of using chatGPT, most students tend to steer away. Nevertheless, some students still use it, seeing the positives. NBC news reporter Lester Holt reports that in a recent college survey, 53 percent of students have used ChatGPT to write a school essay, and teachers are "nding ways to use the resource for good. According to the New York Times, ChatGPT can be used as a vital source on helping English teachers run their classrooms. Claire Shields, an Oregon High School English teacher, used the AI to help her students create essay outlines. Jon Gold, an eighth grade teacher in Rhode Island, also used ChatGPT to help generate quizzes for his students. Gold said the AI isn’t a threat as long as it’s paired with teachers, according to the New York Times. In a technological age going towards things like self-driving cars, and now an advanced AI writing machine that can produce documents and essays in seconds, the future is very unclear on just how far technology will be able to go in the future. Time will only be able to tell for the future of AI. bossy and responsible oldest sibling stereotype. However, one way Bookhimer’s family falls into birth order theories is when it comes to how parents treat their children based on birth order and common traits of youngest siblings. “My mom was a lot stricter about my older siblings’ grades and stu$ like that but I can do whatever and they don’t care,” Bookhimer said. Bookhimer said she is a prime example of the carefree youngest sibling who gets away with anything. She also mentions another common birth order occurrence on how parents are more careful or strict with their "rst few children compared to their youngest children. “Whether parents mean to or not they’re a little bit more cautious with the oldest child just because you have really no idea what you’re doing,” Paoloni said. “But by the time your second and third kid come along, you have a little more experience and you’re not as worried.” Overall, it’s clear that birth order theories are extremely prevalent in many families and a$ect parents’ relationships with their children as well as relationships between siblings. But it’s important to remember that while these characteristics may be showcased in many families, there are many more factors that a$ect family dynamics apart from birth order. “We call it the sociocultural perspective in psychology, so if you come from a culture that prefers male over female perspective or the other way around then that can also a$ect those relationships,” Paoloni said. rebellious in comparison. #ey might feel a bit lost in between the older sibling who came "rst and the younger sibling who’s the baby,” Paoloni said. If there are more than three siblings, the older middle child tends to resemble the oldest sibling and the younger middle child tends to have the same traits as the youngest sibling. According to Healthline, the youngest child is usually spoiled and treated like a baby. “You may hear older siblings describe the baby sibling as being a little bit lazy, as perhaps getting away with things that their older siblings didn’t get to do, maybe being a little more laid back in comparison to their older siblings,” Paoloni said. #ough many of these characteristics and personality traits are commonly found within siblings, one must keep in mind that birth order is only a psychological theory, not a rule. Not all siblings will have the stereotypical traits that belong to their birth order. “One of the things we always preface when we’re talking about psychological research is that you’re never going to "nd that a theory in psychology "ts 100 percent of the population. #at will never be true,” Paoloni said. One example of this is the family dynamics of sophomore Annie Bookhimer, who is the youngest of "ve children. Her family dynamics, speci"cally when it comes to older siblings, are very di$erent from the typical birth order characteristics. “We all kind of act the same despite who’s the oldest and who’s the youngest but, my oldest brother makes really dumb choices,” Bookhimer said. Bookhimer’s brother breaks the typical

22 | march design | sophie rogers ads

st. patrick’s day shamrocks I t is March 17, the one day that rolls around each year where people are told to wear green and maybe even to make a leprechaun trap. However, a!er waking up early that morning, many see that the trap was unsuccessful at catching the tiny little leprechaun. He got away again. Each year, St. Patrick’s Day is widely celebrated mainly throughout the United States, Canada, Ireland, Austria, and many other countries. "is day is a time to commemorate Saint Patrick’s life and the arrival of Christianity to Ireland. “St. Patrick was the patron saint of Ireland. He was kidnapped from Britain at the age of 16 and sold into slavery in Ireland and became a shepherd, a lonely job tending sheep. Although he had not been particularly religious, Patrick talked and prayed to God since he saw no one else,” librarian at North View Elementary School with Irish heritage Diana Knoll said. Saint Patrick’s life was rocky and #lled with many ups and downs. He is the man who is celebrated every March 17. Christians throughout America celebrate his life and the evangelism he showed. “A!er six years of servitude, he believed God called him to go home so he le! the mountain and walked 200 miles to the sea and talked a ship’s captain into taking him to Britain. But the ship blew o$ course, and they made land and almost starved to death until Patrick prayed, and wild boars appeared. Finally making it home, he became a priest and then a bishop,” Knoll said. St. Patrick was faced with many challenges throughout his life, but he still stayed faithful. He became a beacon of hope to di$erent people around the world, and eventually in 1631 he got a day where people all around the world celebrated him. “He felt God called him to return to Ireland and convert the pagan clans to Christianity, so he did. He traveled ST. PATRICK’S DAY | CULTURE MARCH | 23 WRITING REBEKAH RICHTER | DESIGN LINCOLN HAKE POT O’ GOLD throughout Ireland baptizing kings and peasants alike, setting up churches and monasteries, and even before his death was known as the patron saint of Ireland. He died on March 17, 461,” Knoll said. He was a leader in the world and his life is what most people celebrate on March 17. "ey do this by having parades, wearing green, setting leprechaun traps, and going to pubs or bars. “On St. Patrick’s Day, my dance studio does shows at places like retirement homes, the Ronald McDonald house, and big restaurants. Pub crawls are when a group of dancers go around to restaurants, bars and pubs and dance. We then pass a St. Patrick’s Day hat around, and people give us cash that goes to help dancers with travel costs,” Irish dancer Hannah Rauzi said. St. Patrick’s Day has become very publicized in the United States and other countries, from dancing in pubs to entertain and help raise money for dancers to dying the river green in Chicago, having parades, and drinking green beer. “On St. Patrick’s Day, my mom would sing an Irish tune as we ate cabbage and potatoes. My grandmother told us if you didn’t wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, you could be pinched,” Knoll said. St. Patrick’s Day has become commercialized since the feast commemorating Saint Patrick in 1631. "e leprechaun is one of the parts of St. Patrick’s Day that has been added in recent years, starting in the 1900s when a movie regarding leprechauns came out around the time of St. Patrick’s Day. “When I was a girl, my mother dressed my sister and I in green, and my dad bought us little shamrock pins with a little green hat. He claimed he almost caught a couple of leprechauns, but all he got were their hats as they got away. I really believed he almost got their gold because if you catch one, he has to tell you where his gold is hidden,” Knoll said. St. Patrick’s Day continues to be a widely celebrated holiday to this day. "ough it has gone through many changes throughout the years, the roots of why it started stay the same. It started to commemorate the life of a widely loved person—Saint Patrick..

. march | 24 Doors Locked – 8:15 to 2:35. For all of my four years of high school, this sheet of paper was a mainstay during my morning walks into school. Until it suddenly disappeared, without warning. Students entering school following President’s Day on Feb. 21 were met with a surprise—an orange tardy slip. Suddenly, the doors started locking at 8:10 a.m. Although, second period starts at 8:10, most teachers have used the !ve minutes spent watching the student news as a grace period. Just one week later, students with a !rst period class were met with another surprise when the second set of doors started locking at 7:20 a. m. sharp. Forcing any student, regardless of whether they were just a couple of minutes late, to enter through the attendance o"ce and collect a pass. In both situations, administrators did not communicate with students, almost as if they wanted a reason to give more tardies rather than wanting students to show up on time. #e Draconian tardy policy at the high school is extremely excessive and does substantially more harm than good. Students are able to receive three tardies before their !rst detention from the attendance o"ce, regardless of if they were only a couple of minutes late, every subsequent tardy is an admin-enforced detention. #e school’s administration has made it clear, through the energy and time they spend, that they value students new tardy rules spark outrage tyrannical tardies writing aryan bommena | design sophie rogers opinion | tardy rules sports practices, jobs, and homework. It is extremely di"cult for students to get a full night’s rest and have the energy to show up to school on time. Not to mention the horrendous tra"c situation every morning on East Orange Road and Walker Wood Blvd. Are students who live less than a mile from the school expected to leave their homes 45 minutes before school starts? Rather than punishing students on the number of times they’re late, administration should instead tally up their total minutes. For example, a student who is only a couple of minutes late twice a week should not be punished as harshly as a student who consistently misses 15 minutes of class. An even better solution would be to leave it up to the student’s teacher. #ese teachers know their students substantially better than school administration and will have an easier time communicating their classroom policies. #e orange and blue card system should also return, it should be possible to reward the students who are on time daily while also empathizing with the students who are running late. I also urge the school administration to work with students to set a clear and e$ective approach and to clearly communicate with the student body before any sudden change to the attendance policy. being punished more than they value these same students actually attending class and learning. For example, !rst period students can choose to just skip their class and come in on time during second period. #is saves them a detention with the obvious downside being that they miss a day of class—but for many that’s a fair trade-o$. Before COVID-19, students were incentivized to be on time through the use of orange and blue cards given out by the attendance o"ce. #ese were get-out-of-jail-free-cards regarding a tardy or an unexcused absence o$ered to students who maintained perfect attendance records each quarter. It’s important to have a policy in place to ensure students attend school on time, but this policy does not need to be so strict. Most students don’t have any malicious intent to miss or skip school—they are simply busy. Forced to juggle full schedules, TARDY 11% 5%

the worst people on the planet Ugly, annoying, stupid, useless, and worthless are all words I would use to describe my fake friends. Every person has had a fake friend at least once in their life: if that’s you, then here’s a relatable story to relive your worst memories; if that’s not you, then here’s some preparation for when it will inevitably happen. Aside from the highly accurate descriptions I initially used to describe a fake friend, there are a few traits of a person that can signal their evil. !e "rst trait of many fake friends is con"dence. Real friends are insecure freaks who realize their lack of purpose in the world; someone without insecurities is mentally broken and probably an obnoxious fake friend. One of my conceited friends acted like she was a model for wearing a bandana and was delusional enough to think that everyone wanted to get with her. !ankfully, her boyfriend humbled her by cheating on her. Another common trait of fake friends is being manipulative. A manipulative fake friend will say they’re misunderstood to abuse anyone with a basic sense of empathy. In reality, they’re unlovable and suck the life out of everyone like a parasite. One of my friends manipulated everyone into giving her money until just about everyone in her life dropped her once they realized how fake she was. Turns out she was just mentally ill. Now, I can agree that it’s hard to initially base the e#cacy of a friendship simply on these traits in a person. So, on top of these traits, there are also some signs I commonly notice in a fake friend. One sign is that a fake friend is constantly talking about someone else behind their back. Usually, the things they say are projections of their satanic personality. Many of the fake friends I’ve encountered will trash someone else in front of multiple people to try and ruin that person’s reputation and social livelihood. Ten minutes later, the fake friend would comment “SO CUTE” on the Instagram post of the person they just attacked. Another giveaway of a fake friend is that they don’t make time for others or don’t care to respond to their messages. !ey’ll pretend like they’re busy FAKE FRIENDS | SATIRE MARCH | 25 WRITING ACHINTYA PERUMAL | DESIGN & PHOTO ILLUSTRATION LINCOLN KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSER when all they ever do is conspire about how to ruin another person’s life. Many of my fake friends don’t respond to my messages until I’ve double-texted. Double texting is embarrassing, and I’d rather die than be the loser put in that humiliating of a situation. Once a fake friend is identi"ed, there are a few factors to consider when deciding the fate of the friendship. While the common man might immediately say to drop them, my educated self knows that keeping them is o$entimes the better option. Even through the pain and mental su%ering of having a fake friend, there are two valid reasons to keep someone toxic. !e "rst one is attractiveness—seeing as looks are always more important than personality. If the fake friend is hideous, then their presence can help make one’s appearance much more charming. If the qualities of a fake friend make me seem superior, then keeping that friend is always my best option. !e mental su%ering might be di#cult, but I have to make sure to prioritize my social appeal. Popularity, especially in the brainless setting of an all-American high school, is another valid reason for toxic friendships. In high school, one’s entire value as a human being is based solely on how others see them. !ere’s no “be yourself;” instead, one should focus on "tting in and being accepted. Having connections to someone on a higher level of the high school hierarchy can bring multiple bene"ts to one’s social circle and selfworth. It’s like nepotism but for idiotic children. Only a$er outweighing the advantages and drawbacks of that friend can one truly assess whether to keep the fake friend in their life. I personally always keep a few fake friends just for the aesthetic. Like weird old people always say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer—especially if they’re ugly..

. issues with age in relationships opinion | age gap 26 | march writing taylor goudie | design natalia favila inacua | source harper’s bazaar close the gap Once someone turns 16 years old, they are the legal age of consent. Controversially, age gaps in relationships are ofen present, whether it be a 16 year old dating a 19 year old or a 20 year old dating a 40 year old. Huge age gaps are extremely problematic and shouldn’t exceed more than approximately 15 years apart. Even though once someone reaches the age of 16, they’re free and legal to date whomever they want who is also 16 or older, doesn’t make anyone older necessarily OK to date. Sure, large age gaps can work, but some are just too extreme. It’s common to see age gaps within relationships even within the community. Tese age gaps have also been relatively normalized and accepted within society, although some of the bigger age gaps should be questioned. A big name in the media right now in regards to his questionable dating history is actor Leonardo DiCaprio. At 48 years old, the majority of women who DiCaprio has dated are in their twenties. As of recently, there was talk of DiCaprio with his rumored relationship with 19-year-old Eden Polani. An interesting — and prety gross — concept being shared on social media is the idea that DiCaprio’s new potential girlfriend’s high school experience was impacted by COVID-19 and she wasn’t even born when the Titanic movie was released, according to Daily Mail, going to show just how much younger she is. It defnitely comes of strange that as an older man he doesn’t date anyone remotely close to his age. It has been somewhat normalized in society to see older men with younger women though. In a study done in the book Dataclysm by Christian Rudder on the age men 20 to 50-years-old fnd most atractive in women, all of the men said women in their early 20s. For example, the 42 year old said he fnds 20-year-old women most atractive and the 50 year old man said he fnds 22-year-old women most atractive. Tese results were contrary to the results done with women where they found men around their age most atractive. Another highly controversial celebrity pair that switches the dynamic is 32-yearold Aaron Taylor-Johnson and 55-year-old Sam Taylor-Johnson. Afer meeting on the set of a flm together in 2009, they began dating and then got married in 2012. Tis goes to show that it’s not just older men who go for younger women, but also older women going for younger men. Even though Aaron Taylor-Johnson was 18 when he met Sam, the signifcant age gap is weird—considering she could literally be his mother with that age gap— and points to a power imbalance. When one is extremely older in a relationship, they tend to have more power over their younger partner. Tis power struggle can be very harmful and lead to unhealthy relationships. Tis can especially be seen in celebrity relationships when the younger partner idolizes the much older partner, such as 19-year-old Taylor Swif dating 32-yearold John Mayer or 20-year-old Phoebe Bridgers dating 40-year-old Ryan Adams. Sure, it’s possible for there to be true love between someone older and someone younger, but it defnitely can be concerning to see so many wide age gaps within relationships. It’s also defnitely weird to consider many of the older partners being legally able to drink before their younger partner was even born. In high school, age gaps should be even more restrictive. Dating someone more than two years older or younger is strange and shouldn’t be done, especially when the diference in maturity is accounted for. For example, a 14-year-old freshman dating a 17-year-old junior is concerning; so much growth in maturity takes place between those years. Because there is so much maturing to be done in school, it makes sense for the age gaps to be deemed weirder. A 16 year old dating a 20 year old is much diferent than a 23 year old dating a 27 year old. In truth, any age gap larger than 15 is defnitely questionable and raises a potential red fag. Te true intentions in the relationship can be shady which can lead to a toxic relationship. BIGGEST CELEBRITY AGE GAPS SAM TAYLOR-JOHNSON & AARON TAYLOR-JOHNSON LEONARDO DICAPRIO & EDEN POLANI 29 23 DENNIS QUAID & LAURA SAVOIE 39 SARAH PAULSON & HOLLAND TAYLOR 31 SOURCE: HARPER’S BAZAAR

ABOUT THE COLUMNIST Hi, my name is Rachel Lehman, and I’ve been doing journalism since I was a freshman. I am a senior this year. Tis year will be my third year writing for WEB and my frst year writing for Te Courier. My hobbies consist of scrapbooking, painting an doing fun makeup and nail art. radiant rachel my fnal advice: slaying senioritis writing rachel lehman | design natalia favila inacua | photo permission to print rachel lehman academic tips | column 27 | march . Nothing quite pushes me to my limits like the second semester, especially as a senior. I was already struggling with senioritis and motivation my junior year, but this year it’s on a whole new level. I consider myself to be very academically motivated, yet my third quarter grades sufer every. single. time. Luckily, those reading get to learn from my mistakes and together we can fnish of the year strong. 1. Keep a tidy workspace My desk is in my room by a window 6 feet from my bed. As of right now, it’s covered in make-up brushes and mascara but usually when not used as a vanity, I use it for homework. Like I mentioned, it’s in my room, and if there are people reading who can get work done while having a dirty room, they must have magical powers. However, I am not one of those people. Even if it takes a whole day to get it all refreshed, I guarantee it’s worth cleaning because it will physically feel beter, and I can focus on work instead of the laundry that was meant to be put away two weeks ago. 2. Have a change in your environment For me, having my desk and bed in the same room is risky. If it were a batle: desk vs. bed unfortunately, the bed would win just about every time. Tis is why I try to change environments ofen, especially if it’s a space where I can get natural sunlight, and I won’t be tempted to watch TV or TikToks in bed. I try to get out of the house and go to the library if I really need to focus, or if I want a litle more laid-back space, a cafe. I try to switch up where I go or where I sit ofen so it’s something that I look forward to rather than dread. 3. Keep organized I cannot stress enough how important it is to stay organized. If I don’t write in my planner what homework I must do for each class, just assume I won’t be doing anything because not only will I not remember but also when I write it down it pushes myself to actually get it done. Tere are some days when I write down all my tasks and I’ll stare at it like “wow, I really don’t want to do this” so I’ll number them depending on how much I do or don’t want to do them. For example, if I have fve tasks, I’ll number one as the task I want to do the most and fve as the one I want to do the least and begin with number fve and work backwards so that I can get the less exciting things out of the way frst. 4. Have an end goal My last piece of advice that goes along with staying organized is to have an end goal. In my planner, I create a “to do” section where I put my goals for the week. Tis could be studying for a test or beginning parts of a presentation. I should also mention it’s important to take breaks! From my experience, cramming everything instead of planning what to do each day a litle at a time, equals a train wreck. Once it comes test time and all I did was try to get the homework done, uh oh I’m in trouble. Also, cramming just makes school so unappealing, it’ll be viewed it as a negative thing every time. By seting litle goals whether it be big or small and being able to say “I accomplished this today/this week” will help with motivation and viewing school more positively. We’re almost there, keep going!

DESIGN | MAKENNA SHRAGER

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