Arlingtonian vol. 3 2021-2022

NOVEMBER 5, 2021

VOLUME 85, ISSUE 3

ARLINGTONIAN

B UY, B YE , BUY : TH E IMP ACT OF FAS T FASH ION READ NOW ON PAGE 16

IN THIS ISSUE FEATURES, NEWS & NOTES

Raising Hope

UA community comes together in the fight against childhood cancer.

6

A Bear Abroad UAHS student adjusts to a new school and a new country.

Act 1, Scene 1

Live theater returns to the stage.

Connecting Offline

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How students and staff feel about the new addition to their Fridays.

Custodial Concerns

UAHS custodians labor under the pressure of maintaining the new school.

SPOTLIGHT

Buy, Bye, Buy

A look at UAHS students' use of fast fashion and the impact of overconsumption.

OPINION

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10 14

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SPORTS

A Taste of Poison Paradise

Columnist discusses Britney Spears’ conservatorship and the #FreeBritney movement.

Reading Ahead

Columnist accepts, rejects and waitlists books about college admissions.

Should you go to The Wizard of Za? Na.

GRAPHIC AND DESCRIPTION

BY LUCY O’BRIEN, ’22.

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Lou's Reviews

ON THE COVER

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M

aking this cover was a journey.

I had to revise and redraw a lot of concepts in order to communicate just one idea: materialism.

Finally, I settled on

ARL Athletes: Anna Leach and Fabi Corso

EDITORIAL

24 31

Slow Down!

a look into a closet stuffed with clothes to communicate that central idea. Whether clothes are designer or straight from Shein, students feel the need to keep up with the forever

changing fashion world, which contributes to materialism and overconsumption.

I found this cover communicated that best.

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I

EDITOR’S NOTE

was 6 years old when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was 16 years old when it relapsed, this time at stage four. In the past 11 years, my mom has endured several surgeries, multiple rounds of radiation, countless medications and severe pain.

Cancer is heartbreaking—for the patient, their family and their friends. And the battle never ends.

The tricky thing about cancer is that it’s not truly understood—at least, how to treat it. Many treatments are yet to be discovered.

That is why cancer research is so vital. In fact, the medication my mother is currently on was just discovered by cancer researchers six years ago.

The fundraising by organizations like Bearing Hope, founded by sophomore Alea Ramsey, and projects like fifth-grader Tess Short’s book “The Worry-Free Bear” help advance cancer research and bring hope to cancer patients and their loved ones.

Further, it is through collective awareness and communal support, like what was demonstrated at the Oct. 8 football game, that help people detect the disease early and inspire them to donate their time and money to cancer-research.

We are over a quarter of the way ARLINGTONIAN EDITOR IN CHIEF through the school year. The leaves are turning, college applications are being turned in, Trader Joe’s has stocked pumpkin ice cream again and Thanksgiving will be here soon. I encourage you to make the most of your time off this month by spending time with your loved ones and giving back to your community. You can do this by baking a yorkshire pudding with your mom, volunteering at a local food pantry or by calling a truce with your siblings to watch a movie that makes you think of fall. (I’ll be watching “You’ve Got Mail.”) Or, in my biased opinion, the best thing you could do this month is snuggle up with a cup of hot chocolate and read this issue of Arlingtonian.

Read more about Bearing Hope on page six.

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ARLINGTONIAN VOLUME 85 | 2021-2022

November 5, 2021, ISSUE 3 EDITOR IN CHIEF

Callia Peterson MANAGING EDITORS

Matthew Doron James Underwood COPY EDITOR

Brooke Mason ARTS EDITOR

Lucy O’Brien MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Ava Adamantidis WEBSITE MANAGER

LAYOUT MANAGER

Greta Miller

Ellie Crespo

STAFF WRITERS

PHOTO MANAGER

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Bella VanMeter

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PHOTOGRAPHERS

Austin Henley Hayden Kegg Lauren Leff Krish Mawalkar Alexander Wilkins Zac Yoakam

SPORTS CORRESPONDENTS

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Jayden Banks Héloïse Dutel Sarah McCulloch Bridget Mitchell Jack Tatham GRAPHIC ARTISTS

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BUSINESS MANAGER

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MULTIMEDIA CONTRIBUTORS

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EDITORIAL POLICY Arlingtonian is a studentproduced newsmagazine published

by Journalism III-A students at UAHS. The publication has been established as a public forum for student expression and for the discussion of issues of concern to its audience. It will not be reviewed or restrained by school officials prior to publication or distribution.

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The Editor in Chief shall interpret and enforce this editorial policy.

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A Bear Abroad

UAHS student adjusts to a new school and a new country.

BY ELLIE CRESPO, ’22. GRAPHICS BY DAPHNE BONILLA, ’22.

S

enior Emma Jinschek spends her mornings on an hour-long commute via train to Copenhagen International School, as she watches her view of familiar suburban houses become increasingly urban—a routine that is drastically different than the one she developed as a UAHS student.

Last summer, Jinschek’s life underwent a seismic change when her dad received a job offer abroad.

Jinschek was born in California and has dual U.S.-German citizenship through her parents, but she grew up in the Netherlands.

She came to Upper Arlington when she was 13. Despite her international background, Copenhagen was uncharted territory for Jinschek, having visited Denmark only as a toddler. Her previous experience of moving to the United States only exacerbated her worries.

“I knew what it felt like to go through that,” Jinschek said. “I was definitely really scared and really nervous [of meeting] new people and being in a new environment.”

This move separated Jinschek from the friends she had made during her four years in Upper Arlington. To mitigate this challenge, Jinschek has found ways to stay connected to home. For example, she has utilized social media app Snapchat’s private story feature to keep in touch with her friends overseas. “[I] post things about [what’s] been happening; we’re talking about my new friends and the new experiences that I have,” Jinschek said. “I think that really helps.”

Jinschek posts stories detailing every aspect of life as an international student: the struggles, new friendships, social events and opportunities she’s encountered thus far.

U.S. International Schools allow children of parents whose jobs relocate often, like Jinschek’s, to receive a western education in any country. And, although the main language of Jinschek’s school is English, international schools are, as the name suggests, filled with students of different cultural backgrounds, creating a

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student body composed of various identities.

“Everyone’s from a different culture, different religion, different country,” Jinschek said. [Everybody’s] different, so that kind of makes us [all] the same.”

In addition to a diverse student body, Jinschek’s teachers hail from diverse backgrounds.

“My math teacher lived in South Africa for a really long time. I think she [is] American, but she’s been immersed in so many cultures.

My Spanish teacher is actually Spanish. My chem[istry] teacher [is from the UK],” she said.

At Copenhagen International School, Jinschek is exposed to a wide range of viewpoints.

“It [makes] conversations so [interesting] because everybody has [a] different perspective on everything because they’ve experienced their life differently,” Jinschek said.

Though the school is composed of a diverse range of nationalities and native languages, some European customs have still been adopted

by Jinschek’s peers. “[At parties, there’s] a lot of drinks; a lot of smoking,” she said.

“Drinking’s legal [in Denmark] at 16, so it’s [a] very popular thing to do for teenagers, especially since we’re all 17 [or] 18. Smoking is a very popular thing in Europe in general… but you’re only allowed to do [that at] 18, so sometimes you have an 18-year-old bring cigarettes.”

Copenhagen International School is a six-story International Baccalaureate (IB) school where Jinschek is accompanied by 76 other seniors. Since the Copenhagen International School operates on an IB program, Jinschek and her peers are in their second year of their two-year courses. However, she is taking many second-year IB courses without taking the first.

“I feel mostly just academically behind. Stand-alone classes for IB in UA are just one year. Here, [the IB classes are] two years, so I started the second year of IB [Chemistry] without taking the first year,” she said.

Jinschek plans on attending college in Europe, prioritizing universities that are close to home, Germany. Due to her citizenship status, she would attend German colleges for free and Danish schools for only $3,000 a year.

“I’m going to study here [in Europe],” she said. “[But] I [don’t] know exactly where, and I don’t know what.”

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Skipping Scores?

Current seniors have to decide if they will submit ACT or SAT scores to colleges.

BY GEORGE BERNARD, ’23. GRAPHIC BY STELLA PETRAS, ’22.

W

ith college application deadlines approaching, many seniors are making the tough decision of whether or not to submit their SAT or ACT scores. This decision is a relatively new one as many colleges and universities have gone test-optional for the graduating classes of 2021 and 2022 as a result of COVID-19; however, there is a long history that builds to the current day.

In 1970, Bowdoin College was the first college to stop requiring applicants to submit their test scores. Over the following three decades a small number of liberal arts colleges joined in.

However, the movement began to pick up steam in the early 2000s when the University of California system began to advocate for changes to the SAT and deemphasizing it in the admissions process.

As a result, the College Board decided to modify the SAT by adding a writing portion and eliminating the word analogy section. ACT followed suit by instituting changes to their test––adding an optional essay. In the mid-2010s, some larger schools began adopting the test-optional policy, and when COVID hit, many more went test-optional.

According to Fairtest.org, an organization that advocates for testoptional policies, only 360 colleges and universities were test-optional in 2019, but now, over 1,750 have gone test-optional for Fall 2022 applicants, representing 73% of all U.S. bachelordegree granting institutions.

For students who score well, submitting their scores has the potential to push them over the finish line and get them accepted. But for others, their application may be stronger in other areas and test scores play a much smaller role.

According to the college counselor, Kathy Moore, there are some guidelines FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

to decide whether or not to submit scores.

“If their scores fall at or above the average ACT scores at a particular school, then we recommend sending them,” Moore said. “It’s also important for students to consider whether they think their scores are an accurate indicator of them as a student.”

According to the most recent data from the ACT Organization, the national average score for the ACT for the graduating class of 2020 was 20.6.

However, Upper Arlington students typically score better, such as the class of 2020 who scored an average of 25.5.

Many students start studying early to improve their scores. “[I recommend beginning studying] three months ahead of the test,” Moore said.

Many students retake the test multiple times to improve their scores at a cost of $46 per retake.

“We see some students take it two times and others take it four times. It depends on the student and the amount of prep going into the test. Students usually know when they are done,” Moore said.

For many students though, submitting test scores isn’t worth it. If they only plan on applying to less competitive schools, they may not feel the time and cost of retaking the test is worth it, particularly if they aren’t a good test taker.

While the decision on whether or not to submit scores is a big one, a test score represents one data point out of many that admissions officers take into consideration.

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Raising Hope

UA community comes together in the fight against childhood cancer.

BY CALLIA PETERSON, ’22 AND ELLIE CRESPO, ’22. GRAPHICS BY DAPHNE BONILLA, ’22. PHOTOS BY BELLA VANMETER, ’22 AND CALLIA PETERSON, ’22.

B

eginning in September, which is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the UA community has come together to support fundraisers that benefit local cancer patients and their families.

Two local projects created by students, the non-profit organization Bearing Hope and a children’s book titled “The Worry-Free Bear,” were founded to raise awareness about childhood cancer and to raise money for children and families fighting the disease.

BEARING HOPE At 13-years-old, senior Alea Ramsey was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of cancer that attacks the bones.

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After going into remission in March of 2019, Ramsey faced two relapses, first in March of 2020 and then in June of 2019.

She has spent her high school years in and out of the hospital, and her journey inspired her to create Bearing Hope, a non-profit that brings hope to kids who are fighting cancer in Ohio.

Since its establishment in September of 2020, Bearing Hope has grown exponentially, allowing Ramsey to help more children going through cancer treatment than ever before.

“Bearing Hope has become everything I dreamed it could be and more,” Ramsey said.

Ramsey has sent around 20 individually themed bags to inpatient children during Valentine’s day, the 4th of July and Halloween, and Ramsey’s neighbor provides homemade quilts for her to donate to Nationwide Children's Hospital.

She also organized a car parade for the first patient Bearing Hope served.

In recent months, Ramsey has traveled to Washington, D.C., for a childhood cancer awareness event and has had several successful fundraisers, including the Oct. 8 football game at UAHS. At the game, the fighters, survivors and angels were projected onto the big screen after the first quarter. Additionally, the football players and cheerleaders wore gold ribbons, and the student section wore gold t-shirts and held gold balloons.

“I saw kids [at the game] who had to fight so hard for a chance to be a kid, dancing and cheering on the team. Every time I met a [new] warrior, I gave them the same type of sticker the football players were wearing and told them, ‘Every single football player is wearing this ribbon for you,’” Ramsey said. “[Their] faces lit up every time I said that, and it made them

cheer even harder and have even more fun.”

In the days leading up to the game, Ramsey fundraised by selling t-shirts.

“All of the shirts were sold out. Many people from the community donated to be sponsors so buying shirts was an option,” Ramsey said.

The football game both raised awareness for pediatric cancer and allowed Ramsey and the community to give back to children with cancer.

Ramsey said the event formed a connection between those children and the community.

“I was proud of my family for helping me organize and arrange everything. I was proud of the UAHS staff members for being so amazing and trusting to help my vision become a reality. I was proud of the football team, marching band, tech team, Bear Den and cheerleaders for being flexible, respectful and for doing their part to make that night even more special for the kids. I was proud of the cancer warriors who came to the game and those who couldn’t make it. I was proud of myself for pulling people together for a cause I care so much about,” she said.

Ramsey views the football game as a success for her non-profit organization.

“Bearing Hope has gained so much support through the football game and fundraiser. The whole UA community has shown so much love and support for the cause,” she said.

Ramsey said she hopes Bearing Hope will continue to grow even further.

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◀ BIG SMILE Tess Short poses with her book “The WorryFree Bear.”

“Honestly, if Bearing Hope can continue to bring hope and joy to kids, I will be happy,” she said. “The whole experience of starting and maintaining a non-profit has been such an eye-opening experience that [continues] to change my life everyday, and that’s all I ever hoped for when I started it.”

This experience has reaffirmed Ramsey’s future aspirations.

“I already knew I wanted to do something in the pediatric cancer world; I think starting Bearing Hope just helped confirm what I want my future career to be,” she said.

THE WORRY-FREE BEAR After watching her older brother fight cancer, Tess Short, a fifth grader at Greensview Elementary School, wrote and published a book titled “The Worry-Free Bear” about a young girl diagnosed with cancer whose story parallels Tess Short’s own experience.

Tess’s brother, sophomore Sam Short, was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor called spinal ependymoma at 12-years-old.

“When I got diagnosed, it was really hard because I couldn’t do anything for a year, and I didn’t feel comfortable with

myself anymore,” he said.

Doctors removed the tumor, but after eleven months of clear scans, the tumor returned, this time on both sides of his

spinal cord.

“We thought everything was fine, and then [it] came back twice as worse,” Sam Short said.

The doctors could not remove all of the reoccurred tumor, so Sam Short went through multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. Today, his tumor is Grade III and aggressive, but he is stable.

“We’re just chasing it now,” his mom, Tori Short, said.

Throughout her brother’s cancer journey, Tess Short watched Sam Short relearn to walk, wear a neck brace and undergo radiation and chemotherapy. In a writers’ workshop during third grade, Tess Short decided to write a story inspired by what she was seeing and feeling. She wrote about a girl with cancer named Caroline

who used a stuffed bear to keep her worries at bay.

“I worried about Sam a lot, just if he would be OK or if my parents could pay the hospital bills to keep him in there,” she said. “I [had] my own bear that I would hug, and it helped me throughout the process.”

Tess Short compiled her ideas onto a Keynote and showed her third grade teacher, Jana Holland, who illustrated the book and helped Tess Short get it published.

“I showed it to Mrs. Holland, and she was in love with it,” Tess Short said.

Holland and a team of teachers at Greensview, including Mark Walter, Tess’s second grade teacher, and Jaimie Trainer, another third grade teacher, edited Tess Short’s story and connected her with a publisher.

“The teachers really took it and ran with it,” Tori Short said.

Through a Kickstarter campaign, the Short family and the Greensview teachers raised $20,000. Part of the money paid for 500 books and 525 stuffed bears, and the rest was donated to charities supporting children with cancer, including Ramsey’s care packages. The books will be selfdistributed to the Short family’s network of friends and families impacted by childhood cancer.

“The book is a culmination of Tess observing what Sam went through, and the books that she read along the way,” Tori Short said. “We are grateful to have had all the support.”

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS ▶ Alea poses with other cancer survivors and their families at the Oct. 8 football game.

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Connecting Offline

How students and staff feel about the new addition to their Fridays.

BY ANTONIA CAMPBELL, ’22. GRAPHICS BY MOLLY HENCH, ’22.

PHOTOS BY BELLA VANMETER, ’22

H

igh school can be a stressful and intimidating environment for any student; it is a time in life when insecurities are high and guards are up. These universal experiences are why the Upper Arlington High School administration created a new way for students to interact this year.

The Bear Connection period takes place every Friday between 5th and 6th period and lasts 20 minutes. Each Bear Connection group contains around 20 students of all grade levels, including student mentors, accompanied by one teacher to lead activities. Freshman mentors are there to answer questions and offer help, but ultimately, they are part of the group of students, and it is the teacher’s job to lead activities. Students are in the same Bear Connection with the same teacher all four years of high school, with seniors being replaced by incoming freshmen after they graduate.

“The basic purpose of Bear Connection is that we want kids to feel like they have a place where they can connect to one more adult and more students so that two thousand kids doesn’t feel as big as two thousand kids,”

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English teacher Melissa Hasebrook said. “It should be fun and a place where there’s familiar faces for all four years.”

Hasebrook, who is a Bear Connection house leader along with a handful of other teachers, is responsible for brainstorming activities for Bear Connections that will fulfill the class’s purpose. Each house leader is assigned multiple Bear Connection teachers to overlook and offer assistance.

“I work with 25 teachers, and my job is to help them know what to do during that time, give them ideas and connect them to people,” Hasebrook said. “I cover for teachers who are out during that time if they need coverage for it. It’s really just helping teachers know what to do in that time.”

What is done in a given Bear Connection is up to the students and teacher in the class, as long as they are participating in something constructive for connection.

Senior and mentor leader Emma Morris has done a number of activities in her Bear Connection.

“We’ve been playing board games in tournament style for prizes, [doing] coloring pages [or] just talking. We’ve gone on walks outside [as well],” she said.

In these first weeks, most Bear Connections have done activities that focus on learning about each other and creating a level of familiarity so that they can begin to connect on a deeper level.

“I did a lot of what the other teachers were doing like the get-to-know-you games and whatnot,” teacher Michael Rice

said. “I moved beyond the introductions after getting ideas from other teachers.”

Whether or not students and teachers enjoy Bear Connection varies from classroom to classroom. Many students appreciate the break from schoolwork and time to relax.

“It’s nice to have a break in the day that’s not lunch because it’s a long day, and especially on a Friday, you just want the week to come to an end,” sophomore Manny Stavridis said. “[Bear Connection] kind of gives you the little push you need to finish off the day.”

With any new addition to the school’s schedule, some flaws need to be identified and improved. Bear Connection has yet to be perfected and its purpose has not been fulfilled in every class.

“I think Bear Connection needs time for people to settle in and get comfortable; figure out what they’re doing,” Hasebrook said. “I’ve been surprised that students don’t like this part of their day and that they’re

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uncomfortable, so I think we need a mechanism to help students feel more comfortable outside of their normal social circles.”

A suggested mechanism to solve the awkwardness and enhance connection is to participate in activities that have students of a certain Bear Connection working toward a common goal.

“If there was something to do as a whole school but within your Bear Connection, I feel that would make the goal of connection and community building happen,” Morris said. “Whether that means doing something Bear Connection versus Bear Connection or something like a schoolwide Kahoot.”

On the other hand, many see that no matter what activities a Bear Connection does, time is what will eventually strengthen connections within classes.

“I think the biggest thing honestly is that it’s going to take some time to get to know people and feel comfortable in your Bear Connection, to get to know your teachers and for teachers to know students. So I think before we rush to make significant changes, we have to let it play out a little bit first,” Rice said.

While there’s still room for improvement, the idea of Bear Connection has positive intentions, and the immediate outcomes have not been negative. Many students have been bonding and having a good time during their small break at the end of the school week, and teachers have been engaging in creative activities such as paper plane contests and charades.

“I love seeing the inventive things that teachers are doing,” Hasebrook said. “Seeing kids and teachers step up and show their creativity and seeing the variety of how people are using their time is fascinating and inspiring to me.”

INSIDE A BEAR CONNECTION ▶ Students get to know each other in their Bear Connection by playing games.

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Act 1, Scene 1

Live theater, including Fall Follies and Columbus professional theater productions, returns to the stage.

BY MATTHEW DORON, ’23. GRAPHICS BY MEGAN MCKINNEY, ’22. PHOTO BY BELLA VANMETER, ’22.

T

he 74th Tony Awards, Broadway’s most famous awards show, was held on Sept. 26 after being delayed due to COVID-19 safety concerns.

The awards ceremony and the reopening of Broadway have marked a new fall theater season both nationally and in Columbus and UA. On Oct. 23 and Oct. 24 the vocal music department performed “No Place Like Home,” the first in-person Fall Follies since October 2019.

Vocal music director Brandon Moss said that for all choir performances, students are required to wear masks.

“Singing, as you may have heard, is a little bit more of a spreadable activity than maybe just talking or some other activities.

We try our best to be safe by keeping students at a pretty good distance,” Moss said. “We’re going to try to make it as normal as possible.”

He said that while performing with masks may be inconvenient, the vocal music students are well-practiced in performing while wearing them.

“I don’t think it’s anybody’s preference [to sing in a mask] but, you know, it’s just what we need to do to keep safe and to follow procedures and safety protocols,” Moss said.

Junior KK Murphy, who performs in Vocal Ensemble, Belcanto and Symphonic Choir, believes that wearing masks does not alter a performance.

“I don’t really think that [wearing masks] has much of a difference on the performance quality; it’s just to stay safe. I think it’s necessary.”

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first live, indoor performance with a full audience since February 2020.

“I’m so excited that theater’s coming back and hopefully if everybody continues to be wearing masks and stay[ing] safe and get[ting] vaccinated, then we can get back to a complete normal,” she said.

In Columbus, professional theater companies CATCO and Short North Stage opened their first in-person seasons since COVID-19 shutdowns ended their 2019-2020 seasons prematurely.

For their first show of their 2021-2022 season, CATCO is performing “Mr. Burns, a post-electric play,” an experimental play directed by CATCO Artistic Director Leda Hoffmann. Hoffmann said that because “Mr. Burns” is CATCO’s first in-person production since March 2020, in-person rehearsals were an extreme change from the virtual theater done in 2020.

“I think everyone is just so excited to be back in a rehearsal space together,” she said. “Everyone’s really excited, everything I’ve heard from audiences so far is they just can’t wait to get back in the theater.”

Other Columbus theater companies have brought back productions that were canceled by the onset of the pandemic.

Short North Stage’s production of Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein” was originally slated to run in March 2020 but ended one week into a five-week performance schedule.

Due to the extremely short first run of “Young Frankenstein,” the show is being performed in full during Short North Stage’s 2021-2022 season. The show is directed and choreographed by Short North Stage’s Artistic Director Edward Carignan.

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“I’m really happy to bring it home to Columbus right now and audiences so far have just been loving it, which is wonderful,” he said.

As both Short North Stage and CATCO have cast and crew members in the Actors’ Equity Association, a labor association for live theater performers, both companies must follow the requirements set by Actors’ Equity.

“The actors are required by the union to be tested three times a week, so we rapid test them here. [If the test is positive, the actor has to take] a PCR test to ensure it’s not a false positive. And then after that, we quarantine anyone who is, in fact, positive,” Carignan said. “Luckily, no one has been actually sick, but we just can’t take any chances; we isolate anybody who tests positive.”

A participant in Short North Stage’s internship program, UAHS junior Alana Sayat performs in the ensemble of “Young Frankenstein.” She is also the dance captain of the Vocal Music Program at UAHS and a member of Vocal Ensemble, Belcanto and Symphonic Choir along with Murphy. Sayat said that prior to beginning rehearsals, all the cast and crew members were required to test negative on a PCR test, and everyone in the cast was required to be vaccinated.

“If we want to perform onstage in a FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

▲ NO PLACE LIKE HOME While perfroming in “Young Frankenstein,” Sayat (left from center) choreographed four dance numbers in this year’s Fall Follies. theater inside without masks, we have to make sure that everyone’s safe, but we have to put on our masks as soon as we get offstage,” she said. “[We all] have to wash down all of our high-touch areas…

Everyone rehearses in masks, and so we have had to take a lot of precautions with that, but it’s for the safety of everyone.”

Hoffmann said these same requirements, as well as several regarding performance attendance, apply to CATCO as well as Short North Stage.

“We are also asking all of our audience members to be fully vaccinated or to provide the results of a recent negative COVID test, and then, we’re also requiring our audiences to wear masks the entire time,” Hoffmann said. “Our hope is that with vaccines and testing and mask-wearing, we’ll be able to keep our audiences safe.”

Short North Stage has very similar requirements for audience members.

“We require a vaccination to enter the building or a negative PCR test within 72

hours or a negative rapid test that’s verified on the same day. And then once you’re in the theater, you have to wear a mask at all times,” Carrignan said.

For Sayat, both “Young Frankenstein” and the Fall Follies mark a return to indoor theater.

“I am personally really glad that performing is back,” she said. “It’s such a healing thing for both the performers and the audience. I think it’s worth it to have all of those precautions to [not only] keep everyone safe but to make sure that everyone can still enjoy live theater.”

“Mr. Burns” will be performed at the Vern Riffe Center until Nov. 14.“Young Frankenstein” will be performed at the Garden Theater until Nov. 7.

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New Digs, New Drinks

UA Rise has reopened in the new building.

BY JAMES UNDERWOOD, ’23. GRAPHIC BY MEGAN MCKINNEY, ’22. PHOTO BY BELLA VANMETER, ’22.

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t’s noon on Monday, and UA Rise is abuzz. The student baristas are hard at work taking orders and making drinks.

Outside, a short line of students waits eagerly for a midday caffeine boost. Cards swipe and machines whir.

UA Rise is the high school coffee shop located at the north end of Golden Bear Boulevard. The shop is run by a staff of 10 student baristas, supported by English teacher Karen D’Eramo. The students’ responsibilities deal with every aspect of the store: they take orders, process payments and make coffee. The students can also create new drinks and manage running the shop.

The students involved in UA Rise can have different roles and responsibilities.

“It’s individualized for students’ needs,” D’Eramo said. “They all do different things, but they all work together and help each other.”

Students can get involved by signing up for the yearlong class and talking with D’Eramo.

“You can take it as many times as you want during your time here, usually sophomore through senior year,” she said.

The UA Rise baristas have attracted a loyal customer base, including senior Eva Van Benschoten.

“UA Rise is pretty fire,” she said. “[I go] probably two, three times a week. It really depends how much homework I have at lunch.”

For UA Rise regulars like Van Benschoten, the store offers a frequent buyer card which allows customers to get a discount after five purchases and a free drink after 10.

“I’m currently one punch away from getting a dollar off,” Van Benschoten said.

Junior Gavin Zembler-Stiffler is another frequent customer at UA Rise.

“I love it. I go every other day,” he said.

“I’ve filled out many a punch card, both my freshman year and now this year.”

The store was founded in April 2009 and was in part supported by donations from community groups and local businesses like Huffman’s Market and Cameron Mitchell.

“Members of the community helped us by donating money so we could build it,” D’Eramo said.

Still, the store today is financially independent from the school or other groups.

“We’re fully self-funded by the money we make by selling coffee,” D’Eramo said.

“That pays for all of our supplies.”

The move to the new high school presented new challenges for UA Rise.

“It was a lot, just like [for] everybody,” D’Eramo said. “It was a lot of restructuring, packing, figuring out what we were taking and what we were not taking.”

Ultimately, the move came as an upgrade for the store. When it was founded in the old building, UA Rise occupied what was formerly a concession stand. In the new building, the store has a dedicated space with a classroom behind it in which the student baristas can meet and collaborate.

Another change this year is in the size of drinks offered.

“Since UA food services is offering free lunch, we have to follow more specific guidelines by the state,” D’Eramo said. As such, the store is not selling 16 ounce drinks as it had in the past.

“Those are rules not put in place by us,” D’Eramo said. “So that has been our biggest challenge.”

With the new building, UA Rise has returned to its full menu for the 2021-22 school year. The store accepts cash, card and mobile payment services like Apple Pay. According to D’Eramo, the store’s most popular drink is frozen hot chocolate, which Zember-Stiffler said was his favorite.

“It’s nice: very sweet, a lot of sugar to start my math class that’s next period,” he said. ◀ THE SECOND RISING Students gather around the new UA Rise for their midday caffeine boost.

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Is It Just F Fantasy?

UAHS students and staff play fantasy football.

BY ELENA FERNANDEZ, ’23 GRAPHIC BY CAROLINE KEGG, ’22.

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riendships started, strengthened and even ended. This is what the fantasy football season brings upon some students yearly.

Draft parties, bragging rights, winners, losers, cash prizes and last-place challenges bring back nostalgia for the fall tradition. Fantasy football was first established in 1962 when the part-owner of the Oakland Raiders, Bill Winkenbach, gathered with friends in a New York City hotel and created the first ever league, The Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League or GOPPPL for short. From these roots, fantasy football has been ever-growing in popularity. According to ESPN, there were 40 million players in the United States as of Aug. 27, 2021.

The competition is formatted as follows: around 10 players draft their teams; they pick alternating randomly, giving everyone a chance to draft the most sought-after players to fill their team and bench. If one chooses to auto-pick a draft, the app will automatically draft the next best player available for the field position

that they have to fill; however, this method does not guarantee success. Later in the season, players can be traded and moved on or off of the bench by the team managers depending on their skills and when they are scheduled to play.

Longtime fantasy football player and business teacher Kyle Davis began a league 16 years ago with a few high school friends.

Although matured beyond high school, the 12 men who had grown up together continue to use fantasy football as a way to stay in touch; it is one of the few times a year that they get to see each other.

“We organize [the draft party] usually every Labor Day weekend,” Davis said. “Our fantasy football is less about the football itself, but as we’ve gotten older and we’ve started to have kids, moved away, married, etc., it’s been our way to keep in contact with everybody.”

This year, the group held their draft party in Cleveland. In years past, they have traveled to places such as New Orleans and Deep Creek, Maryland.

Junior Anthony Blauser has been playing fantasy football with his father, Rocky Blauser, for the past five years.

They participate in Rocky Blauser’s work league, which can inspire intense competition. The pair agree that football has built and strengthened their bond as father and son. They attend Gallo’s sports-themed taproom every Sunday to watch NFL football and anxiously check their phones for updates from their fantasy app.

“My dad did the same with his father when he was my age but with baseball,” Blauser said. “It is passed on through common interest.”

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◀ MR. MOON AT WORK Beloved custodian Scott Moon with students during lunch 4B.

Custodial Concerns

“[Our custodian room is] actually like walking from the [north main entrance] all the way to the south and vice versa,” custodian Scott Moon said. “Every time we go to the custodian room and back out, that's like walking the length of the building.

We probably do that 8 to 9 times a day at least.”

The UAHS administration is working with the custodial staff to address concerns relating to the new building.

“I touch base daily with the first shift custodians, and I am currently working on scheduling a time to meet with all custodians so we can get to know each other, celebrate each other and share issues and concerns,” vice principal and custodial supervisor Jennifer Mox said.

UAHS custodians labor under the pressure of maintaining the new school.

BY SAFIA MALHOTRA, ’24 AND FIA GALLICCHIO, ’22.

GRAPHICS BY MEGAN MCKINNEY, ’22. PHOTO BY BELLA VANMETER, ’22.

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he custodial staff has faced challenges over the course of the first quarter, including adjusting to the new building, bathroom vandalism and disrespect from students.

They have continued to clean up after nearly 2,000 students, but with a lack of help from students along with the devious lick TikTok trend, the weight of maintaining the three-story high school has fallen on the shoulders of the custodians.

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NEW SCHOOL, NEW PROBLEMS The change from the old school to the new school may seem like old news now; however, it still has a drastic effect on the environment of UAHS as a whole.

The new school has many new features, one of those being a significant size difference from the old school. While this has excited both students and staff, it came with a variety of drawbacks—especially for the custodial staff.

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D I S R E S P EC T A N D DESTRUCTION Students across the country have defaced their school buidlings ever since a TikTok trend known as “devious licks” took off in early September. UAHS is no exception.

“Tom and the other custodians have noticed a lot of [vandalism],” Moon said, in regards to the drawings on the stalls, missing doors and various bathroom supplies that have disappeared.

Administrators have managed to get the vandalism under control; however, the custodial staff is still dealing with a handful of troublesome students that continue to deface the building.

“They don’t say ‘[I’m going to] disrespect Mr. Moon today, [I’m going to] trash something,’ they just trash it cause they think it’s funny, but it actually is disrespectful,” Moon said.

“When [students] make our job extra hard because [they] do something foolish or destructive, that’s a sign of disrespect.”

When students vandalize and damage school property, the

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destruction impacts not only the school staff, but their classmates as well.

“What happens is when they damage the property, it’s [other students] that miss out. If they tear a paper towel dispenser roll or do anything like that then [other students] don’t have paper towels to dry [their] hands. So, it’s really not fair to the rest of the students that comply to the rules,” Moon said.

LU N C H R U S H On Oct. 8, Kickin’ It filmed common eating spaces after a lunch period to demonstrate how much trash is left behind.

Students leave spills, trash and other messes which can make the custodians’ jobs difficult.

“One of my biggest things that [drives] me crazy about working in the school is lunch,” Moon said. “There's always water, soda, milk or something spilled all over the table and the floor.”

Food left on the floor by students can be frustrating for custodians to deal with.

“By the time we get to clean it up, it’s already been walked through and everything,” Moon said. “And oh man, it drives me crazy.”

Moon said that according to his colleagues, Power Hour wasn’t much better.

“My colleague hated it; he said working it was crazy,” Moon said. “We probably throw away anywhere between 30-50 bags of trash everyday between the two lunch periods. So, I couldn’t imagine one big lunch period like that.”

Senior Adham Hamed said some students leave behind trash assuming others will pick it up for them.

“There are students who go about this in a really immature way and don’t pick up their trash and just think ‘oh, the janitors will get it’ even though it’s their trash and

their responsibility,” Hamed said.

Moon said usually the same groups of students consistently don’t clean up after themselves.

“It would be like a group of boys, and they’d sit at the same table every day and leave the same amount of trash everyday, and then I [would] watch them get up,” Moon said. “They say it’s not theirs and then they leave. They leave one person that I catch, and then he has to throw everything away.”

To mitigate these issues, Moon encourages students to clean up after themselves and respect the school.

“Just take pride [in the school] and treat it like you would your home, and everything will be all right.” Moon said.

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BUY, BYE, BUY

A look at UAHS students’ use of fast fashion and the impact of overconsumption.

BY SAFIA MALHOTRA, ’23; GRACIE HELFRICH, ’23 AND FIA GALLICCHIO, ’22.

GRAPHICS BY STELLA PETRAS, ’22 AND LUCY O'BRIEN, ’22.

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hen senior Kendall Crotty plans her outfit for the next day, it can be a 30-minute affair. She starts with a central piece, usually the bottoms, and styles other pieces around that. Her choices tend to be vintage items from thrift stores, but there are some new things from Pacsun or Urban Outfitters thrown in.

The next morning, she puts on her thoughtfully crafted ensemble, grabs her backpack and heads to school.

Students put varying amounts of time and money into their outfits each day. Some, like Crotty, plan the night before. Others throw something on five minutes before they head out the door. Some students fill their wardrobe with the trendiest pieces from Shein and Forever 21, while others spend their weekends thrifting or shopping on the thrifting app, Depop.

Clothing can be used by students for self-expression or just for comfort; it can be a message of class or not a message at all. Nevertheless, the issue of fast fashion has been widely discussed by students, with varying opinions on its merits.

WHAT IS FAST FASHION? In recent years, overconsumption and fast fashion have been points of contention for environmentalists.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines fast fashion as “inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends.” Fast fashion brands tend to cut costs through low wages and cheap fabrics.

“Fast fashion is when you have companies that are mass producing clothing and are able to sell them at a lower cost, but the quality is not as good,” environmental science teacher Jordan Walker said. “And

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so eventually, what happens is you know a consumer might buy something, and it will last for a couple years, but they throw it out, and it has to be replaced.”

Despite the clothing being lower quality, many consumers still shop at stores supplying fast fashion for numerous reasons.

“I definitely understand why people shop at fast fashion places, myself included, and I definitely know about the effects it has on the environment and also the way that it treats its workers in order to reduce those costs,” senior Evelyn Wu said.

Yet not all UAHS students are aware of the impact of fast fashion and overconsumption, or even what fast fashion is in the first place, despite the growth of the industry in recent years.

“Fast fashion... is it child labor?” sophomore Audrey Dungan said.

Sophomore Manny Stavridis described fast fashion as “clothes that you can throw on quickly or clothes for less formal things.”

Micro-trends, or fleeting trends that begin and end quickly, contribute to the rise of the fast fashion industry. Rather than purchase long-term basic clothing items, consumers buy and toss away trendier pieces of clothing.

Olmstead described micro-trends as “any trend that’s basically really popular on Instagram.”

Crotty said that these trends can have a cumulative effect.

“Micro-trends and things are just constantly going,” Crotty said. “The fashion cycle is just getting smaller and smaller, so we’re constantly getting new trends, and consumers are expecting lower and lower prices now, so if designers want to be making money, they have to go for those cheaper options.”

In addition to clothing companies and designers, consumers play a role in the rise of fast fashion.

“Fashion designers are one of the smaller problems; it’s consumers,” Crotty said. “We’re constantly getting new trends, and consumers are expecting lower and lower prices now, so if designers want to be making money, they have to go for those cheaper options.”

In order to avoid this, it’s recommended that consumers stop throwing away as many clothes. According to the BBC, around 85% of clothes are thrown away in the US. “I’m not saying go out and throw out all your clothes or never buy from fast fashion, because sometimes that is your only option.

But, use the clothes you have and that you can wear,” Crotty said. “Take up sewing, learn how to mend and keep things for a long time, because that’s the best way we can possibly avoid overconsumption.”

Some people rely on companies that produce fast fashion because of the low price point. Wu said the issue isn’t buying cheap clothes but rather throwing away clothes that have gone out of style.

“I don’t think the problem is as much shopping at fast fashion, because it is affordable, and a lot of people can’t afford sustainable clothing,” Wu said.

“It's just when people over consume and then throw away their clothes very often.”

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THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT Fast fashion leaves a massive environmental footprint behind through production and disposal. Clothing production in itself requires considerable amounts of resources, energy and time.

“Environmentally speaking, fast fashion involves a lot of natural resources,” Walker said. “That really impacts our landfills, which then pollutes other natural areas.”

Walker said that this is due to the cyclical, ever-changing nature of fast fashion.

“Fast fashion is always evolving because they’re trying to keep up with specific trends,” Walker said. “What might be in this year is going to be totally out next year.”

Another environmental issue with fast fashion is that clothes are often made in many different countries. Shipping the clothes around the world can have its own environmental impact.

“It takes a toll on the environment, sourcing from so many countries,” Wu said.

Businesses end up throwing out most of their clothing in order to make room for the next fashion trends that will sweep through the media.

It’s not only businesses that drive this practice, but consumers as well. In today’s world, there is pressure to not wear clothes that are “out of style,” which leads to clothing being disposed of constantly.

When textiles are thrown out, they remain in landfills and elsewhere, leaving a stain on the carbon footprint of the fashion industry. According to Business Insider, fashion production makes up 10% of humanity's carbon emissions, and 85% of all textiles go to waste each year.

One solution is buying from sustainable sources. However, purchasing environmentally friendly clothes can be expensive for cash-strapped consumers. For example, Reformation is a 100% FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

carbon neutral company that prides itself on being sustainable.

However, Reformation is also very expensive. Currently, the cheapest item on the site is $38. On top of that, only five items cost under $50.

Price is an issue expressed by multiple students and is a reason why brands that sell trendy items for little to no cost are in such high demand. “[Shein is] cheap and the stuff they have is actually cute,” junior Talia Bortz said. “If you just want stuff to wear to school, just regular stuff, there’s nothing wrong with that. And everyone’s like, ‘Oh, if you buy there, that’s fast fashion; that's bad for the environment’—and yes, that's true, but … Pacsun’s like that [too], Brandy Melville: all those places are still fast fashion.”

Olmstead, however, feels very strongly against businesses like Shein.

“I never have and will never shop at Shien or Zaful. I think it’s best to stay clear of brands like those and also to not buy microtrendy clothes,” she said.

Despite the environmental impact, fast fashion is usually cheaper and provides a source of jobs for people.

“Some nations that we see [the production of] fast fashion being prominent—that’s a source of income and jobs, and it’s cheaper to do it there,” Walker said. “They don’t have the means to address all of these environmental issues, whether it’s financial means or technology.”

THRIFTING For those looking for less expensive options, thrifting is a cheap and sustainable way to buy new clothes.

Yet, while thrifting is a good alternative, it isn’t always ideal. Shopping at thrift stores has become increasingly trendy, and this has presented some problems for people who rely on thrifting.

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find at thrift stores for large markups. For example, Depop is an app where users can buy or sell clothes, and it has become a hive for this sort of activity.

Thrifting and Depop are popular among many UAHS students, including Wu. “I would say a lot of my wardrobe is actually thrifted or bought off of Depop now,” Wu said.

According to a 2021 article published in Vox, people who purchase massive amounts of secondhand clothing for resale purposes in the upper and middle classes are contributing to the gentrification of thrift stores.

This “gentrification of thrift stores” shifts the purpose of thrifting from keeping costs low and clothes accessible to an after school activity or business opportunity.

“Thrifting has now become more trendy, and that’s because people are keeping with the line of overconsumption; people are constantly going back to these thrift stores every single day,” Crotty said. “You don’t need to do that. You’re keeping the mindset of ‘I need to buy a ton of clothes’ in thrift stores.”

The Vox article also mentions that low-income shoppers might be priced out of thrift stores in their area, and plussized consumers, who already struggle to find clothing in the firsthand market, could be left with fewer options.

While Crotty buys her materials from thrift

stores, she tries to limit how often she goes.

“I go to the thrift store once every two to three months if I need materials for a fabric, or sometimes I’ll go a little earlier if it’s like an emergency for a project.”

According to Crotty, most aspiring fashion designers make clothes out of sheets and comforters.

“A lot of times people aren’t really buying that stuff most of the time at thrift stores, especially not here.” Crotty said.

Different consumers rely on thrift stores for different reasons, and the fact that thrifting has become a trend has impacted their day-to-day lives.

“If you go in with buying things that you know that you absolutely need at the thrift store, I think that’s good,” Crotty said. “When you come in and just buy out $500 worth of clothes at the thrift store, I think that’s when we reach a problem.”

Still, Olmstead said that people can buy clothes from thrift stores to upcycle or to reuse fabric.

“I have found it has been hard to find good fabric in Ohio, so I always go to the thrift store to look for big t-shirts or blankets to cut up and use as fabric,” Olmstead said. “Plus, they are unique.

I do think it is important to use what you buy, though, even the scraps.”

Olmstead started her own clothing line in May, 2021.

She sells upcycled vintage and thrifted pieces. She views her upcycling and repurposing of clothing as an art form and an expression of self.

“I like the feeling of knowing no one else is going to have it, that it’s something special for you,” Olmstead said.

She does, however, recognize the negative consequences of thrifting and points out that, while she was once able to buy shirts for no more than $2, she now can barely find one for less than $3.

“I repurpose thrift store clothing because it’s cheap, the best fabric I can find and unique.” Olmstead said. “I don’t believe I am taking away accessibility of thrift stores. Millions of clothes are donated every day and thrift stores cycle in clothes every day.”

PASSION FOR FASHION

Crotty, who is devoting her capstone project to fashion sustainability and body image, has a passion for fashion design and wishes to work in the industry.

“I really like it because you just get to express yourself in any way possible,” Crotty said. “That’s something that nobody can take away from you. You can’t take away your style or how you look because that’s just one thing that you can find any way to express yourself ◀ DEPOP no matter what the rules are.”

Olmstead has been interested in Students, influencers fashion and the industry surrounding it and celebrities sell their from a young age. clothes on the popular “[My interest in fashion] started when thrifting app Depop.

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works at Hollister and Abercrombie, so she taught me how to sew and we would always do projects together. Then I kind of lost interest in it in middle school, and then I kind of got back into [it] sophomore year, shopping and planning outfits.”

What originally began as a hobby morphed into inspiration to go into the industry after Olmstead worked with a fashion designer.

“I got really inspired and I thought, ‘I don’t know, maybe I could do this as a job.’ Then we started doing little sewing projects. We’d go on Pinterest to see what we wanted to sew, and we would make patterns and then sew it,” Olmstead said.

Yet, on the opposite end of the spectrum, there are people who are not as admirable of the world of fashion design. One of these individuals is Natalie DellaSelva, a fashion major at the Columbus College of Art and Design.

Since DellaSelva was young, she aspired to create clothes.

Like Olmstead and Crotty, she planned to major in fashion.

“When I was 8 years old, I took a sewing class from a nun who lived down the block from us,” DellaSelva said. “Once I took that class and I learned how to sew, I fell in love with sewing, fell in love with the ability to create a piece of clothing and have this gratification of ‘wow, I made this thing.’”

However, she now has a negative view of the fashion industry.

“I truly do hate the fashion industry,” DellaSelva said. “I don’t think it stands for anything that I believe in. So no, I don’t want to work in the fashion industry.”

In the spring of 2019, DellaSelva went to study abroad in London. While there, she took a class on fashion theory which opened up her eyes to what fashion truly is.

“Fashion is different than clothing,” DellaSelva said.

“Clothing is not specific to the western world; people have been wearing clothing or dressing themselves since the beginning of time. But fashion hasn’t existed since the beginning of time.

Fashion is a relatively new idea, and basically fashion is what’s created when people started buying clothes.”

DellaSelva describes fashion as “based on obsolescence.”

“It’s designed to have a date where it will no longer be useful,” DellaSelva said. “Something becomes cool, something is trending, people start adopting it, and then, eventually, for it to be cool it also has to become uncool. So, it’s adopted, people love it, and then people start thinking ‘eh, this isn’t as cool’ or ‘something else is cooler.’ And then all of a sudden people aren’t wearing it anymore.”

However, DellaSelva still wishes to make clothes. She currently has a side job as a tailor making clothes and plans to keep doing so after she graduates.

“My goal is to turn that into a viable job and ultimately work for myself as a freelancer,” DellaSelva said.

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DellaSelva has designed earrings and enjoys styling clothing, but she said that she doesn’t plan to become a designer as a career. Still, she said that fashion would remain a part of her life in the years ahead.

“I just think it’s something that brings me joy, and so I’ll obviously continue it for however far I’m going to go into the future,” she said.

While having individuals making their own clothes does help on a smaller scale, it may not be enough in order for there to be wide-scale change. Even if a few hundred people were to stop buying from environmentally detrimental brands, there could still be millions of others that would continue to support them.

“The companies are focusing on the needs and demands of the consumers,” Walker said. “It’s also the consumers that are driving what the companies are doing, and so they go hand in hand. And I think if consumers become more aware — ‘Oh, I’m not gonna buy that brand because [of] all the pollution they’re causing in such and such country, I’m going to go for a more sustainable brand’ — [when businesses] start to lose consumers, that’s where change happens.”

Ultimately, Walker said that consumer awareness is the key to change.

“Students and people in general, I think, are more likely to make a change if they know what’s happening,” she said.

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A R L

SPORTS AT A GLANCE COMPILED BY JACK DIWIK, ’22.

STAT LEADERS Field Hockey: 12-3-1, COFHL West Division Champs

UPCOMING HOME GAMES

Girls Tennis: 3rd place in Division I state tournament

11/19: Girls Varsity Basketball

Football: 10-0, #1 seed in Central Ohio

11/24: Boys Varsity Basketball

Girls Soccer: 13-1-2, OCC Champs

11/30: Girls Varsity Basketball

Boys Soccer: 15-1-1, OCC Champs

12/4: Varsity Wrestling

Boys Water Polo: Regional Champs Girls Water Polo: Regional Champs Girls Volleyball: 12-12, lost in sectional round at state tournament

12/7: Girls Varsity Basketball 12/10: Boys Varsity Basketball 12/11: Varsity Wrestling 12/17: Girls Varsity Basketball 12/18: Boys Varsity Basketball 1/6: Varsity Wrestling

SPORTS

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UAHS VS. HDHS

In their 20th game of the season, the Girls Varsity Volleyball team beat Hilliard Davidson 3-0 on Oct. 12. The Bears picked up their 11th win of the season on senior night. BY JACK DIWIK, ’22. PHOTO BY BELLA VANMETER, ’22.

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ARL ATHLETE

ANNA LEACH

BY BROOKE MASON , ’22. GRAPHIC BY RYN CARD, ’23. PHOTOS COURTESY ANNA LEACH.

A

t age 4, senior Anna Leach was gifted her first tennis racket by her father. Today, she is one of four captains of Upper Arlington’s Varsity A Girls Tennis Team.

Leach began playing tennis with her sisters and father at the Upper Arlington High School Tennis Courts and Swim and Racquet Tennis Courts.

She continued to play at Swim and Racquet but received her first lessons at The Players’ Club.

Leach played throughout middle school and has played all four years of high school, participating on the Upper Arlington’s Varsity B Girls Tennis Team freshman and sophomore year. Both junior and senior year, she made the varsity A team. Each year, by competing against her team members and improving during the off-season, Leach moved up the team’s lineup.

“We have like team matches, which is when I play third singles, and then we have individuals like states, and I’ll be playing doubles in that,” Leach said.

Both the UAHS tennis community

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and the psychological effects of the game have impacted Leach.

“I think tennis has had a pretty big impact on my life. It keeps me active.

I know a lot of people on the team. It keeps me focused,” Leach said. “You have to be pretty strong mentally to play tennis. You have to stay focused because every point counts.”

However, the biggest influence on Leach’s tennis career is her father, John Leach.

“My dad had played tennis all growing up. He played on the middle school team at Jones and then at the high school. He also played in college at Ohio State,” Leach said. “He was on varsity all four years. He also won [doubles at] states his sophomore year.”

Growing up and still today, Leach, her sisters and her father play tennis whenever they can.

“When we go on vacations, like to the beach, we try to bring four rackets so we can play doubles together,” Leach said.

In addition to playing for fun,

Leach’s father helps her improve her skills; while he was never an official coach, he often gives pointers and tips to Leach during practice sessions and after matches.

“He always gives me tips on basically everything; he gives a lot of tips after tournaments and stuff: tells me what to improve, always pushing me to get better and work hard,” Leach said. “It’s been pretty informal, I have other coaches that are more formal. But he’s always been a coach as well.”

Playing and practicing together as well as talking about tennis led to the sport becoming a means of bonding for the father-daughter duo.

“We play a lot together… we’ve gotten closer through that, and sometimes we watch matches on TV and stuff, like the professionals playing,” Leach said.

Although having a parental figure with a personal connection to a ▼ STARTING YOUNG sport can result in more Leach began tennis when she was 4 years old. pressure, Leach is grateful that her father introduced her and encouraged her to play tennis. “[Tennis is] probably my favorite part about high school,” Leach said.

“I don’t think I would honestly be playing tennis if he hadn’t played tennis.”

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ARL ATHLETE

FABI CORSO

BY ANTONIA CAMPBELL, ’22. PHOTOS COURTESY FABI CORSO.

I

t’s a sunny morning at the start line of the course. Fabi Corso, wearing her staple knee high socks, does a few jumps in place on the line. The gun shoots into the air; she takes off, and the race begins.

Corso is a sophomore cross country runner. This is Corso’s first year at UAHS and first season with the school’s cross country team. Although she’s new to the high school, her passion for running has grown for years, along with her speed.

Corso began running competitively at a young age and has always enjoyed it.

“I started running track when I was in fourth grade, and then I joined cross country in middle school,” she said. “I’ve definitely always really liked cross country and it’s always been my favorite sport.”

She transferred to UAHS this year from Columbus School for Girls. She attributes cross country and the fact that she lives in Upper Arlington as reasons for her move.

“It’s really nice just to have a bigger team, and it’s UA, so it’s part of the community [I live in], so it’s been really nice,” Corso said.

Corso led her team throughout the regular season which has recently concluded; the girls are now in their postseason.

The team placed 4th at the West Berlin meet where Corso set a new personal record in the five kilometer run.

“Overall I think the season has been going really well for everyone; a lot of people have been PRing, [running a personal record], in the past few meets,” she said. “I was FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

able to PR, so I ran an 18:55 last race.”

Corso enjoyed her time with her teammates during the season and created many friendships.

“So far this season has been really fun, and I think the team has bonded; we’re all really close with each other,” she said.

As the team continues into their postseason, Corso is enthusiastic about what’s to come.

“I’m really excited for our team to see everyone have good races, and I’m excited for some more team bonding. I also really hope to PR and drop some more seconds going into the postseason,” Corso said.

Following the postseason, Corso will continue to focus on improving as a runner.

“I played basketball in the winter last year, but this year I’m doing winter running, indoor track and running track in the spring,” she said.

With two seasons of high school cross country to come, Corso is open to the idea of running at a collegiate level.

“Right now I’ve just been focusing on high school and school and sports and everything, but if I got the opportunity, I would love to run in college,” Corso said.

Corso remains motivated through her team and works her hardest for her teammates.

“I would say my coaches and my team motivate me to run my best everyday. Cross country is a team sport, so I try to make sure I always give my best effort because I know everybody else is also giving their all,” Corso said.

She believes that performing to the best of your capabilities is what matters most in cross country.

“We have a saying on the team that one of my best friend’s said which is to ‘run your best today, with what you have today,’ so just trying your hardest is what’s most important,” Corso said. ▼ RUNNING THE RACE Corso and her cross country teammates compete at a meet earlier this year.

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A Taste of Poison Paradise

Columnist discusses Britney Spears’ conservatorship and the #FreeBritney movement.

BY CARLY WITT, ’23. GRAPHICS BY CAROLINE KEGG, ’24.

M

y first memories of music are vivid. I was 6 years old and got a small iPod for Christmas. My parents loaded some of their music onto it so I could listen, and a few of the songs were by Britney Spears. That was 2011, and Britney Spears was already three years into her abusive conservatorship.

Following Spears’ mental conflicts after her divorce with Kevin Federline in 2007, she was placed under a conservatorship because the law and those around her did not believe she was able to take care of herself or make certain decisions. Since the conservatorship was put into place, she has made millions off her residency shows in Las Vegas, music sales and appearances, but she isn’t in control of anything she makes from her career.

While I believe that conservatorships are put into place for good reason and that Britney’s began with good intentions based on her mental state in 2007, I do not think she should still be in a conservatorship. Her conservators are holding her down for their own profit when she is more than capable of having control of her life.

Being under a conservatorship means that you are not your own person. Britney is not able to have a credit card, cannot write checks, cannot choose where and what she eats, cannot dictate where she lives and the conservators even control what she wears and every purchase she makes. Her conservators control every penny she spends, communications and her personal decisions.

She has been living under these circumstances for 13 years and even has expressed how damaging they are; she stated

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in court this summer that she has been isolated, financially exploited and emotionally abused. Her conservators have been in control of her money that she has been making since her career started when she was 16 and her property for 13 years.

Before Britney was under a conservatorship, close friends, backup dancers and old managers of hers expressed how much she loved being in control of herself and her life. She was completely in control of her money, career, performances and music. That was her lifestyle, and she was in possession of everything. Now, she is unable to have any of that control.

I believe Britney should’ve entered the conservatorship when she did. After getting the divorce and being seen doing irresponsible things with her young kids (i.e. driving with them in her lap), she was in an unstable mental state and needed a break from making her own decisions. But now, thirteen years later, she should absolutely not be under this conservatorship.

She is entitled to have her basic human rights back.

Britney’s family plays an interesting role in the conservatorship. Her mother is unsupportive of it to this day, and Britney’s father was the main conservator until Sept. 29. He wasn’t around when Britney was growing up, but he miraculously showed up and became in control of her decisions and spending when she became under the conservatorship. He has made millions of dollars out of this conservatorship and is only doing these things to Britney for the money, not for the well being of his daughter. He showed no consideration for her mental and physical health by the conditions he put her in.

Spears has even expressed how abusive and dehumanizing the conservatorship is and how badly she wants her life back.

“All I want is to own my money, for this to end and for my boyfriend to drive me in his car,” Spears said in testimony this summer.

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Reading Ahead

Columnist accepts, rejects and waitlists books about college admissions.

BY MATTHEW DORON, ’23. GRAPHIC BY DAPHNE BONILLA, ’22.

B

efore you read my opinion, remember that while these books are for the most part good resources, all of these books and everything I say about them must be taken with a grain of salt. Every student and their circumstances are different. No book, strategy or article can truly tell you which college is right for you or if college is right for you at all.

ACCEPTED College Admissions Cracked: Saving Your Kid (and Yourself) from the Madness

By Jill Margaret Shulman Everything about this book is funny, down-to-earth and honest. Shulman, a former college admissions officer, calls the book a support group for stressed parents.

She calmly walks you through every step of choosing colleges and the admission process, starting with what to do in the fall of junior year. Shulman breaks everything down into basic terms and doesn’t judge you. Hilarious and genuinely helpful, be sure to read this all the way through.

Fiske Countdown to College: 41 To-Do Lists and a Plan for Every Year of High School

By Edward Fiske and Bruce Hamond Less of a book and more of a long to-do list (as the title implies), “Countdown to College” gives action items for each year of high school, for both students and parents. It is short and concise, easy to read in a couple of hours and it has some decent tips and tricks for both surviving high school and making it to college.

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WAITLISTED David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

By Malcolm Gladwell This book is an anthology, with each chapter focusing on a different subject area that reinforces the main theme: what we as society think of as advantages can truly be disadvantages and vice versa. The only chapter about college, titled “Caroline Sacks” after the pseudonym of the woman the chapter revolves around, is the only chapter I read in full.

The “Sacks” chapter asked and tried to answer the question “Is it better to be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond?” Meaning, would you rather be at the top of your class at an average college or be within the lower ranks of your class at a highly-selective university?

Using this woman’s experience at Brown University in which she abandoned her love of science due to the competitive environment and seemingly higher intelligence of everyone else at Brown, Gladwell argues that it is better to thrive in a small environment than suffer in a large one. I believe that you don’t have to choose; you can be a big fish in a big pond or a small fish in a small pond, but it’s all up to you. You can succeed at a smaller college or fail at a larger one; the important thing is to find the right college for you.

REJECTED Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania

By Frank Bruni

While you may have heard many recommendations for this book, I believe it is overhyped. Bruni has a simple message to not let college admissions mania consume you, but it is delivered in a holier-than-thou manner. The book is written for parents and reads like a condescending lecture, but Bruni has good intentions. He is trying to say that college is not everything and you can get a good education anywhere, but he delivers it in a very dry manner. His message is very important—especially in UA—where college admissions are considered a status symbol. That said, this is a good book if you’re obsessing over getting into what you think is a “good school.”

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THE WIZARD OF ZA Should you go to The Wizard of Za? Na.

BY LUKE ERIKSEN, ’22. GRAPHICS BY LUCY O’BRIEN, ’22.

T

he Wizard of Za is a reservationonly pizzeria on 4214 N High St. With an incredibly unique business model and the rare Sicilian pizza, The Wizard of Za is very intriguing.

Sicilian pizza is known to be thick and square with a crunchy crust underneath.

The popular Jet's Pizza is also made in Sicilian style.

Orders are reservation-only due to high demand and the tedious process of making pizza from scratch.

According to The Wizard of Za website, “If there is any new availability, [new orders are] added to our calendar everyday around noon.”

I ordered two pizzas about two weeks in advance; I decided to go with a traditional cheese pizza and a pepperoni pizza. They offered some interesting additional options, but cheese and pepperoni are the only way to gauge quality pizza and compare it to others.

The pizzas were extremely pricey; the cheese pizza was $21.50 and the pepperoni pizza was $25. Considering that the pizzas cost nearly $50 and I had to wait days for this pizza, I anticipated top-notch pizza and an enormous portion size.

The Sicilian pizzas finally arrived on a

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Friday night. They were packaged in two white, rectangular boxes with a Wizard of Za logo on the top.

The pizza was not large in size, and although my appetite is definitely larger than the average person’s, I easily ate an entire pizza. Personally, I didn’t understand all of the hype towards Wizard of Za’s pizza. I was delighted with the lack of grease as greasy pizza is often very heavy and not my favorite in particular. The crust gave a very light crunch. The pepperonis on the pizza gave a hint of spice which worked well with the thick and cheesy blocks of pizza.

It’s mind-boggling to me that this pizza is in such high demand as there is an abundance of Italian places that can cook up a pizza in a maximum of two or three hours. I will not make a reservation days in advance for an above-average, small

▲ MAGICAL PIES? A large pepperoni pizza from Wizard of Za. pizza. However, the Sicilian style is a rarer kind of pizza which could play a factor in the high demand.

Overall, the pizza was respectable, but with its ridiculous price, long wait time and underwhelming size, I can’t say I’d order it again. If even one of these issues were to be fixed, it could greatly improve the experience, but until that happens, Wizard of Za is not Lou approved.

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By the Numbers Explore this issue through statistics.

COMPILED BY MATTHEW DORON, ’23. GRAPHICS BY LUCY O’BRIEN, ’22 AND MEGAN MCKINNEY, ’23.

70

pounds of clothing are thrown away by the average consumer every year.

This is according to a July 2020 article in YouthTime Magazine.

2019

was the last in-person Fall Follies before this year’s return to live performances. The Vocal Music Department performed two shows in late October.

$20,000

10

students work at UA Rise. The coffee shop is open during first and fourth period.

were raised by Greensview Elementary teachers for Tess Short’s book about childhood cancer. Short wrote her book, “The Worry-Free Bear,” while she was in third grade at Greensview Elementary School.

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12

custodians maintain the building. The custodial staff cleans up after around 2,000 students.

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SLOW DOWN!

How modern consumerist culture fails us.

BY EDITORIAL BOARD. GRAPHIC BY MEGAN MCKINNEY, ’22.

F

ashion changes dizzyingly fast these days. The hottest trends can go “out of style” in seconds. When they do, many of us are apt to get rid of old clothes and start the buying process anew, scrolling endlessly through apps like Depop. We rush, without aim or end, through the endless cycle of fashion and unfashion, rarely stopping to consider the consequences of our habits. In partaking in this 24-hour cycle of fast fashion, we let ourselves be held captive to what celebrities and other trendsetters think is fashionable, denying ourselves of our very individuality.

More importantly, fast fashion has disastrous consequences on the environment. The carbon footprint in creating, shipping, distributing and selling a single article of clothing is incalculable.

To not let that piece of clothing live its full life is nothing short of wasteful, and therefore we, as global citizens in the 21st century, have an obligation to consume responsibly.

One effective way to counter the excessive wastefulness of fast fashion is going thrifting—yes, in person. And don’t stop there: you can maximize your impact by also donating old clothes to thrift stores. Simply put, don’t be afraid to reject the culture of consumerism that we see all around us. You can be a trendsetter within your own community.

This is another area that we seem to want fast and with effects that are just as pernicious: we want fast relationships with those in our community. We settle into our routines, rarely branching out to meet our fellow students outside the confines of our classes, clubs and sports. And with social media, our social interactions are often flattened into scrolling, liking and commenting. But getting to know FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

people outside of our normal cliques or “friend groups” and doing so in a meaningful way can be edifying. This year, we are fortunate to have 20 minutes set aside each week for this purpose. Bear Connection is an opportunity to get to know our peers and connect with them on a deeper level. It’s a way to be grounded to our broader school community, interacting with those of different backgrounds, beliefs or interests.

Besides fashion and our sense of community, this “gimme-now” culture also manifests itself in the academic process at UAHS. Many students chase after grades, seeing them as the “end-all, be-all,” putting them above the learning

process itself. It’s easy to feel satisfied when you earn a nice grade after a late night cram session. But true mastery of a topic takes time and dedication. This “fast learning,” like fast fashion, has obvious appeal and is easy to get addicted to. But, also like fast fashion, it’s not sustainable nor is it conducive to the real learning that we should strive for.

It’s easy to dismiss all of this as regrettable yet natural and immutable, but our generation doesn’t know a different world. We came of age right as our culture was becoming even more materialistic. On the flip side, that means that it’s on us to pave a more sustainable, responsible future.

How, then, do we do that? Start by rejecting the materialistic culture that pervades fashion and other areas of life. Try to find roots in the community around you by engaging with your Bear Connections group. Take a moment to smell those proverbial roses. Focus on what matters. This may sound like a string of peppily moralizing commands that won’t change things. It’s fashionable, as it were, to blame the massive corporations or governments that undergird much of modern life for these issues. But, while institutional change is surely crucial, these corporations only act as they do in response to our demands as consumers.

That’s why we, the Arlingtonian editorial board, truly believe that change starts small. We, as the students of UAHS, have the power and duty to improve our culture for the better, be that in the form of sustainable fashion or something else entirely. We, as people of the world, can make a difference. And we can start by acknowledging that, fast culture notwithstanding, good things come to those who wait.

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