Arlingtonian Issue 6

APRIL 26, 2024

VOLUME 87, ISSUE 6

ARLINGTONIAN

WHO WA S CH R I S TI E MUL LINS ?: An investigation into the murder of Christie Mullins and the arrest of an innocent man.

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K EEPING T H E M U S I C GOING : Behind UA’s “40 under 40” award-winning orchestra director Chris Lape.

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M E D A L S , M O NEY, & M A NI PUL ATION: A deeper look into the political and economic effects of sportswashing and its impact on athletes.

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IN THIS ISSUE FEATURES, NEWS & NOTES

Who was Christie Mullins?

An investigation into the murder of Christie Mullins and the arrest of an innocent man.

A Magnificent Mayor A look into the fascinating life of UA’s newest mayor.

Keeping the Music Going Behind UA’s “40 under 40” award-winning orchestra director Chris Lape.

SPOTLIGHT

Charged and Charged

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What’s the Hubbub?

Shelves in Stock With the construction on Lane Avenue finally concluding, Half Price Books makes a highly anticipated return.

Medals, Money, & Manipulation

A deeper look into the political and economic effects of sportswashing and its impact on athletes.

OP-ED

Highlighted Game: UAHS vs.

BRADLEY

ARL Athlete: Alberto Manganelli Alberto Manganelli begins his junior track season coming off a record-setting sophomore season.

Gold, Goals, and Glory A look into the legacy and impact of lacrosse in Upper Arlington.

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Dune: Part Two

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Ali’s Reviews: Graeter’s vs. Jeni’s

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Columnist compares two local ice cream favorites.

EDITORIAL

Accepting Accountability

OJ Simpson and the consequences of not taking accountability.

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business of sports. The use of athletic events to minimize misconduct and controversy or which team, college boosters, or country can write the biggest check shows how the world of sports is changing.

The cover depicts an

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Columnist reviews new blockbuster, “Dune: Part Two”.

In our society, it is important to notice how sports bring people and cultures together. It is also important to recognize that while we enjoy watching our favorite teams, there GRAPHIC BY CAROLINE KEGG, ’24. are other factors that play into the hand of the

ON THE COVER

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The new college preparation and credit opportunities for students at UAHS.

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SPORTS

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A look into the Panera Charged Lemonade lawsuits and student caffeine intake.

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example in the eyes of sportswashing: Formula One. The goal with this cover is to show how athletic events such as F1 can hide things behind the pit walls and to recognize how money and politics are sports’ biggest allies.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

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or as long as I can remember, I have spent my life preparing to graduate high school. I’ve always viewed high school as a nuisance required to finally be in the “real world”, and spent more time thinking about what I will be doing in the future than what I am doing right now. But as my time in high school comes to an end, I find myself wishing that I had taken the time to appreciate the nuances of high school.

The halls of Upper Arlington High School are never ones I fully anticipated being sad about leaving– not particularly because of Upper Arlington as a community, but because I always assumed that by the time my time came to graduate, I would have no reason to want to stay behind. But, of course, that isn’t true.

These halls are filled with memories that will forever remain with me: the classrooms where I met my best friends, the huddle room that we ate lunch in, the Arlingtonian newsroom. It’s hard to imagine leaving the building where I became the very person that I am today, and there’s so much of me that wishes I had taken more time to honor that.

The friends that I made during my time at UAHS are people that I can’t imagine living my life without. Thank you, to all of you for loving me at my lowest and for supporting me at my highest. But thank you most of all for making me a person that I am proud to ARLINGTONIAN EDITOR IN CHIEF be. When I think of Upper Arlington High School, I think of the family that I have created for myself within these walls, and the friendships that I will carry with me beyond them.

I urge all of you, graduating or not, to take the time to savor your time in high school. For better or worse, we will never be in high school again. Take from it what you will, but, if nothing else, remember that room W1307’s doors are always open for anybody interested. Thank you for allowing Arlingtonian another successful year of independent student journalism, and we’ll see you May 20 for our last issue! arlingtonian.com FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

@uaarlingtonian

@UAarlingtonian

ARLINGTONIAN VOLUME 87 | 2023-2024 April 26, 2024, ISSUE 6

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Safia Malhotra MANAGING EDITOR

Thea Postalakis COPY EDITOR

Adelaide Petras ARTS EDITOR

Caroline Kegg MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Katy Trombold LAYOUT EDITOR

Emily Ayars STAFF WRITERS

GRAPHIC ARTISTS

BUSINESS

Ali Abubakr Claire Dungan Lucy Baker Evie Jones Kayle Lenzo Ezra Liu Katie Messner Anna Rodman Sophia Wood

Lindsey Acker Noé Beaudoin Mallory Johnson Scarlet Poor

ASSOCIATE

SPORTS MANAGERS

BUSINESS MANAGER

Laila Dillard WEBSITE MANAGER

Ryan Cho

Stella Goff Elise Karas

Max Okamura PHOTO MANAGER

Ellison Kase PHOTOGRAPHERS

Camryn Johnson Lilly Raimi MULTIMEDIA CONTRIBUTOR

Ingrid Miller

SUPPORT OUR WORK Arlingtonian is provided free to all UAHS students and staff thanks to contributions from generous people and businesses.

We operate as a student-run organization and do not receive district funding. Help us continue producing high-quality issues!

DONATE: Arlingtonian accepts donations throughout the year. To find out more, visit www.arlingtonian.com/donate.

ADVERTISE: Arlingtonian’s print issues and website include advertisements from supporting businesses. To find out more, email arlingtonian@uaschools.org

EDITORIAL POLICY Arlingtonian is a studentproduced newsmagazine published by Journalism III-A students at UAHS. The publication has been established as a limited 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.

Arlingtonian welcomes letters to the editor, guest columns and news releases from faculty, administrators, community residents, students and the general

public. The Arlingtonian editorial board reserves the right to withhold a letter or column and return it for more information if it determines the piece contains items of unprotected speech as defined by this policy.

The Arlingtonian staff raises and pays all printing and production costs through advertising sales, donations and fundraisers.

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

To read our full editorial policy, visit our website at arlingtonian.com.

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Who Was Christie Mullins?

An investigation into the murder of Christie Mullins, law enforcement’s handling of the case, and the arrest of an innocent man.

BY EMILY AYARS, ‘24 AND ADELAIDE PETRAS, ‘24. PHOTOS COURTESY CRIME JUNKIE AND JOHN OLLER.

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n Aug. 23, 1975 at 2:30 p.m., Clintonville police received notice of a body that had been found tied up with plastic wire and severely beaten before being dumped in the woods behind Graceland Shopping Center. The body, although not immediately identified, belonged to 14-year-old Christie Mullins.

Christie and her little sister, Kim Mullins, left their house to head over to the pool for the afternoon. On their way there, Christie reportedly left with a friend, leaving her sister to trek back home alone. After Kim arrived home a little after noon, hours ticked by and there was still no sign of Christie. Her mother grew worried, and later received the news a parent never wants to hear; Christie was dead.

Next August marks the 50-year anniversary of this murder. Although it occurred almost half a century ago, the case was only recently closed in November 2015 when the Columbus Division of Police announced that they had identified 4 | ISSUE 6 | A PRI L 2 6, 2 0 2 4

the perpetrator. Unfortunately, the man was already deceased at the time.

The age of the case makes it difficult to get in contact with anyone who worked either on the original 1975 investigative team or the 2015 team. When Christie’s case was revived in 2015, a detective named Steve Eppert led the investigation toward the discovery of the true transgressor.

“I have no contact information for [Eppert]; once they leave here, we don’t keep records of people’s emails, or phone numbers, or anything along those lines. I think anyone that was on the unit with him has also since retired,” a representative for the Cold Case Unit at the Columbus Division of Police said.

However, the detectives who initially worked on Christie’s case have been scrutinized regarding the thoroughness of the investigation. More recently, Rich Weiner, Sergeant at the Columbus Division of Police, described the investigation as “shoddy,” and Sergeant Eric Pilya echoed this sentiment,

retroactively apologizing for the poor efforts of the police department in 1975.

“The Columbus Division of Police wishes to formally and publicly offer an apology to the family and close friends of Christie Mullins for the lack of action taken in pursuit of Henry Newell as a suspect by investigators 40 years ago and any hardships that may have resulted from those actions,” Pilya said.

The mishandling of this case began with the discovery of Christie’s body.

Henry Newell found her back in 1975, tied up, beaten up to the point of being nearly unrecognizable, and having had her clothing tampered with (suggesting sexual intent). Newell’s alibi for the situation was logical–he claimed to have been visiting Graceland Shopping Center and taking a walk in the woods with his wife and stepson. He also claimed to have seen a man, whom he described in detail, actively attacking Christie with a wooden board moments before running him off.

Newell’s wife checked for a pulse, and when one was not found, Newell ran up to FOLLOW US ON X @UAARLINGTONIAN

NEWS FEATURE the shopping center and called police with the discovery.

Later that day, Phillis Mullins reported her daughter missing and, despite Christie’s extensive injuries, was able to identify the body as her daughter’s.

A classmate of Christie’s named Carol Reeves, who met up with Christie on the day of her murder, claimed to have received a phone call from a man claiming to be a radio DJ hosting a cheerleading competition behind the shopping mall that day. Reeves invited Christie to join her, but the details of Christie’s whereabouts around this time are unclear. Kim Mullins recalls crossing paths with Reeves at times that contradict Carol’s statements. Christie’s father eventually called Carol’s statements into question as well, but investigators never followed up.

Regarding the phone call, Reeves spoke to Mullins, saying that she believed herself to be the intended target of the attack; this sparked suspicion surrounding Reeves’ evident knowledge of the crime that occurred.

However, police did not inquire further into Reeves’ alleged phone call or search for any other recipients of similar calls. Additionally, they do not focus on Reeves’ involvement in the case, limiting their questioning of her to the use of a polygraph test and writing off any deceit on the so-called “important” parts of her story.

This contributes to the skepticism surrounding the police investigation and supports claims of potentially false information being used in the investigation.

Additionally, following Christie’s murder, a pair of cut-off jeans that Newell claimed the perpetrator had been wearing were found in the woods by Christie’s father, as well as a pair of men’s bloody underwear discovered by several neighbors. Both items were turned over to police, but mention of them never surfaced in the case.

As investigators began to delve into a pool of suspects, they zeroed in on a man who closely resembled the composite FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

sketch based on Newell’s description: Jack Carmen. Carmen was intellectually disabled and an outpatient of the Apple Creek State Institute, a behavioral health hospital.

Carmen was spotted at a Greyhound bus stop by a Columbus policeman three days following the murder, and the officer took note of his striking similarities in appearance to the sketch Newell had helped create. After calling the discovery in, Carmen was willingly brought into the station, but it is quickly evident that his intellectual abilities limited his understanding of the situation.

Rather than bringing someone in who can help facilitate this interaction, police began to interrogate Carmen for six straight hours. Over this time, officials become convinced that Carmen was the perpetrator they have been after, and he eventually confesses.

Carmen was charged with aggravated murder, rape, kidnapping, felony murder during a rape, and felony murder during a kidnapping, most of which carry the death penalty. Once the trial began, a plea deal was accepted on Carmen’s behalf by a court-appointed lawyer to drop the rape, kidnapping and felony murder charges and to avoid the death penalty. On Sept. 3, 1975, Carmen was sentenced to life in prison.

After the trial, people began to question the legitimacy of Carmen’s confession, including Christie’s family.

The community’s concern was publicized at a town meeting on Sept. 8, followed by the formation of the “Justice for Jack” committee. Carmen then wrote a letter dismissing his lawyer and calling for another to represent him. His new attorney put in a motion to set aside and withdraw the guilty plea due to Carmen’s questionable competency, and the motion was granted.

In May of 1976, a judge ruled in Carmen’s favor, stating that his confession was obtained in a way that violated his civil rights. The initial confession and guilty plea were both thrown out, and a new trial began. Carmen’s defense team was quick to swing the blame to the “key

witness” in Christie’s case: Henry Newell.

The prosecution and defense went back and forth over five days in court. The trial heads when Newell’s stepson took the stand and told a wildly different version from his parents’ of what happened on the day of Christie’s murder. After his confession, Carmen was acquitted, and all charges were dropped.

And while Carmen was deemed innocent, Newell was not charged. Rather, investigators turned their attention towards sex offenders who resemble Carmen.

“The entire investigation lacked any viable information or evidence that points to the involvement of any other alternative suspect,” Pilya said.

Six months following the trial, Christie’s case went cold. It wasn’t until 2013 when John Oller, a retired lawyer, takes an interest in the case and began to make connections investigators had missed, leading back to one man: Henry Newell.

Unfortunately, Newell died in September of 2013. Shortly after his death, Oller wrote and published a book, “An All-American Murder.” This book cause Christie’s case to gain traction, and Columbus detectives officially reopened the case in May, 2014.

With a new team of investigators, evidence was combed over and retested and interviews were conducted. And on Nov. 6, 2015, a press conference was called by the cold case unit of the Columbus Division of Police where it was announced that Henry Newell was the man who murdered Christie Mullins.

With Newell deceased, no charges could be filed, but a public apology was issued regarding the way the case was handled in the 1970s.

“Several facets of the original investigation involved improper investigative techniques and procedures that were directly responsible for the arrest of the wrong man and the failure to follow leads that may have led to Mr. Newell as the primary suspect of this homicide,” Pilya said.

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NEWS FEATURE

A Magnificent Mayor A look into the fascinating life of Upper Arlington’s newest mayor.

BY ALI ABUBAKR, ’24. PHOTO COURTESY UKEME AWAKESSIEN JETER.

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n Jan. 8, 2024, Ukeme Awakessien Jeter became Upper Arlington’s first Black mayor. In 2022, she became the first person of color to be elected to UA’s city council. Since moving to Upper Arlington in 2018, Jeter has continuously broken societal barriers in hopes of making Upper Arlington a better place to live in for all.

Jeter has never been afraid of change. Born in Nigeria, she spent most of her formative years in Oman.

She immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 18 and spent time in Maine, Massachusetts, Arizona, and, now, Ohio.

She got an MBA from the University of Massachusetts and worked as an engineer for years. She then went to law school at Case Western Reserve University and worked at a firm as a lawyer.

“I’ve always grown up having to adapt quickly. I just wasn’t afraid of change just because I had no choice as a little kid.

I would actually tease my friends when I was younger and say, ‘Well, don’t be friends with me too long because by then I’ll be gone,’” she said.

She spoke on the influence of her parents in her upbringing.

“My parents…they were the first set of feminists that I knew. And [my parents] always said ‘Listen, what a man can do, a woman can do’… In Nigeria, women often go to college– they’re smart, but they end up back home being homemakers in the kitchen. that’s just the way it’s been. But I don’t think my parents envision[ed] that for my sisters and I,” Jeter said.

Jeter’s road to Upper Arlington follows a familiar pattern. She had initially left engineering for law because she felt she wasn’t reaching her full potential, and she felt similarly at a law firm.

“I started to feel very, very quickly, and you will find this as a theme of my 6 | ISSUE 6 | A PRI L 2 6, 2 0 2 4

life, boxed in. Well, it’s just like, I’m feeling like an engineer all over again, just drafting these patent applications,” she said.

Her move to Columbus came very soon after.

“I ended up going through a divorce. I had two kids at the time. And with the divorce, I ended up moving to Columbus, Ohio. That’s how I ended up in Upper Arlington five years ago,” Jeter said.

Through her daughter, who was in kindergarten at their time of moving, Jeter very quickly saw the racial conflicts present in the community.

“We get here, and my daughter starts going to kindergarten. And it hits you like a ton of bricks: ‘Why is she the only Black kid in her kindergarten class?’ And I’m not talking just her kindergarten class, I’m talking [about] her kindergarten grade. I mean not even a single one,” she said.

Upon seeing this, Jeter asked herself, ‘How is this playing out for a five yearold?’

“She comes home one day and she’s like, ‘Hey Mom, can I straighten my hair?’… As a mother, this is my community of choice. And here I was with the thought that my choice wasn’t right,” she reflected. “And so that singular thing took me down a path of wanting so desperately for my daughter to feel like she was part of this community without changing any part of her.”

After this, one could say that her long road to mayorhood began. The thing that pushed her into action came during Black History Month in February of 2019.

“Then February 2019 becomes our first Black History Month in Arlington.

I dropped my daughter off at school,

and there is no Black History Month happening,” Jeter said. “And if [my daughter]’s not talking about it, that means her classmates are not talking about it, that means the community’s not talking about it. And that bothered me. That was a problem. And so I made my first post to the Upper Arlington discussion forum.”

Her post put her in contact with groups like EqualUA and UA’s Community Relations Committee.

“So I started to get into these different groups… and what I heard from others was, ‘Oh, my God, we are a community that needs to be better, and we’re ready for change.’ I just felt that sentiment within the community. And we ended up organizing our first Black History Month for the city in February 2021,” Jeter said.

And the rest is UA history, with Jeter becoming the community’s first mayor of color in January 2024. All in all, Jeter’s success and perseverance comes from a life of change.

“I’m a newcomer, and I’ve been a newcomer in so many places my whole life. Some have always kind of seen a newcomer as a weakness, and people don’t take newcomers seriously, but while running for city council, I started to see [that] my being a newcomer can be very valuable, especially here,” she said. “Be the change you want to see, but how often do we actually end up doing it?”

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NEWS FEATURE

Keeping the Music Going Behind UA’s “40 under 40” award-winning orchestra director Chris Lape.

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BY THEA POSTALAKIS, ’24. PHOTO BY ELLISON KASE, ’24.

ne of the orchestra directors here at Upper Arlington High School, Chris Lape, was recognized as one of the top music educators in the country by the 2024 Yamaha “40 Under 40” Music Education Excellence award this year.

Lape grew up in Mansfield, Ohio, before majoring in music education at The Ohio State University and getting his masters at University of Cincinnati in viola performance. After that, he came back to central Ohio to become a teacher– starting at Newark High School, then Dublin, and finally Upper Arlington. This is his seventh year teaching in Upper Arlington.

“When I first came [to Upper Arlington], I taught here and [at] Jones Middle School and a couple of elementaries, and then two years ago, our music program restructured to a sixth-grade start from a fourth-grade start.

So for two years, I taught full-time at the middle school at Jones,” Lape said.

After long-time orchestra teacher Ed Zunic’s retirement last year, Lape moved up to work full-time at the high school.

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Lape works alongside three other teachers: Gretchen Zunic at the high school, Jordan King at Hastings Middle School, and Vince Huzicka at Jones Middle School. Lape still helps out at both middle schools once a week.

Outside of school, Lape plays in several symphonies.

“I play in the Springfield Symphony and the Newark Granville Symphony. I’m playing a string quartet. So we play a lot of professional performances, and, in the summertime, we play a lot of weddings,” he said.

Lape originally wanted to be a doctor growing up, despite having a constant music presence in his childhood household.

“I grew up with a mother who was a professional violinist, so I was immersed in it from day one. So of course, like any child, I was resistant, and you know, of course, I played and participated,” Lape said.

But during and after high school, he realized he really wanted to be on a music education track.

“When I started going out to the schools for field experience [in college], it felt like a natural place for me to be. So I think I found my niche in music education,” he said.

Lape’s favorite part of teaching music is the connectivity with students and the entire music-making process.

“I think one of my favorite aspects of teaching is seeing everything come together, like seeing it click in the students to the point where they are actually finding joy in making music.

Especially the students we work with, they’re very open to new things and new ideas, and I think they grow a lot from that and the experiences that we’re able

to give them within the program,” he said.

The Yamaha “40 Under 40” Music Education Excellence Award was established in 2021. It focuses on educators under 40 in the K-12, collegiate, and professional levels, who show innovation in the classroom and make strides to progress their music programs.

Lape was nominated for this award by several people for his hard work in the new curriculum developments at the middle school, specifically the new sixth-grade start program.

Prior to this change, students would go to their music classes twice a week for 30 minutes in elementary school and every other day in middle school. After the new sixth-grade start, it changed to everyday instruction that starts in sixth grade.

“So, you know, we’re still teaching the same core content, but we just had to revamp it. Now we start in sixth grade, and we see them every day,” Lape said.

There are numerous benefits to this new program. Within just one year, students will get through the same amount of content that they would’ve gotten through in fourth and fifth grade combined.

“You get the consistency, the daily instruction, and reinforcement of skills.

Especially when you’re learning new skills, a lot of repetition is how you develop those really good habits. And I think that’s the biggest help with everyday instruction,” Lape said.

Lape is excited to see how this new format impacts the future of student learning.

“Right now, our seventh graders were the first ones to start in sixth grade. And just seeing what we can do with the more time that we’ve been given for instruction and having that daily class time in middle school, how that’s going to affect us positively, especially when they come up to the high school,” he said.

There will be a senior recognition concert on April 24 that will feature all of the high school orchestras and honor all senior orchestra students.

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NEWS FEATURE

Single

and Feature

A look into the Panera Charged Lemonade lawsuits and student caffeine intake.

BY LUCY BAKER, ’26 AND STELLA GOFF ’25. PHOTO BY ELLISON KASE, ’24. GRAPHICS BY CAROLINE KEGG, ‘24.

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opular energy drinks like Celsius, Alani Nu, and Monster play a crucial role in many students’ morning routine. Each 12 oz can contains 200mg of caffeine. These drinks are able to be purchased by anyone and are highly marketed towards the teenage demographic.

“I don’t think kids know that most energy drinks aren’t to be consumed by people under 18 years of age. It’s something that’s commonly overlooked.” registered dietician Brandon Spickler said.

Students rely on caffeine for various reasons. Whether it’s to help with focus, combat lack of sleep, or as an afternoon pick-up, grabbing an energy drink is the preferred course of action for many teenagers trying to get through the day.

“I think a lot of times in the high school setting, the caffeine is used more for alertness basically, to mask the lack of sleep,” Spickler said.

Sleep deprived or not, caffeine is a tool often used to stimulate the nervous system, but can be harmful if misused.

“Having a cup of coffee, drinking tea, or even soda for that matter is okay in moderation. But, when we’re taking in excessive amounts of caffeine, like 200 plus milligrams, you can see some adverse effects from restlessness to anxiety and jitters,” Spickler said. “I think there needs to be some common sense there, and that you’re not abusing it.”

Elizabeth Crawford, Partner at Klein and Specter, the law firm handling the Panera Charged Lemonade cases discussed the significance of these cases.

“We’re looking for compensation because there’s a loss here that shouldn’t have happened. We’re also looking for change in a sense that we want the products off the market because the product is dangerous, and we want to make sure it doesn’t happen to someone else,” Crawford said.

Apart from the headlines and social media backlash, being aware of dangers 8 | ISSUE 6 | A PRI L 2 6, 2 0 2 4

and changing regulations as a consumer are important now more than ever.

Crawford explained that these lawsuits specifically, should be a wake-up call.

“In general, where you can get other energy drinks are places where you would expect to get energy drinks, when people go into Panera, I don’t think that there’s an expectation that they’re going to get something that’s potentially dangerous for them. When you go into that store, you’re not going to be on edge looking to see what’s in the products, because everything is advertised and marketed as safe and healthy. I don’t think any reasonable consumer in that situation would think that they were getting a dangerous product or an energy drink,” Crawford said.

Crawford emphasized the importance of self-advocacy and staying educated on products and things that could possibly be harmful.

“The overarching idea is that some establishments that we trust, [are] marketing things in a certain way [which] may not be accurate. It’s incumbent upon the consumer, unfortunately, it’s not required, but we’ve seen it happen when they’re not doing what they should do and it’s at the expense of the consumer,” she said.

In April, 2022, Panera Bread debuted their line of Charged Lemonade. An alternative for those who don’t like the bitterness of coffee or the fizz of an energy drink but need the caffeine buzz. The lemonades come in three flavors which include: Blood Orange, Strawberry Mint, and Mango Yuzu.

Three lawsuits have been filed against Panera from catastrophic injury following the consumption of the Charged Lemonades. Since then, concerns have been raised for how safe these drinks are and the high levels of caffeine.

Students often go to the local Panera at Five Points to study, tutor, and cram

during the school year. The Assistant Manager, Ian, commented on the store’s efforts towards educating consumers.

“Even before the lawsuits happened, especially in our store, we’ve always been very good about explaining, especially to parents, about how much caffeine is in our drinks,” Ian said.

During the reported incidents, a large Charged Lemonade had 396 mg of caffeine. Since then, Panera has changed the amount of caffeine in their drinks.

Now, each 20 oz cup contains roughly 150 mg of caffeine, and the 30 oz contains up to 240 mg of caffeine. The caffeine in these drinks comes from naturally occurring green coffee extract and guarana extract.

Speculations were made regarding why Charged Lemonades were moved to behind the counter, while fountain drinks and tea were not. Customers would now have an employee pour their lemonade and come back up for a refill.

Panera has not released a statement regarding the lawsuits, and the drinks have not been pulled from the restaurant’s menu.

“They didn’t change any policies, but they definitely changed the signage on things; they definitely made things more clear,” Ian said. “They just let us know to make people aware of it, if they’re not aware of it. There’s no statement as far as what they told us.”

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NEWS FEATURE

The Science of Well-Being Yale professor kicks off UAHS’s new speaker series.

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BY ANNA RODMAN, ’26. PHOTO COURTESY ROBIN MOLLICA.

n April 2, Upper Arlington High School hosted Laurie Santos, a professor at Yale University. This event was the inaugural event of a new speaker series taking place at UAHS. The idea for this speaker series originated with the Fosters, a local family looking for ways to make their mark on Upper Arlington.

“The idea really started with the Foster family wanting to bring a new program opportunity to Upper Arlington High School–something that would involve a lot of leadership opportunities for the students and would also reach into the community,” Ellen Erlanger, an educational consultant for UA schools and a friend of the Foster family, said. “They wanted for any new program that they created to carry with it some additional leadership opportunities for the students, and they wanted this to be student-led.”

Erlanger and her colleague Kathy Meyer have been volunteering to help with the new speaker series.

In order to implement their idea, the Foster family gave a grant to UA schools out of a fund that the family had established. The program is led by UAHS

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teachers Alicia Mcginty and Melissa Hasebrook. Starting last summer, they began to reach out to students to involve them in the program.

“We just gathered a bunch of students from class officers, student council, a couple of other places, and we invited them to come over the summer and help us brainstorm,” Hasebrook said.

A lot of students were interested in participating, and they ended up with a large group of student leaders working on the program. Around the start of the school year, the group conducted surveys to determine what kinds of speakers students were interested in.

“They put out a survey to the student body, which also got a very good response,” Erlanger said. “The involvement of the students in really zeroing in on the ideas that they wanna emphasize and the type of people that they wanna bring to the community, it has indeed been very student-led.”

After conducting the surveys, the students identified three recurring themes that students were interested in. The first theme was mental and physical wellness, which was the theme Santos represented.

“When we started school, we came up with a topic, which is mental and physical health, and we started thinking, we brought in some names, we started doing stuff to get those names, and we ended up getting Laurie Santos from a couple of staff members and a couple of students,” junior Sarah Snider, one of the student leaders involved in the speaker series said. “One of four students take her class at Yale, so she’s really big, and she’s really cool. [She talks] about happiness and how it affects our life [and] how we can be happier in what we

do.”

Santos’ course about the psychology of happiness is the most popular class at Yale.

The other two themes identified were business and entrepreneurship and social justice.

“Business and entrepreneurship, but we’re looking at it with an eye toward companies that are trying to make a difference in the world, [so] companies that are trying to make a profit while also helping others along the way,” Hasebrook said. “[Social justice is] basically the idea of service and kind of a service learning element looking at the world around us.”

Moving forward, those in charge of the program plan to increase the number of events to at least two a year.

“We’re thinking that, in the fall, it will continue the physical and mental health and wellness piece, and then, in the spring, it’ll pick up business and entrepreneurship, but, again, that’s dependent on speaker availability,” Hasebrook said.

They also plan to incorporate future speakers into teachers’ curriculums.

“There hasn’t been as much time to work on the curriculum connections as there will be in the future,” Erlanger said. “I know that there are some people that are doing things in the classroom to reinforce the learning and make it stronger.”

Those responsible for this speaker program hope to see it benefit the community and facilitate the creation of new student leaders at UAHS. “The Foster family wanted to contribute something new to student life at Upper Arlington High School that would also benefit the community,” Erlanger said. “They saw an opportunity to strengthen student leadership opportunities.”

Students have taken advantage of these opportunities and are excited to leave their mark at UAHS. “This is something that can be our legacy at Upper Arlington,” Snider said.

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NEWS FEATURE

What’s the Hubbub?

The new college preparation and credit opportunities for students at UAHS.

BY SOPHIA WOOD, ’25. PHOTO COURTESY ROBERT HUNT.

U

pper Arlington has recently introduced a new program that will provide more opportunities for students to prepare for college. UAHS has opened many doors for students and college preparation and credits in the past, such as College Credit Plus. Now, with the new 2024-25 program of studies, students will have another pathway for college preparation and credits. This new development within the community will help carefully shape students’ futures and help them meet their goals for college. UAHS has worked with colleges, universities, and other organizations in the state to make this all possible.

There are many opportunities for students to explore within the program.

These programs include the UAHS Teaching Profession Pathways and the Information Technology (IT) Microschool Powered by Partnering Anthropology with Science and Technology (PAST) offered in collaboration with the University of Cincinnati. Columbus State Community College also offers two partnership pathways: the College Jumpstart Partnership and the Semiconductor Pathway. These programs are also known as “The HUB.” This program will also provide greater outreach to all students, including those involved in the Upper Arlington Online Academy, which was established during the pandemic. These opportunities have easy access for students, since these classes are all local.

“College Jumpstart will be located at 1950 North Mallway, the old central office building,” Chief Academic Officer Keith Pomeroy said.

The former central office building is just six minutes away from the high school, located near Jones Middle School, which is highly convenient for UAHS students. The classes partnered with the University of Cincinnati are going to be held at another location in Columbus.

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pathway, we’re partnering with the PAST Foundation who received the grant. So we’re thinking that those initial classes may be at the PAST Foundation,” Pomeroy said.

The PAST Foundation is a STEMbased learning organization that opens new pathways of education.

The education center is located on Kinnear Road, which, again, is perfectly convenient for students. Transportation can be a concern for some students.

“The district will provide [transportation] for those who need it. Certainly, I think, kids can have the opportunity, if they wanted, that independence to drive themselves and their parking spaces and things like that. But, definitely, that transportation shouldn’t get in the way of any student who’s interested in these pathways,” Director of Secondary Education Kristin Robbins said.

Students attending these classes will have a block schedule.

“We kind of wanted to structure what a pathway might be for a junior or senior for college jumpstart to have two hours out of the building, a block of time, morning, afternoon, or in the middle of the day, and over the course of two years walk out with 25 college credits,” Robbins said.

The program is going to provide students with accommodative scheduling, location, and transportation so that they can earn those credits.

Upper Arlington staff has worked hard to craft this program carefully, taking into account feedback from members of the community.

“They got feedback from more than 250 students, 200 staff members, 90

parents, 230 residents, and 600 survey respondents–so, 13,170 points of contact,” Pomeroy said.

One of the goals of this program is to provide students with an opportunity to explore their future professions.

“We will measure the success is, one we want to create opportunities for students.

And that means students are actually coming and leveraging and utilizing these opportunities to be successful,” superintendent Robert Hunt said.

This program will also provide students with the proper preparation for college and future careers.

“We also want to provide opportunities for students to achieve both credit at high school and college but better prepare them and set them up for that next level as they go into this,” Hunt said.

Students who want to cover some of the college classes for the future have that opportunity in these programs, especially with the College Jumpstart Program.

“You get a lot of your core academic classes out of the way down the road a little bit. And, you know, they’re accepted in a lot of universities in the state of Ohio specifically,” Hunt said.

Those who participate in the College Jumpstart program get a headstart, hence the name “Jumpstart.’”

All of these programs will support students who want to take the college route and their future career pathways.

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NEWS FEATURE

From Plans to Practice Is the new UAHS building being used in the way it was designed to be?

BY EMILY AYARS, ’24. PHOTO BY ELLISON KASE, ’24.

F

rom its construction in 2019, the new Upper Arlington High School was designed to be everything that the old school built in 1956 was not.

“The Board of Education, their mantra during the design and the build was that we’re not going to build brand new 1950s school buildings,” principal Andrew Theado said.

The dark, maze-like design of the old school left students and community members wandering aimlessly.

“So that high school served a purpose for a long, long time. It was a great building. We’ve had it for over 60 years, and there were many great teachers and students who were able to go there,” Theado said.

Moody Nolan and Perkins & Will

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are the two architecture firms that worked side by side to design the revamped Upper Arlington High School. Moody Nolan focused largely on the athletic spaces and furniture of the school, while Perkins & Will worked on planning the building.

“I kind of felt like it was a deep building, in the sense that you could get into the middle of it and not really have a good sense of where you are,” Stacie Gilliland, a senior interior designer at Moody Nolan, said. “Looking at the plan, [the new high school is] very organized and much easier, much more intuitive to be able to kind of make your way around it.”

Both design firms consulted with several groups of people on a regular basis throughout the design process.

“We really worked with teachers, students, with community members, with experts in the fields, like theater and you know, athletics and… in some of those areas to really design the spaces for our students,” Theado said.

Gilliland concurs, stating that the clientele side of the design process was an extremely important part.

“There was kind of a good cross-section of representatives from the high school. We had a Green Team that focused on sustainability. There was a neighborhood team… we would meet with the neighbors to help them understand what they were going to be managing during the

construction process,” Gilliland said.

“And then there were large community meetings that were held on a pretty regular basis. So it was open to anyone to be able to comment, see how the design was developing, and provide any feedback on the design.”

The Student Innovation Team was a group of students that offered their input as a design committee. UAHS senior Kathryn Brooks was a part of this team.

“We identified problems within the school, and we created solutions for them,” Brooks said. “But Mr. Theado came [to] us with this opportunity.

He’s like, ‘Well, come tour the school with us and, like, give us some ideas of how you would use the space.’”

Brooks, along with fellow students on the committee, pitched ideas that became foundational in the use of certain spaces.

“One of the ideas I pitched was having more areas for like non-traditional areas for sitting and eating,” Brooks said.

As students piled into the brand new building, the intent for spaces such as huddle rooms and ideas like “Power Hour” fell through the cracks.

“I think the huddle spaces are things that we had a different vision of, but… teachers [are] starting to use them the way they need them and students, but I think it’s working itself out,” Theado said.

The Class of 2024 is the final group of students to experience both the old and the new high school.

Across both schools, students and staff have adapted to buildings and spaces that provide new opportunities for the community.

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NEWS FEATURE

New Year, New Shoes This year’s shoe trends and their history.

BY SOPHIA WOOD, ’25. GRAPHICS BY NOÉ BEAUDOIN, ’24.

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hoes have drastically changed over the years, following whatever clothing trends are popular in the media. Now that spring is emerging, new fashion trends have appeared on our Pinterest and Tiktok feeds. New trends include animal print, graphic tees, long jean shorts, and slickback hairstyles seem like they’re here to stay. Many argue the most significant part of an outfit is the shoes, so here is where you can find the new shoe styles emerging in 2024.

Known as “dad sneakers” because of their heavy popularity in the ’80s and ’90s, New Balance sneakers have now become trendy sneakers popularized by many celebrity endorsements and internet trends. New Balance has taken over with their various styles, such as the “530” style, which is a chunky style shoe varying in colors such as light gray, white, and black. Another popular style from New Balance includes the “513 V3,” which are a comfortable, smaller shoe, all styles ranging from $80-180 dollars.

Adias first came about in 1949, and athletes could be seen practicing on rough terraines in the signature black and white style. Adidas became more of a significant piece in fashion during the ’70s and ’80s and have now evolved into other colors and patterns such as pink, white, and animal print. Another type of Adidas shoes includes the “Campus” style, which is a chunkier alternative to the Sambas style. Both of these shoe styles range from $100-120 dollars. Adidas continues its significant role in fashion with its unique three stripe design.

For years Birkenstocks have been a popular selection of shoes. Birkenstocks were associated with the 1970s and considered to be “hippie shoes.” More recently, however, the “Boston Birkenstocks” which feature a sole made of cork and a suede closed-toe design, have come into style. Falling into the East Coast fashion trends, these shoes are typically worn with ankle socks and baggy jean shorts or flowy striped pants. Birkenstocks fall into the pricey side of shoes, usually costing anywhere from $100-200.

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Shelves in Stock

With the construction on Lane Avenue finally concluding, Half Price Books makes a highly anticipated return.

BY KAYLE LENZO, ’25. GRAPHICS BY CAROLINE KEGG, ’24. PHOTO BY KAYLE LENZO, ’25.

BACK IN BUSINESS

Half Price Books returned to Upper Arlington on March 15, 2024, after over three years of closure.

The store closed its doors in 2020 to accomodate for Arlington Gateway, a new $100 million mixed-use development. The new location now occupies retail space on the ground level of the Gateway.

With its reopening comes many job opportunities for students. The average hourly pay is approximately $12.19. Visit www.hpb.com/careers to apply.

Half Price books is now located at 1389 W. Lane Avenue.

READ AND RETURN

The familiar musty smell of used books holds more than just reading opportunities for students.

Many students take advantage of their popular resale system. Half Price Books buys books, games, electronics, movies, music, collectibles, comics, and more.

Typically, Half Price Books pays up to 50% of the original publisher’s price for used books and up to 20% of the original publisher’s price for new books.

Those under the age of 18 cannot sell books without a legal guardian present.

By the Numbers Explore this issue through statistics.

COMPILED BY SAFIA MALHOTRA, ’24.

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mg of caffeine were in a large Charged Lemonade at Panera Bread, leading to multiple lawsuits. Now, a large contains up to 240 mg.

new programs will be featured on the UAHS 2024-2025 program of studies. This includes UAHS Teaching Profession Pathways; IT Microschool Powered by PAST; Upper Arlington College Jumpstart Program; and the Semiconductor Pathway Program.

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years ago, Christie Mullins’ investigation was declared a cold case. It was closed in 2015, though the perpetrator passed two years prior and was never prosecuted.

6,300,000,000 dollars is the amount of money Saudi Arabia has spent on sports deals since 2021. Critics have labeled this “an effort to distract from its human rights record”.

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MEDALS, MONEY, &

MANIPULATION A deeper look into the political and economic effects of sportswashing and its impact on athletes.

BY LUCY BAKER, ’26, EVELYN JONES, ’26, ELISE KARAS, ’26, AND SOPHIA WOOD, ’25.

GRAPHICS BY CAROLINE KEGG, ’24.

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SPOTLIGHT

T

he most notorious example of sportswashing is the 1936 Berlin Olympics, when Hitler used the Games as a means to spread Nazi Propaganda. Despite having been around for hundreds of years, sportswashing has become a buzzword that has weaseled its way into sports media in recent years. Despite its relevance, many people are unaware of its meaning and how impactful it is. Britannica defines sportswashing as “the use of an athletic event by an individual or government, a corporation, or another group to promote or burnish the individual’s or group’s reputation, especially amid controversy or scandal.”

The definition may seem long, but the history of sportswashing is longer. From the early modern Olympics to new-age sporting events that captivate an international audience, politics and money have remained as behind-the-scenes motives.

T H E O LY M P I C GAMES Since the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C., some form of sportswashing has occurred. In fact, the genesis of the Olympics was built around this concept. In 776 B.C., the governing body of Greece was in search of a form of entertainment that would distract their citizens from the economic and governmental downfall occurring. Held in the Colosseum, the Greeks hosted violent and thrilling games. People from all over Greece gathered to witness these events. The Greek government had won, keeping their population distracted and at ease through the means of sports.

The Olympics is one of the most prestigious global sporting events to occur. With the popularity of this event, controversy and scrutiny are brought to the forefront. The infamous 1936 Berlin Olympics is a prime example of sportswashing on a global level.

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mistreatment of the Jewish population before the 1936 Olympics. So what it really needed to do at this point was the sportswashing aspect, the reputation laundering,” sports investigative journalist Karim Zidan said.

Reputation laundering is a common tactic authoritarian regimes use to cover up unethical behavior by carrying out positive actions to improve their reputation. Germany invited members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to visit their country prior to the 1936 Games in hopes of easing any tension. Before the members arrived, Adolf Hitler ordered his regime to strip the city of all antisemitic

news, images, and media. When the IOC arrived in Berlin, everything seemed to be peaceful, and the idea of anything happening in Germany was now a conspiracy. The committee decided they would go through with attending the Games, and there was no boycott of the event.

“During the 1936 Olympics, Hitler created this facade of prosperity and peace, and it worked, it really worked at the time. They were able to host this event and continue to bolster his regime and empower him,” Zidan said.

Fast forward 80 years, and world leaders are still using the Olympics to shine a positive light on their regime and distract the world from their more sinister plans. The 2014 Winter Olympic Games were held in Sochi, Russia, and, well before the Games, President Vladimir Putin had been planning on annexing Crimea, Ukraine. ​​“It would be until 2022 when Putin would actually go to war with Ukraine, but he had already started these

skirmishes and this proxy warfare, let’s call it, long before that,” Zidan said.

“The 2014 Games was one of those things that was supposed to launder his reputation entirely, presenting Putin as this benevolent, magnanimous leader, who is in support [of] and leading the charge for a more prosperous Russia.”

For the most part, it worked; people of America and Europe did not question Putin, and the majority saw him as a rising leader.

Being an Olympian is a dream of athletes across the globe. Just getting to the Olympics is an accomplishment, but competing and winning is next level. Katie Smith, former professional basketball player and current Upper Arlington Girls Basketball Assistant Coach has been to and won gold at the Olympics not just once, but three times, competing for Team USA. Smith attended the 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens, and 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

“There’s a different pride to the Olympics because you’re proud of your opportunities, you’re proud to represent everybody that has been a part of your journey. You represent the USA, your professional team, your hometown,” Smith said.

Because of its prestige and grandiosity, the Olympics is a time that many countries take to carefully cultivate their image “The Olympics and the FIFA World Cup are the two biggest international sports events in the world–the absolute biggest, yet they both are the biggest enablers of autocrats and authoritarian leaders around the world,” Zidan said.

F I FA WO R L D C U P Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami Jersey was the best-selling MLS Jersey in 2023. With 501 million followers on Instagram and fans paying record prices for Inter Miami Tickets, it is difficult to deny Messi’s impact on the sporting world.

Messi has been an example of FOLLOW US ON X @UAARLINGTONIAN

SPOTLIGHT excellence in soccer for decades and a worldwide celebrity since his debut at Barcelona. Yet, only recently has Messi’s popularity become astronomical; the 2022 Qatar World Cup solidified Messi as a legend of the sport.

The Qatar World Cup featured the most-watched final in all of FIFA World Cup history with 1.5 billion viewers worldwide. The star power of the final was undeniable as Messi’s Argentina side faced off against the defending champions, France. Qatar is now remembered as the place where one of soccer’s all-time greats solidified his place in history.

Despite the euphoric quality of the final and the tournament as a whole, many don’t see the Qatar World Cup as an innocent affair.

Beginning long before the World Cup, Qatar has a lengthy history of human rights violations. Reports of slave labor, lack of freedom of the press, and discrimination against women and the LGBT+ community are some of the most current issues in the country.

“In regards to some of the stuff we’ve seen, like the woman discrimination in that country and stuff like women not being able to go to the game,” Edson Ramirez, forum monitor and Ohio Premier soccer coach, said. “I found that weird, you know, especially in the day when we’re trying to promote the women’s game.”

As is custom, the host nation is responsible for building stadiums and any infrastructure required to handle the masses of people intending to attend. Conflict arose when it was found Qatar was forcing workers to build the stadiums without fair compensation, essentially utilizing slave FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

labor. Journalists and fans alike were in an outcry due to the news.

“I think their political reputation was tarnished from the beginning,” Ramirez said. “Just because of the corruption that supposedly went into them being able to host [the tournament].”

The Denmark national team had been planning on wearing jerseys that promoted equality, yet they were prevented from doing so. In response to the injustice, no Danish political leaders or family members of the players attended a single match in Qatar. This was in an attempt to not support the country with their tourism.

Qatar is not the only country that has utilized the FIFA World Cup as an opportunity to cleanse its image. Shortly before their invasion into Ukraine, Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup. Although they weren’t in the middle of a major political conflict at the time, Russia has been subject to much political skepticism from the rest of the world.

Long before the tournament was held in Russia or Qatar, Argentina held the World Cup in a time of great turmoil in their country. Argentina was under a military dictatorship at that time. Despite being awarded the hosting rights of the tournament years earlier, the World Cup’s timing in Argentina helped distract the world from the disparity that was plaguing the country.

The World Cup has generally been a beacon of equality and understanding between countries. Many of the anthems written for the tournament highlight the importance of coming together as one people, yet the World Cup has been appropriated repeatedly by countries seeking to correct their image. Almost every country in the world has had their share of political wrongdoings and misfortunes, and every country is given the opportunity to make things right or sweep their issues under the rug.

The modern colosseum that is the World Cup gives countries the opportunity to get away with continued offenses while fans are distracted by the gladiatorial entertainment provided.

Countries will continue to battle for the trophy and the world will let dark parts of history be washed away by athletic accomplishments.

NAME, IMAGE, AND LIKENESS NIL stands for “name, image, and likeness” and is the new means of collegiate athlete endorsement. Athletes can monetize their success on top of their school-funded scholarships if acquired.

All colleges have different rules when it comes to NIL because of the informal NCAA policy. The NCAA’s policy was passed in June 2021, and this temporary arrangement has three main parts to it: athletes can engage in NIL activities if they follow their state’s laws where their school is located, athletes in states without NIL laws can still participate in NIL activities without breaking NCAA rules, and athletes are allowed to seek professional service providers for their NIL activities.

NIL’s main purpose is for college athletes to receive profit benefits.

However, people are divulging their opinions and claiming the deals are breaking athletes’ aim on why they followed through with collegiate sports.

Claims have been made that athletes are participating in athletics for the potential money they could earn.

On March 12, 2024, Nick Saban, former football coach at the University of Alabama, headed to the U.S. Capitol to discuss NIL. He stated that these college athletes are being made employees and emphasized the importance of development and making raised money equal for all institutions. NIL was introduced almost three years ago and was left to state governments to determine how they wanted to implement it.

Therefore, the NCAA has not had much ability to enforce any ruling, which leads coaches and colleges unsure of what to do.

To help, schools are doing as much as they can to help students and brands navigate NIL. At University of Cincinnati, the Bearcats Exchange helps businesses that are interested in connecting with student-athletes. The Bearcats Exchange has made NIL planning much easier for athletes and businesses.

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SPOTLIGHT earn. The NCAA has made guidelines and regulations, however, there is no set limit on the amount a player can earn. Many factors go into the amount an athlete can make including their popularity, social media following, and how they perform in their sport. A top athlete can make significant sums of money. This is all a positive until these athletes are so focused on the business that they forget the integrity of the sport, and the lines between professional sports and collegiate sports blur.

Although some people don’t appreciate what athletes are doing for NIL, there are many benefits for these athletes receiving extra pay. According to a 2019 study from the National College Players Association, 86% of student-athletes who live off campus are living below the federal poverty line.

That means that the scholarships and NIL deals are helping these athletes maintain a steady income. Athletes won’t have all the free time to work a part-time job. Instead, they can quickly make a social media post using their name, image, and likeness to receive money.

Brands are looking for microinfluencers, which means people with 1,000-100,000 followers. This scale is perfect for collegiate athletes, especially ones that participate in non-revenuegenerating sports. Overall, NIL will improve financial needs and professional development and also will increase sport engagement and interest in watching college sports.

Former Upper Arlington student and current University of Cincinnati athlete Lily Stelzer is an active user of NIL. Stelzer graduated in 2023 at Upper Arlington and chose to continue her lacrosse career at the D1 level. “[NIL] is a great opportunity for any athlete, non-revenue, revenue, women’s, men’s, or whether you play or not. I think it’s just a great opportunity to express yourself and promote yourself and your brand,” Stelzer said.

Stelzer thinks very positively of the NIL and the opportunities it has brought to her. To her, it is just another way to promote herself and continue growing her network.

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want, like you can make it yourself. No one’s forcing you to work with any specific brands,” she said.

Stelzer agreed that the NIL is a great way for athletes to make money with such little time they have with sports and academics. She has worked with smaller brands like Better Blend, which is an açaí smoothie restaurant located on the Cincinnati campus.

“I got to post on my Instagram and TikTok a little bit and receive some money towards their business like free bowls. That was really awesome,” Stelzer said.

Another NIL opportunity for all female athletes was an event called “Her Likeness.” Stelzer participated and recently posted on her LinkedIn. Her Likeness was sponsored by Cincinnati NIL brand Cincy Reigns and Ulta Fiber.

“We posted something quick on our story, then we got to listen to a panel of women, which was also super interesting.

Then we got to network and talk to a bunch of other female athletes,” Stelzer said.

Though Stelzer loves NIL and the benefits, some people still believe that NIL is turning sports into business. She is aware of some of the controversy but still believes the NIL has made a very positive impact on her academic and sports life.

“There’s been rumors of athletes getting paid just to get paid, [meaning] not doing any sort of NIL deals. I think in the future that could cause problems.

That would hurt smaller universities and non-revenue sports,” Stelzer said.

Overall, NIL is a great way for athletes to receive money while in college. If students or businesses begin to overuse this new deal it might not last. To help the NIL remain, more federal regulations on the amount of money allowed to be earned would keep it fair between athletes that go to different universities.

Although NIL does not fully fit the sportswashing definition, there can be some overlaps because of the controversy of athletes putting a price to their name, image, and likeness. Depending on the situation, athletes might be using brand deals to bring attention to sports. Most of these situations are not negative.

FORMULA ONE Formula One (F1) racing has been a significant part of sports since the 1950s and is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars. Formula One has had significant impacts on history, ranging from technological advancements to cultural influence, and continues to make waves in the media. Even though this is a sport that is followed by millions and is undoubtedly the wealthiest sport in the world, sportswashing in Formula One has affected millions of communities and countries.

The races have been hosted in countries such as Bahrain, Azerbaijan, and Saudi Arabia, which are countries that have used Formula One racing events to increase tourism and economy.

However, endorsing and condoning these actions has given Formula One a bad look in the media and has also distracted from some real issues occurring in these countries. Last year, the Bahrain Grand Prix took place in March.

In an open letter to Formula One, Stefano Domenicali, the current CEO of F1, received a letter from ISHR (International Service for Human Rights) about the human rights conflicts occurring in Bahrain and how Formula One has continued to play a big role in sportswashing.

ISHR joined together with over 20 civil society groups to try and bring awareness to the ongoing conflicts in Bahrain that are covered by the sporting event. The letter included the following statements: “We note that in a 12 February 2023 interview with Sky Sports, you affirmed that you would ‘pull the Grand Prix, like you did in Russia’ if F1 was not satisfied ‘with the way human rights issues have developed in a country’ that hosts an F1 race. ‘You went on to reference ‘specific articles’ in your contracts that were followed by ‘independent auditors’ and could be invoked if human rights were not ‘going in the right direction,’” the letter states. It was then made clear that Formula One did not withdraw the event. “However, it is unclear to us what FOLLOW US ON X @UAARLINGTONIAN

SPOTLIGHT specific human rights criteria F1 applies to make a decision to withdraw hosting privileges from a country.”

This letter was not enough, since the event still took place despite human rights concerns.

“I think that it can have a negative impact in the sports world and cover up human rights violations of countries for sporting events. I think that some effects of this can make F1 more corrupt,” sophomore Marco Krantz said.

Hosting high-profile sporting events like these can steer away from what’s occurring behind the scenes, such as political repression, including human rights violations occurring in Bahrain.

Amnesty International reports that the government in Bahrain tightened access to public healthcare for families whose children are stateless due to their gender-discriminatory nationality law.

This has made it incredibly difficult for families to have medical support, and this problem has not been resolved.

According to Human Rights Watch, members of Bahrain’s political opposition (activists, human rights defenders) are still imprisoned for their roles in the 2011 pro-democracy protests and for more recent political activism.

Lack of insurance and lack of free will is an ongoing problem in Bahrain.

Formula One masks problems that are impacting individuals in these countries by hosting Grand Prix events.

“In my opinion, it is a problem because it is unfair to people that are affected by the situation. It makes it look like there is no punishment for doing bad things,” sophomore Zach Lang said.

These countries use F1 racing events to increase tourism and investment and divert attention away from the issues and conflicts occuring in the country.

“It definitely impacts Formula One because there are several countries that have races and have still refused to give rights to everyone,” Lang said.

Saudi Arabia has heavily engaged in sportswashing more recently; its connections with F1 were impacted by a missile that struck an oil facility near FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix two days before an all-female racing event in 2022. This attack caused drivers to want to boycott the race, but they were persuaded into participating in the event. According to the Guardian, Saudi Arabia has spent at least $1.5 billion on sportswashing in attempts to increase it’s reputation “I think Formula One continuing to race and build stadiums in these countries would definitely affect politics because countries will not feel the repercussions of their actions,” Lang said.

Not only do these stadiums distract from human rights struggles in host countries, but these events can damage the environment. According to Green Matters, a lifestyle media company “dedicated to making news and topics across sustainability and innovation accessible to all.”

F1 has produced 256,000 tons of carbon dioxide every season. The construction of F1 arenas has led to the pollution of vital ecosystems. Despite this, F1 is slowly decreasing their carbon emissions and improving their carbon footprint. According to The Athletic, F1 has pledged to be completely carbonfree by 2030.

“For the environment, I think it would be better to have a more streamlined race schedule so drivers, teams, fans, and cars aren’t flown back and forth across the globe during the season,” Krantz said.

Even though this was put into place, this still does not reverse the damage that has been done, but at least there is hope for the future of F1. Outside of these challenges from F1 events, more controversy has arisen with the president of the FIA. The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) is an association

that brings international motoring and sporting organizations. The FIA is responsible for sporting matters regarding F1. Recently, the FIA has been involved in some controversy regarding its president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. In March of this year, Sulayem went under investigation for apparently interfering with last year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. According to a whistleblower, Sulayem attempted to overturn a penalty given to Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso. This play dropped Alonso from third to fourth place and was called after he stood on the podium.

The allegations state that Sulayem contacted ​​Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the vice president for sport for the Middle East and North Africa region, and it was clear he believed Alfonso’s call should be revoked. The FIA was expected to release a statement within four to six weeks, and on March 20, 2024, it was revealed there was no evidence of misconduct. Despite there not being any sort of evidence, this conflict still gives the FIA and F1 a negative look.

“I believe the president of the FIA going under investigation would be problematic for the sport if he ended up being guilty, however, the investigation ended up proving him innocent,” Lang said.

The FIA has been under fire after this investigation, and Formula One, despite Sulayem being proven not-guilty.

Not only has this investigation caused conflict, but the continuing construction of stadiums across the world has brought harm and raised concern about Formula One.

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HIGHLIGHTED GAME

UAHS VS. BRADLEY

Varsity softball fell to Hilliard Bradley in their Season Home Opener following a ceremonial first pitch from former coach Terry Streng. Last season, the Bears were ranked second in the Ohio Capital Conference, just below the Jaguars.

BY STELLA GOFF, ’25.

PHOTO COURTESY EMILY NESS.

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SPORTS

ARL ATHLETE

ALBERTO MANGANELLI

Alberto Manganelli begins his junior track season coming off a record-setting sophomore season.

BY ELISE KARAS, ’24. PHOTO COURTESY JEFF HAMILTON.

O

ne lap around the track seems short, yet track athletes who run the 400 meter dash know the strength it takes. Alberto Manganelli is no stranger to the strains of the 400.

With a 51-second open 400 meter and 49-second 400 in a relay, Manganelli proved his excellence by setting this record as only a sophomore in high school.

Now that his junior year track season is underway, Manganelli becomes an upperclassman on the team. Already halfway through his high school career, Alberto Manganelli reflects on his unlikely introduction to track when he was younger.

Manganelli started out as a football player, but after suffering a torn ACL, he sought a sport with less harsh cutting movement. He noticed his speed at a

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young age and decided track would be the most suitable option. Making varsity as a freshman was the first of many accomplishments in Manganelli’s career.

“My freshman year when I made varsity, it’s that intimidation with the seniors,” Manganelli said. “The beauty of [track], the sport is all based on time.

It’s that respect, the respect that you gain, from hitting those times, beating those times.”

Manganelli proved himself with his swiftness and consistency early on. In the first 400 meters he ran as a freshman, he made a statement.

“I go out and run a 54, first off the bat,” Manganelli said. “Freshman year, I was able to go 53, and then my sophomore year, I was able to 51.6.”

The times Manganelli set opened new doors for him. At the conclusion of last year’s season, Manganelli had the opportunity to run at Adidas Nationals.

Embracing the strenuous life of a studentathlete, Manganelli’s educational goals are as steep as his athletic goals.

“I prioritize my education a lot. I want to major in architecture,” Manganelli said. “I’m looking, if anything does happen, [at] an Ivy [League], those highly academic schools that provide an athletic track [team] because I love the sport. I would love to continue it.”

In alignment with his personal goals, Alberto Manganelli’s personal hero also strove to excel both academically and on the

track.

“Pietro Mennea was the first Italian athlete to win gold in [the] 200,” Manganelli said. “He held the world record. I really love him not only because of his athletic accomplishments but also his academic accomplishments.”

Mennea studied to become a lawyer while also training for the Olympics.

Alberto Manganelli dreams of becoming an architect while also continuing to run high-level track in college, similar to his inspiration.

Despite dreaming of college, Manganelli is only a junior in high school. Even with only two years of high school track experience, he has enjoyed many of the experiences track has to offer.

“We compete and that competition, that discipline, that understanding, and also your teammates,” Manganelli said.

“We’re all one big team and we all enjoy looking at each other run, and we all joke around. It’s really fun.”

Most track meets take hours, and some occupy the greater part of a day. With such a time-consuming and draining sport, Manganelli finds the joy in the post-meet moments.

“The thing I really like the most is after the meets,” Manganelli said. “We’re all happy and just going out to eat and just staying together as a team, just joking around. That’s probably the best memories I have.”

As he enters into this 2024 track season as an upperclassman, Manganelli has advice for any blossoming runners who may follow in his footsteps.

“For track, specifically, don’t let the time intimidate you,” Manganelli said. “I like to say you can run against the time, or you can run towards the time.”

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SPORTS

Goals, Gold, and Glory A look into the legacy and impact of lacrosse in Upper Arlington.

BY STELLA GOFF, ’25. PHOTOS COURTESY @UAGIRLSLAX2024, AND @UAMENSLACROSSE.

L

ast year, the University of Notre Dame and Northwestern University won the NCAA Men’s and Women’s National Championships, respectively, continuing to blaze a trail for lacrosse in the Midwest. As discrepancies and gaps in reffing and on-the-field culture become more streamlined, lacrosse in the Midwest has truly begun to take off.

As the sport continues to gain popularity, the effects of growing up in the Midwest aren’t going unnoticed.

Many coaches have realized that great athletes make great lacrosse players, and kids who grow up playing multiple sports in the Midwest, as opposed to specializing in lacrosse on the East Coast, have started to see a more level playing field when it comes to recruitment and opportunities as an athlete.

Head girl’s Varsity Lacrosse coach Laura Sandbloom commented on the differences between lacrosse in the Midwest and the East Coast.

“I think at times Midwestern kids can feel that cultural shock of playing with folks from the East Coast. It’s a different way of living and being; I have that perspective now that I’ve lived away for about 11 years,” she said.

“There’s an attitude toward lacrosse in the Midwest as being ‘less than’ from outside perspectives. What I love about our community is we’re like, ‘no’.

We’re gonna work hard to be the best that we can be and play the toughest opponents.”

Upper Arlington has become a centralized place of production for talented and well-rounded lacrosse players in the Midwest and from coast to coast.

“UA has always been a strong lacrosse school in Central Ohio, but now, because of the rise of the internet, because we have this robust youth program, there’s lacrosse fever in our community and folks are really determined,” Sandloom 24 | ISSUE 6 | A PRI L 2 6, 2 0 2 4

said.

With 11 state titles and 26 AllAmerican distinctions since 2000, as well as an extensive list of collegiate alumni, the girl’s Varsity Lacrosse team has cemented themselves as one of the top teams in the Midwest.

Despite powerhouse competitions against neighboring schools for state titles, Sandbloom said that she hopes that the drive can continue to increase and inspire midwestern lacrosse players.

“A goal of mine as a head coach is when our program does well, it kind of lifts up everybody in the Midwest. I don’t want to be the enemy of folks around town. I want it to feel like we’re lifting everybody around us, which is what high school sports are about,” she said.

As the head of a highly demanding program, Sandbloom makes an effort to reframe thoughts and not be overly critical of herself.

“I think any sort of pressure that I would ever feel, I’ve realized it’s put on me by myself,” she said. “It’s a very demanding program. People have high expectations. We have a community with high expectations, and parents with high expectations, and players with high expectations.”

Sandbloom does her best to balance external complaints and criticism while still tending to the needs of the entire program.

“A lot of the critiques are outside noise that are negative, it’s minimal. I tend to listen to the people that matter to me, anybody that’s outside noise or doesn’t know about our program or doesn’t know about me, that’s not what I’m listening to,” she said. “I know that I have kids’ best interests at heart. So, I let that be the guide, like what’s best for the kids in my program, what’s best for our team.”

A strong staff and determined roster allows for fine-tuning and consistent learning as a program and has proven to pay off in gold. Sandbloom emphasized the efforts made by the girls’ coaching staff to better the team each season.

“We’re striving toward being better, but I don’t prioritize the idea of perfection in any way. We definitely value discipline, lacrosse is very much a sport about precision. You have to be a strong thinker, quick decision-maker to be a good lacrosse player… I think people would be shocked to see how actually learning-focused our program is,” Sandbloom said.

Apart from teaching plays, Sandbloom hopes to teach players what criticism is important to growth and what isn’t worth listening to, while also highlighting the positives in the same breath. She works to teach players how to handle feedback and apply it to their performance.

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“I’m reminding kids constantly that my critique of your play or me correcting you in front of your peers is not because of any negative feeling I have about you. That comes from a place of, ‘I want you to be a better lacrosse player, I want you to be a better teammate, here’s the feedback that I’m giving you,’” Sandbloom said. “How do you read it and say, ‘Okay, this feedback is worthwhile. I really need to work on this.’”

Alongside healthy criticism and growth, mental toughness plays a large role in the success of an athlete.

“Resilience is a big thing for me.

I know for my fellow coaches, we’re constantly trying to help kids handle challenges that high school athletics throw at them because it’s a practice for life,” Sandbloom said.

Of course, it’s not just the girl’s lacrosse team that brings home gold for the Bears; the men’s Lacrosse team has produced 40 Lacrosse All-Americans and nine High School Academic AllAmericans since the year 2000, and has established an equally strong program and presence in the Midwest.

The number of high schools playing lacrosse nowadays is significantly higher than it was in the 2000s, however, the number of Division One schools has hardly changed. This makes recruitment and exposure of high school players much more difficult than ever before.

Head men’s Varsity Lacrosse coach Kyle Olson commented on the impact that Upper Arlington plays in player’s careers.

“One of the things that helps our guys is our reputation. If you’re going to get someone from Upper Arlington, they’re going to be a good person on and off the field. They’re going to be a great culture guy and they’re going to work incredibly hard,” Olson said.

Olson said that there is a trickledown effect of alumni representing the program all over the country in a way that leads to other opportunities for future players.

“It’s really because of how we represent ourselves and not just on the field, but a lot of our alumni end up becoming captains, which are the leaders of the programs. I think of FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

Brandon Jones, who was a three-time captain in the Air Force. To be a leader amongst some of the best leaders in our country, three years in a row is really remarkable. To me, that’s a pride I have, representing the community and the family that we’ve created,” Olson said.

Family is a large priority and point of pride for the men’s lacrosse team, and the word often goes hand-in-hand with the numbers 3132.

“We talk to our guys all the time and we wear it. We used to put family on a lot of our stuff, the word family.

Now we put the numbers 3132,” Olson said. “It represents two former captains, Ned Smith and Kyle Vesper, who unfortunately passed away from glioblastoma, both captains for us, both great men.”

The numbers serve as a constant reminder of the forever family that comes with playing lacrosse in UA. “You can always come home to your family and we’re going to be there for all of our guys. It’s so special to see countless alumni. It’s really special how this program is not just a team, it’s a family and that goes not just for the people that played it, but also their families,” Olson added. “It’s something you really can’t put into words, that’s why we just put 3132 down and it encompasses really everything that we’re about.”

Alongside family, tradition is far more meaningful than plaques and alumni to the lacrosse team– it’s a guide to success.

Olson mentioned Dave Shelby, a founder of the lacrosse team and former principal at Upper Arlington, who always credited the team’s accomplishments to tradition and

culture.

“He said, ‘Everyone says Upper Arlington lacrosse is a winning tradition, it’s not. It’s a tradition of doing things the right way, listening to coaches, working together, teamwork, camaraderie, all these little things.

That’s what creates our winning,’” Olson paraphrased.

There is plenty of responsibility that comes with such an impactful program; men’s lacrosse makes a point to continue to ensure that positive representation is curated by the players.

“The thing we tell ‘em on the first day is our goal is to make them all better men, not necessarily to win every game.

Obviously, we like to win games, but it’s the little things we do throughout the season, how we travel together and interact with our alumni,” Olson said.

“The players know that wearing Upper Arlington lacrosse... represents them. It represents me, it represents our coaching staff, it represents our alumni. More importantly, it represents everyone in the community because our school is the name of our community.”

Apart from family, fundamentals and intention are what takes the team from good to gold. A narrowed mindset during practice and training sessions is what allows the team to hone in on skills and specifics, carrying them through a strong, and humble season.

“We always talk about the little things; the expectations here are very high, but it’s not something that is talked about. We don’t say, ‘Hey, today we’re going to try to win a state championship’ or ‘Today, we’re going to try to be one of the best teams in the country’,” Olson said.

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OPINION

Dune: Part Two

Columnist reviews new blockbuster, Dune: Part Two.

“D

BY RYAN CHO, ’25. GRAPHIC BY LINDSEY ACKER, ’24.

une: Part Two,” the longawaited sequel to “Dune: Part One,” was released on March 1 of this year. This film covers the second half of the original novel written by Frank Herbert, completing the story that began in “Dune: Part One.” It depicts the life of Paul Atreides after he joins the Fremen, a native tribe on the desert planet of Arrakis. The anticipation for this movie was immense, with many people, including myself, eagerly awaiting its release.

The film did not disappoint. Despite its nearly three-hour-long runtime, the pacing is perfect, ensuring that viewers are always engaged and never bored. The story never feels rushed or slow, and each scene is given the time it needs to breathe.

This careful pacing ensures that the audience remains engaged and invested in the story from beginning to end.

The film strikes a perfect balance between action-packed sequences and quieter, character-driven moments.

This balance is crucial in maintaining the audience’s interest and investment in the story. The characters themselves are intricately developed, with their movements, reactions to situations, and preparations for battle all contributing to the richness of the film.

One of the most striking aspects of the film is the contrast between the Harkonnen soldiers and the Fremen. The Harkonnen soldiers, who are not native to Arrakis, struggle to move through the sand and rely on jetpacks and orthocopters for mobility. They stand out against the desert landscape, unable to blend in. In contrast, the Fremen move effortlessly through the open dunes, blending in and hiding when necessary. They utilize all available resources and are able to fight on par with

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some of the universe’s strongest soldiers.

The clashes between these two sides are meticulously choreographed, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. These moments are amplified by the film’s sound design and music. The sound design of “Dune: Part Two” is nothing short of extraordinary, with every whisper of the wind, crunch of sand underfoot, and hum of a spaceship engine meticulously crafted to immerse viewers in the film. The score, composed by Hans Zimmer, perfectly complements the visuals, enhancing the emotional depth of the scenes and adding another layer to the storytelling.

The film’s visual effects are another aspect that deserves mention. The vast desert landscapes of Arrakis are brought to life with stunning detail, making viewers feel as if they are truly in another world. The design of the spaceships and the architecture of the cities are also impressive, showcasing the filmmakers’ attention to detail and commitment to creating a believable and immersive world.

As I watched the movie, I was constantly shocked by the landscape.

The city of North Arrakis, the castle of the Harkonnen’s, even the interiors of buildings were so beautifully designed.

Every main location shown in the movie is distinct, to the point where towards the end of the movie I was able to recognize the locations without the help of the location cards.

The performances of the actors are also noteworthy. Timothée Chalamet delivers a compelling performance as Paul Atreides, capturing the character’s complexity and growth throughout the film. The supporting cast, including Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, and Stellan Skarsgård, also deliver strong

performances, adding depth to their characters and contributing to the film’s overall quality.

The film also explores themes of power, destiny, and survival in a harsh environment. These themes are woven into the narrative, adding depth to the story and prompting viewers to reflect on these issues.

Throughout the film, I was constantly reminded of the greyness of the main characters. Without spoiling the story, almost every main character is questionable. Even the one we follow in this story, Paul Atreides, has moments and times when I had to pause and think, “Is he sure this is the best method?” On the other hand, these thoughts are what make this movie amazing. You’re constantly thinking about who is in the right, what beliefs and religions could have created this outcome, and what is the final outcome.

However, one potential issue with the film is its reliance on viewers’ familiarity with the plot of “Dune.” There were several instances where viewers unfamiliar with the story may have missed important details. Thankfully, these moments are spread out and most are just subtle nods to the overarching story.

In conclusion, “Dune: Part Two” is a cinematic masterpiece that delivers on all fronts. It is a film that rewards attentive viewing, with numerous small details enhancing the overall experience. I would give this movie a 10/10 rating, and I highly recommend it to all fans of science fiction and epic storytelling. The wait was indeed worth it. The film not only met but exceeded all expectations, providing a satisfying conclusion to the story started in “Dune: Part One.”

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OPINION

Democracy in Disarray Columnist discusses the importance of voting in America.

BY SAFIA MALHOTRA, ’24. GRAPHICS BY AVA LOMBARDI, ’26.

O

n Nov. 3, 2020, the United States of America conducted its 59th Presidential election, with former Vice President Joe Biden beating incumbent President Donald Trump 51.3% to 46.8%. Four years later, the two once again prepare to face each other on the face of the nation’s political stage.

Trump is entering this election with four criminal indictments, two presidential impeachments, a $354 million penalty, and a ban on “serving as an officer or director of any corporation or other legal entity” in New York state for three years.

Meanwhile, Biden is entering this election having actively supported the genocidal ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people and is the least popular American president to hold office since World War II (with a 56.2% disapproval rate, according to the Washington Post). He is also 81 years old.

I don’t believe that either of these men represents the American people, nor do I believe that they have the country’s best interests at heart. And, as the election approaches, I find myself constantly asking the question, “Why do both of these candidates suck?”

I think the answer to this lies in the fact that politics in America have moved past the

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interest of the general public and has landed itself in a highly dangerous position. As the saying goes, power tends to corrupt. The politicians who control the inner workings of our country spend more time on Twitter (X?) than they do in their offices. It’s almost laughable… until it’s not.

The disillusionment with the current state of American politics is palpable.

Many Americans feel alienated from a system that appears to prioritize power and self-interest over the welfare of the people. The growing polarization, economic inequality, and concentration of power only exacerbate these sentiments.

Many consider the state of American democracy to be dire and its future to be even more foreboding. A poll conducted by the Associated Press found that 62% of adults say democracy in the U.S. could be at risk depending on who wins the upcoming presidential election (72% of whom were Democrats and 55% Republican). Unfortunately, these concerns are not unjustified.

Political science professor Robert Lieberman identified the following factors as challenges to democracy, having studied the fall of democracies throughout his career: polarization, growing ethnic or racial antagonism, rising economic inequality and “a concentration of power under a country’s executive officeholder.”

“For a number of years now, the United States has had all four of these conditions, really for the first time in history,” he said in an interview with Associated Press. “So we’re in a period that’s ripe for challenges to democracy.”

I don’t often consider myself to be a patriot– in fact, there are many aspects of America that repulse me.

That being said, I am constantly reminded of the privilege that it

is to be an American. While there are many irredeemable American qualities, the many freedoms that Americans hold are not to be taken lightly. One of the most important ones, I believe, is the right to vote.

America’s voting system is, admittedly, deeply flawed and incredibly outdated. But it is still a form of democratic freedom, that many people are not privileged enough to have access to. To have the privilege of voting is not a small matter, and it is certainly not one to be ignored.

As citizens of a swing state, the power of each individual vote is magnified: in Ohio, each individual vote counts. I’m not here to tell you which vote is the right vote to cast, only that casting a vote is a necessity in this political climate. The upcoming election may not offer ideal choices, but abstaining from voting is not the solution. Instead, it serves as a call to action for Americans to actively engage in shaping their democracy and demanding accountability from their leaders. If you are 18 or older, your vote is needed. To register to vote, visit https://olvr.ohiosos.gov/.

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OPINION

Eternal Sunshine Columnist reviews Ariana Grande’s seventh album, “eternal sunshine.”

BY CLAIRE DUNGAN, ’26. GRAPHICS BY MALLORY JOHNSON, ’24.

I

n the midst of Ariana Grande’s promotion for her starring role in the movie version of “Wicked,” she took to Instagram to announce her new single: “yes, and?” The release of this song was quickly followed by an album announcement: “eternal sunshine” on March 8. I am not a huge listener of Ariana Grande’s music, but I decided to give the album a listen after hearing rave reviews from many friends.

The album is an easily danceable yet sad pop album with the themes of ending love following her divorce and, in some songs, gaining maturity as she enters her 30s. The album uses celestial wording and interludes in order to build a cohesive feeling throughout the duration of the songs.

The first song, “intro (end of the world),” starts the album by immediately supporting the theme found throughout the whole album and asking a question, “How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?” I thought this was a really good move by Grande, given that, later, she ties the whole album together by ending it with a clip of her grandmother, who is featured as Nonna, answering that exact question. The intro isn’t really a full song, but I thought it did a really spectacular job setting up the album.

The next two songs, “bye” and “don’t wanna break up again,” weren’t the most standout. However, “bye” was a fun pop track, and “don’t wanna break up again” was a song with a lot more of a story behind it. Both were still very good, but they weren’t the songs I would immediately recommend to people on the first listen.

After that comes “Saturn Returns Interlude” and “eternal sunshine.” These two work hand in hand to improve the cohesiveness of the album and make each other better. “Saturn Returns Interlude” is a clip of an author named Diana Garland speaking. The last FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

seconds of the interlude are actually the first couple seconds of “eternal sunshine.” That helps feed into why “eternal sunshine” was one of my favorite tracks off of the album. Not only did it have a good start, but the song has a big contrast between the choruses and verses through the beat and pitch that it’s sung at.

The next two songs, “supernatural” and “true story,” were fun, upbeat pop songs. Out of the two, “true story” was the better song. “true story” has a good story behind it, as she tells what she describes as a “true story,” about lies she was told. On the other hand, “supernatural” was another one of the similar songs on the album that, while still a good song, kind of blended in the background behind other songs.

Two of the most popular songs, “the boy is mine” and the lead single “...yes, and?” were next. Similar to “supernatural,” “the boy is mine” seemed to get hidden behind the other songs that stood out better after the first listen. While it has a good beat, it is just a little too upbeat to just throw on as background music. “...yes, and?” had the advantage of being the only song I’d heard before listening to the full album.

It’s a bubbly pop track with a theme of self-confidence that I still think is very fun to listen to. I didn’t think the overall sound of “...yes, and?” matched up with the rest of the album as well as the other songs, but, the more you listen to it, the more you find that the lyrics really did do a good job setting up what the album would be about.

My favorite song on “eternal sunshine,” “we can’t be friends…(wait for your love),” is the next track. This song is a pop song that has a bright sound. In the background of the song is what could be described as the disco beat found in older songs that adds really well to the song. Given this, it makes a lot of sense

that this song was the second of the album to get a music video and to be a single.

The third and second to last songs on the album, “i wish i hated you” and “imperfect for you,” are both slower, sad pop songs that help to wind down the album. It can be assumed that these songs were inspired by Grande’s recent divorce with her husband, as they both talk about her looking back on the end of her relationship. These two songs are definitely part of the album I would recommend listening to.

The last song that wraps up the whole album, “ordinary things (feat. Nonna),” is a more upbeat song that, as previously mentioned, ends the album answering the exact question it started with: “How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?”

Overall, the whole album has several spectacular songs that build a cohesive theme and meaning. I said I had chosen the tenth track on the album “we can’t be friends” as my favorite, but, truthfully, “eternal sunshine” is an amazing album full of tons of spectacular songs. I would highly recommend that anyone who wants to go listen to the album fully.

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OPINION

Graeter’s vs. Jeni’s Columnist compares two local ice cream favorites.

BY ALI ABUBAKR, ’24. PHOTO COURTESY GRAETER’S. GRAPHICS BY CAROLINE KEGG, ’24.

I

enjoy writing these “comparison” reviews because no matter which one I choose, I’m bound to make someone mad. I like ice cream, but I’ve never been adventurous with ice cream like some others are. What I mean is that I usually stick to vanilla, chocolate, or cookies and cream, and I don’t stray too far from those. Call me boring, but I’m scared to try “lavender” ice cream because that doesn’t sound super appetizing. Despite this, I have a bit of expertise in the dairytreat industry as a former Orange Leaf employee. However, that place is frozen yogurt and it sucks in all aspects. Both Graeter’s and Jeni’s Ice Cream are Ohionative and have great ice cream.

Graeter’s Ice Cream was founded in Cincinnati all the way back in 1870

by Louis Charles Graeter. Still familyowned and operated, Graeter’s has been passed down through five generations of Graeters while maintaining their original “French pot” method. French pot ice cream is created through a process where ingredients are slowly hand-spun in specially created freezers, creating a “dense and pliable” ice cream. Graeter’s remains one of the only large-scale ice cream makers to use this old-fashioned method. Their closest location to the high

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school is at 1534 W Lane Avenue.

Jeni’s was founded in 2002 here in Columbus by Jeni Britton. Known for their unique flavors, Jeni’s began after Britton, an art student at the time, was experimenting with cayenne and chocolate ice cream. Jeni’s first opened in the North Market but soon expanded to a separate location in 2005. For years, Britton herself worked the counter and continued experimentation with flavors, leading to signature tastes like Salty Caramel, Wildberry Lavender, and Brambleberry Crisp. Their closest location to the high school is at 1281 Grandview Ave. I went to both Graeter’s and Jeni’s on the same day. I went to bed with an upset stomach. Not from bad ice cream–on the contrary, I’ve never had a harder decision than this one. Graeter’s most popular flavor is their Black Raspberry Chip, which is an interesting combination that I am not actually a huge fan of. I’ve never been too big a fan of hard, solid things in ice cream. Despite that, I absolutely love their cookies and cream, which doesn’t make much sense because huge Oreos are in it. Their vanilla, chocolate, cookies and cream, and butter pecan are my favorites.

They also have great sorbets in lemon and raspberry. Its proximity to the high school adds to its repertoire.

Additionally, almost all of their flavors can be turned into milkshakes; they make it with the ice cream itself in front of you so you get a thick and tasteful milkshake.

With Jeni’s, it’s a bit of a waste to go there

and be picky with the flavors because they are known for their adventurous and fun flavors. I tried the Fluffernutter Pie flavor, which is roasted peanut butter and vanilla marshmallow ice cream layered with oat pie crust pieces. I chose that over Gooey Butter Cake and the popular Brambleberry Crisp. I don’t know if Jeni herself is coming up with the names, but they’re great, and I love them. I also love how Jeni’s locations look. In addition to the Grandview location, I’ve been to one of their High Street locations, and they all look and feel cozy. They’re usually smaller in size and have those nice little fairy lights. The Grandview location is also located in a great area near other little restaurants and a vintage arcade. On the other hand, Graeter’s on Bethel has an indoor playground. So you’ve got a tough choice to make. I walked out of Jeni’s on a brisk evening, lost in thought about which place to choose.

I’ve never had a harder choice; with my other comparisons, it’s almost like I know which one I’m gonna choose before I choose it. But because of my slight pickiness and my habit of choosing simple, uncomplicated flavors, Graeter’s is my winner. Jeni’s is wonderful and I’m sure Jeni Britton is a fantastic woman, but the old Louis Charles Graeter made some good ice cream. Graeter’s is Ali Approved.

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EDITORIAL

ACCEPTING ACCOUNTABILITY OJ Simpson and the consequences of not taking accountability.

BY EDITORIAL BOARD.

“D

id OJ do it?” is a question that has circled the media since NFL player OJ Simpson was tried and acquitted for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and friend Ronald Goldman in 1995. His acquittal despite significant forensic evidence produced by prosecutors caused the trial to be characterized as the “trial of the century”.

In 1977, a civil jury found Simpson liable for wrongful death in the double murder and he was ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages to the Brown and Goldman families. Even then, Simpson continued to maintain his innocence and did not express remorse or offer any form of apology to the victims’ families. He went so far as to publish a book titled “If I did It: Confessions of the Killer” which received criticism for profiting off of the deaths for which he was considered liable.

“Accountability” is the concept of taking responsibility for your thoughts, actions, and behaviors as well as the consequences that come with them. It is the idea that everything a person does has consequences, and that they must be prepared to take responsibility for these consequences no matter what. And it’s more than just owning up to mistakes; it’s about taking ownership of our actions, fostering a culture of honesty, and cultivating a mindset of continuous improvement.

Personal accountability is incredibly difficult to achieve– it goes against human nature entirely. But it is the cornerstone of responsibility, integrity, and growth.

Both within the walls of Upper Arlington High School and beyond, it is our responsibility to pursue personal accountability. Not just for the people around us, but also for ourselves. Personal accountability allows us to be the best version of ourselves we can possibly be, and who doesn’t want that?

Upper Arlington is only as good a community as its citizens, and it is up to us as individuals to make Upper Arlington the best possible place we can. That requires us to hold ourselves accountable in all aspects of our lives.

Do your assignments, treat your teachers with respect, take the time to say hello to administrators in the hallways.

Arlingtonian urges you, as this year comes to an end, to reflect on this past school year and ask yourself, “how did I take accountability for my actions this year?”

OJ Simpson passed away on Apr. 10, 2024 from a FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @UAARLINGTONIAN

year-long fight against prostate cancer. Though his lawyer told the Associated Press that Simpson died “surrounded by children and grandchildren”, he later revoked that statement, saying that Simpson died in the presence of only one unnamed person. Simpson was an actor, broadcaster, producer, and Hall of Fame football player, but he is now arguably most known for his trial and the lack of accountability he took throughout his lifetime. OJ Simpson is an example of what happens when you don’t take accountability for your actions: his legacy could have been one of success, yet it is now one of a remorseless murderer.

residential design services Kelly Fitzpatrick Mitchell kelly@threedaisystudio.com

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