TCB Aug. 19, 2021 — Back to School

AUG.19-25, 2021 TRIAD-CITY-BEAT.COM

L O O H O C T S BACK

and numbers D I V O C Rising rns h conce t l a e h l menta reopen sro oms s a l c s a fall for the

PAGES 6-10

plus-size Paradise PAGE 12

what the census shows PAGE 11

ventriloquism for dummies PAGE 2

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK AUG. 19—25, 2021

The ancient art of ventriloquism

COURTESY PHOTO

Andy Gross practices the ancient arts of ventriloquism and magic, with a collection of dummies that goes back to the 1930s.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

…The big push this year… was to take on more of social emotional wellbeing of our students, but I think that some of the people who are making these decisions aren’t thinking about the social emotional wellbeing of our teachers.

—Deb Greene pg 9 1451 S. Elm-Eugene St. Box 24, Greensboro, NC 27406 Office: 336.256.9320 BUSINESS PUBLISHER/EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Brian Clarey brian@triad-city-beat.com

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KEY ACCOUNTS

SPECIAL SECTION EDITOR

CONTRIBUTORS

Michaela Ratliff michaela@triad-city-beat.com Nikki Miller-Ka niksnacksblog@gmail.com

EDITORIAL ADVISOR

OF COUNSEL

Jordan Green jordan@triad-city-beat.com

EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR

ART ART DIRECTOR

STAFF WRITER

SALES SALES EXECUTIVE

Jonathan Jones

Sayaka Matsuoka sayaka@triad-city-beat.com Nicole Zelniker nicole@triad-city-beat.com

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CHIEF CONTRIBUTOR

Robert Paquette robert@triad-city-beat.com

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TCB IN A FLASH @ triad-city-beat.com First copy is free, all additional copies are $1. ©2021 Beat Media Inc.

Chris Rudd chris@triad-city-beat.com Carolyn de Berry, James Douglas, Matt Jones, Jordan Howse, Jen Sorensen, Clay Jones

COVER Back to School, magic schoolbus: Cover Illustration by Robert Paquette

A

ndy Gross learned to throw his voice by the time he was 10 years old, via a mail-order class that he saw advertised in the back of

Gross, who grew up in St. Louis, became a professional racketball player by the time he was 15 years old. He was 26 and living in California when, seemingly overnight, the sport went bust.

“Things were going great,” he says. “I was in my prime. And racketball just died.

Just dead. Worse than ventriloquism.”

by Brian Clarey But at that point, he didn’t know how to a magazine. do much else.

“Throw your voice!” he remembers.

“I started hitting the comedy clubs with “Fool your friends! Be the life of the party!” ventriloquism and magic,” he says. “‘Make He got so good at it that he could page it funnier,’ they said, so I did, and I kept himself out of class. coming back. Pretty soon I was working This was in the 1970s, when ventrilocruise ships and corporate gigs.” quism was enjoying a resurgence — WayIt’s taken him pretty far: He’s been in lon Flowers and show business for deMadam, Willie Tyler cades; during a brief and Lester — in its period of popularity Andy Gross performs at centuries old boomfor ventriloquism in the High Point Theatre on and-bust cycle of the 1990s, he had a Saturday night. Tickets at popularity. guest appearance on “There were writ“Beverly Hills 90210” highpointtheatre.com. ings on cave walls and was in the “Growabout ventriloquists,” ing Pains” spinoff “Just says Gross. “In ancient the Ten of Us” before times, they might have burned us at the it became uncool again. stake.”

Now, he says, it’s back full force.

He also says he might be wrong about “On ‘America’s Got Talent,’” he says, that, as there are some gaps in his educa“three or four of the last winners or tion. runners-up have been ventriloquists. The “I didn’t really go to school,” he says. top shows in Vegas are ventriloquists. It’s “I was making money playing sports my more popular than ever.” whole life.”

AUG. 19—25, 2021

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UP FRONT | AUG. 19—25, 2021

CITY LIFE AUG. 19-22

by Michaela Ratliff

THURSDAY Aug. 19

SATURDAY Aug. 21

Head to the museum’s courtyard on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday for a cup of java from Borough Coffee with espresso drinks, cold brews, and baked goods provided by Black Magnolia Southern Patisserie.

Afterwards, head inside the museum to view the Helen Frankenthaler: Late Works, 1990-2003 exhibit on display until Aug. 28.

Winston Junction Market is excited to announce its August market, featuring local artisans and makers selling plants, vintage items and more. If you work up an appetite shopping, Urban Street Grill food truck will be there to provide Korean BBQ fusion.

Borough Coffee @ Weatherspoon Art Museum (GSO) 10 a.m.

High Point Rockers vs. Lexington Legends @ High Point Rockers Stadium (HP) 7 p.m.

Cheer on the High Point Rockers as they take on the Lexington Legends in a game of baseball. The Rockers are also celebrating COVID Heroes Day, where frontline medical workers and EMTs will receive free admission with a valid ID. To purchase tickets, visit highpointrockers.com

Coming to America @ Carolina Theatre (GSO) 7 p.m.

As part of their 13th Summer Film Festival, Carolina Theatre presents a showing of Coming to America, the hilarious story of Prince Akeem, played by Eddie Murphy, who escapes to America to find his queen despite his father’s wishes for an arranged marriage. Tickets must be purchased in advance at carolinatheatre.com.

My Sister and Her Friends: All Female Comedy Show @ Elsewhere (GSO) 8 p.m.

Khristin Brooks, in partnership with Elsewhere, presents My Sister and Her Friends, an all-Black female comedy show in which Monika Scott-Rogers, ThatgirlNiq, Brandi Roberts, and Jas Gill will have you dying of laughter.

Tickets will be available at the door but can be purchased in advance on Eventbrite. Food and drinks will also be available for purchase.

Grease @ The Drive at Winston-Salem Fairgrounds (W-S) 8:15 p.m.

Celebrate the grand finale of The Drive’s summer drive-in series with a screening of the classic musical Grease. Tickets are $30 per car and are available at thedrivemovie.com.

SUNDAY Aug. 22

Winston-Salem Cycling Classic Registration (Online)

FRIDAY Aug. 20

Registration is now open for the Winston-Salem Cycling Classic taking place downtown Sept. 24-26. For more information and to register, visit winstonsalemcycling. com.

Round off High Point Art Council’s Dancin’ & Shaggin’ at the Station series and dance the night away at the Centennial Station Arts Center as Carolina Soul rocks the house with performances of songs by the O’Jays, Temptations, Four Tops and more! For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the event page on Facebook.

MUSEP Concert: doby and Sheila Star Productions @ White Oak Amphitheatre (GSO) 6 p.m.

Dancin’ & Shaggin’ at the Station with Carolina Soul @ Centennial Station Arts Center (HP) 7 p.m.

Andy Gross Live @ High Point Theatre (HP) 7:30 p.m.

Don’t miss your chance to see stand-up comedian, magician and ventriloquist Andy Gross live at High Point Theatre. Gross combines his many talents for an entertaining act that’s landed him in numerous television appearances, including The Ellen Show. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the event page on Facebook.

10-Minute Play Festival @ Hanesbrands Theatre (W-S) 7:30 p.m.

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August Market @ Winston Junction Market (W-S) 11 a.m.

Join 88.5 WFDD and Winston-Salem Writers for their 2021 10-Minute Play Festival, featuring works from playwrights across the state. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at intothehearts.org/events-info/10minute-plays.

As part of Creative Greensboro’s Music for a Sunday Evening in the Park, funk band doby and Sheila Star Productions, an R&B, country and gospel group will be performing as part of this summer concert series.

Although the event is free, donations to Creative Greensboro are encouraged. To view more information and upcoming performers, visit creativegreensboro. com.

The Idiot Box Presents Jasmine Ellis @ The Idiot Box (GSO) 7:30 p.m.

Join stand-up comedian Jasmine Ellis at the Idiot Box as she has you cracking up during this show. It’s one you don’t want to miss as Ellis’ debut comedy album, Trash Baby, went #1 on iTunes and was featured as “Best Comedy Album by Comedians You Haven’t Heard Of” on Spotify. Purchase tickets at ibcomedy.yapsody.com.

(As of Wednesday, Aug. 18)

Documented COVID-19 diagnoses NC 1,131,243 (+36,357)

AUG. 19—25, 2021 | UP FRONT

Coronavirus in the Triad:

Forsyth 40,400 (+790) Guilford County

51,852 (1,342)

COVID-19 deaths NC

13,952 (+162)

Forsyth

437 (+2)

Guilford

731 (+0 last 4 weeks)

Documented recoveries NC

1,047,722 (+21,875)

Forsyth

*no data*

Guilford

48,627 (+740)

Current cases NC

69,569 (+14,320)

Forsyth

*no data*

Guilford

2,493 (+602)

Hospitalizations (right now) NC

2,930 (+626)

Forsyth

*no data*

Guilford

144 (+55)

Vaccinations NC First Dose

5,100,745 (+82,321)

Fully vaccinated

5,040,257 (52%, +58,914)

Forsyth First Dose

202,385 (+3,623)

Fully vaccinated

186,466 (49%, +2,323)

Guilford First dose

293,052 (+4,095)

Fully vaccinated

271,530 (51%, +3,031)

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NEWS | AUG. 19—25, 2021

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NEWS

‘It’s been hard’: As schools reopen, kids continue to grapple with mental health challenges

by Nicole Zelniker

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s the COVID-19 pandemic wore on, 14-year-old Riley Cassell’s biggest fear became not the virus, but that one of his good friends would die by suicide.

Riley’s friend had been dealing with depression for a long time, since before the pandemic. Though the friend had previously been able to talk to their parents, the pandemic has put a strain on that relationship so that they did not feel comfortable speaking up at home, Riley told TCB. Because of this, Riley found himself talking to their friend online often, but was unable to provide extra support in person because of the pandemic. Every time he logged off the computer, he worried his friend wouldn’t be there when he came back. The friend has since gotten help.

Despite the stress that young people have been under, Riley says he has found little empathy from the staff at Mendenhall Middle School, where he went to school for the last year and a half. His teachers have been giving out zeroes for any late work.

“Some days it’s so bad I don’t want to get out of bed, and then some days I’m fine,” he said. “Lots of my friends are going through the same thing, if not worse.”

The only communication he remembers seeing from the school was a single email letting students know there are guidance counselors available. Riley, who heads to Page High School this year, does not think this is enough.

“It’s been awful,” he said. “There’s no connection with friends. I’ve had to stop so many sports and activities.”

Allyn Cassell, Riley’s 12-year-old sibling, has felt much of the same anxiety during the pandemic. Allyn, who uses they/them pronouns, says mental health has become more of a struggle for them over the course of the pandemic.

“It’s been a big part of my life, especially going into middle school,” they said. “My social anxiety has gotten a lot worse because I haven’t been in these social situations.”

Also a student at Mendenhall, Allyn used to talk to people in person every day. Now, they say their social circle has narrowed. It is stressful for them to think about going back.

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“It’s been hard,” they said. “I come from a family that does little screen [time], so I never really got that much friends from school’s contact information. I only really talk to two people.”

Riley, Allyn and their friends are not far out of the norm. Mental Health America found that 13.8 percent of youth ages 12-17 reported at least one major depressive episode in the last year.

In North Carolina, that number is about 15 percent. Of those kids, over half did not receive mental health treatment.

Likewise, researchers with WebMD found that 46 percent of parents in a study involving 977 participants said their child showed signs of new or worsening mental health conditions since March 2020. These signs included changes in sleep, withdrawing from family and aggression.

As kids head back into schools next week, mental health professionals are encouraging teachers and parents to keep an eye on their children’s mental health.

It’s still important to pay attention to mental health

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isa Peaty, a child and family therapist in Winston-Salem who has been practicing for 15 years, has seen similar trends.

“In Winston, there’s a good number of mental health providers and they’re all full,” she said. “Practices have had to expand. People are desperate to find mental health help.”

In her line of work, Peaty has seen many children with social anxiety, like Allyn. She says that, for some of those kids, virtual learning was almost a relief.

“But there’s this notion of therapy

of a window of tolerance,” she said.

“Their window has gotten a lot smaller because they’re home, so this reintegration in back to school, this is creating a lot of tension. Plus, even doing the whole online school thing and having to keep your camera on is very different than sitting in a classroom.”

Still, Peaty understands that the rising surge in cases brought upon by the Delta variant means that some kids may opt to remain virtual. During the week leading up to Aug. 5, children accounted for 15 percent of all COVID cases in the US according to research from the American Academy of Pediatrics. This marked a 4 percent increase from July 22.

And while the effects of COVID in children is yet to be known, they can still get sick and possibly suffer from long-term issues, too. Studies have found that adults who test positive for COVID

to reach out for help with a phone call.

They serve cities nationwide, including Greensboro, High Point and WinstonSalem.

“In an ideal world, every school would have a bunch of school counselors and nurses and officials who would have their fingers on the pulse of how kids are doing,” said Plonski. “But mental health isn’t necessarily a high priority for schools.

“What teachers can do is be aware of warning signs,” he continued. “Look for changes. It can be a gradual change, such as a student who in the past was outgoing and is now moody and morose.

Don’t chalk it up to kids being kids.

Don’t discount them.”

Echoing what Plonski said, therapist Lisa Peaty noted that the most important thing is to practice patience with kids and students who might exhibit behavioral changes.

“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” Peaty said. “We need to keep our kids physically healthy, but we also can’t ignore their mental health.”

Plonski has done work in disaster response and says that while things will get back to a new normal eventually, that does not mean everyone will be ok immediately, that kids will still struggle to readjust after such a traumatic event.

“The reality is, we need to keep our eyes and ears open as time goes on,” Plonski said. “Just like adults are dealing with a new normal, so are young people.

They’re going to have various reactions to it. Some are going to adapt well, some less and some not at all. But the big thing is to keep an open dialogue.”

AUG. 19—25, 2021 | NEWS

later struggle with a range of symptoms, which vary but often include fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, lost of taste or smell, fever and dizziness. These symptoms can last weeks or months after the initial infection according to the Mayo Clinic.

The rising cases among children is something school districts in Forsyth and Guilford counties are taking very seriously. Recently, both reinstated mask mandates in schools just a few weeks after the CDC recommended people to start wearing masks indoors again, regardless of vaccination status.

According to WFMY News, in Forsyth County the school board approved a mask mandate for students, staff and visitors ages 5 and older and plan to reassess this after 10 weeks. Mayor Allen Joines recently reinstated a city-wide mask mandate for Winston-Salem.

Guilford’s school board also voted 6-2 to make masks mandatory in schools, require regular COVID testing for unvaccinated student athletes, coaches and those who participate in other high-risk activities such as chorus or marching band. This is consistent with Guilford County’s decision to reinstitute a mask mandate for all indoor locations. Durham County, Orange County and the town of Boone have all reinstated similar mandates.

As kids start to go back to school in person, John Plonski, director of IMAlive Network, says adults need to be on the lookout for mental health changes regarding the kids in their lives.

IMAlive is the first virtual crisis center designed for those who might be afraid

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NEWS | AUG. 19—25, 2021

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Rise in kids’ mental health issues demonstrates need for more school counselors

by Jordan Howse

T

he kids are not alright.

An estimated 17 percent of Americans under the age of 18 have or have had a mental health disorder, according to the National Center for Education Statistics in 2018 — and that’s before the global pandemic.

Pre-pandemic, Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools and Guilford County Schools prioritized social- emotional learning (SEL) through their strategic goals and curriculum. SEL helps students develop self-awareness and interpersonal skills. These skills help children better cope with impulse control, emotion management and everyday challenges. However, a global pandemic that continues to infect and kill thousands of people each week is not an everyday challenge.

During the 2020-21 school year, WSFCS and GCS implemented several programs and ideas meant to ease some of the stress COVID-19 was putting on students, not just academically.

Forsyth County schools opened Main Street Academy as a night school for students who had to become providers or caregivers for their family during the day. Guilford County implemented a youth crisis hotline that students could call 18 hours a day to vent some of their troubles or talk to mental health professionals.

And with both counties returning to in-person learning on Monday, parents, teachers and students will be reflecting on the ways the past year and a half has affected students, and how the pandemic will continue to affect their mental health.

KJ Morgan, a Guilford County parent, said the pandemic school year affected the mental health of her high schooler, who she did not want to name for privacy reasons.

“It was their junior year, the most important year, and everything went wrong at once,” Morgan said. “The social part of school was really important for them and to not have that, took a toll.”

Although their child is dual-enrolled at Guilford Technical Community College, Morgan said her student was overwhelmed during the pandemic.

“Most people aren’t this independent until college,” she said. “They are not ready to be this totally responsible for their education and that took a toll too.”

This year, Morgan’s child is eager to return to the classroom and get back on track. For educators and staff, Guilford County School’s Director of Health Services and Nursing Yvetta Grier is working to make sure they are ready to help students like Morgan’s.

Grier said the school district trains teachers, counselors and social workers on trauma-informed care. Because teachers are the ones who see the children day in and day out, they would be the first in the school to recognize an issue, she said. They noted that teachers have received and continue to receive professional development training to help identify triggers and learn practices to help children deal with trauma and manage their emotions.

Denise Patterson, Guilford County Schools’ chief of student services, also said that the county led virtual workshops for parents in the spring to help parents become more aware of what their children could be going through and how to recognize it, including addictions and mental health disorders or illnesses.

T

The need for more school counselors

ricia McManus, Forsyth County’s superintendent, said that it is absolutely a responsibility of schools to look after the mental health of its students.

“The students want and need support,” she said. “It’s definitely our responsibility as educators to address that need. School is a safe haven for many students. They get positive interaction and for many it’s a very important space.”

Grier said that Guilford County is concerned about the whole child, that mental health has to be addressed for the student to be successful in the class and in the community. It is difficult to teach a student about math or science when their mind is on other things, she said.

Educators in both counties are working to make it easier to access mental health resources at school, where kids spend about 15 percent of their lives. In the Triad, while every school has access to mental health assessment services, there is not a mental health professional exclusively assigned to each school.

Guilford County has 50 school psychologists for 126 schools. Winston-Salem/

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Forsyth County schools has about 25 ally be able to learn at your best.” psychologists serving its approximately Kara Anglin is a licensed clinical 80 schools. Nationally, during the 2018social worker who works mostly with 19 school year, there were roughly 425 young people of high school and college students for every school counselor, age. She said that in the last seven years, which exceeds the American School she’s seen an increase in school related Counselor Association’s recommended anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation ratio of 250 to 1, according to data from but that could be because of a decrease the Education Commission of the States, in the stigma. a national education research and policy “Adolescence is such a difficult time organization. in terms of development,” Anglin said.

During the 2017–18 school year, “They’re naturally exploring their indeabout 51 percent pendence so there’s this of public schools push and pull where they in North Carolina want to be independent, ‘The social part of reported providing dibut they also need the root school was really agnostic mental health structure. assessment services to important for them “[During the pandemic] students, according to and to not have their in-person social outthe National Center lets haven’t been there so that, took a toll. for Education Statisthere’s a larger proportion tics. of adolescents having less McManus said that – KJ Morgan, Guilford County social interaction and feelparent increasing the number ing more disconnected,” of mental health proshe continued. fessionals is a part of the strategic plan to In addition to the use of school counbetter reach students. selors, Anglin advocates for students and “Students today are better advocates parents to use outside resources such as for themselves,” she said. “They want therapy to help students if they need it. us to start applying new methods. We’ve “Parents struggle with when and how talked about adding wellness rooms, to get involved with their teenagers,” she changing discipline policies and using said. “Therapy is a place to process how more restorative measures. If you have you want to handle things, something things that are weighing heavily on your that isn’t necessarily tied to the family.” mind or you’re dealing with trauma, that’s got to be addressed for you to re-

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s students return to the classroom on Monday, teachers’ feelings of hope are muddled by apprehension about rising COVID-19 cases caused by the Delta variant.

“I’m really nervous,” says Deb Greene, who teaches English as a second language at Northern Middle and High School. “I’m not nervous for myself, but I’m very worried for my kids who are in middle school who are not old enough to be vaccinated yet. My students come from families who may or may not be vaccinated, or have multiple generations in the homes. I really worry about their safety and their sense of safety. I feel like there’s going to be a lot of commentary about whether they are going to be masked.”

Both Guilford and Forsyth Counties officially go back to school on Monday, and both have instituted mask mandates within schools. Greene, who says she got vaccinated with both doses of Pfizer as soon as she was eligible, has been teaching since 2003. Prior to working at Northern, she was at Ferndale Elementary; she switched schools in the middle of the pandemic in August of last year.

And while she’s nervous about the effects of the recent surge in cases on her students, she is excited to be teaching in person again.

“I did not want to teach online,” Greene says. “I hated teaching from home, but I was terrified of teaching in person.”

Having to shift from the classroom to the new online platforms last year was one of the most stressful parts of 2020 for Greene.

“That first year was very stressful in a way because everything was new,” Greene says. “I didn’t know how to teach online; I didn’t know my colleagues. I felt like a new teacher in my first year all over again.”

This kind of stress and subsequent burnout has been a common motif for teachers across the country. According to a survey conducted by the RAND Corporation between May and October 2020, the percentage of educators worried about burnout rose from 25 to 57 percent. A study by the CDC Foundation found that more teachers were considering leaving the profession altogether and that an increased number were experiencing symptoms of depression.

AUG. 19—25, 2021 | NEWS

Feelings of excitement and nervousness mix for teachers as they return to teaching in the classrooms

by Sayaka Matsuoka

COURTESY PHOTOS

Left to Right: Teachers Micah Jackson, Deb Greene and Amy Harrison.

For Greene, she says that the suduse the technology without them sitting den shift to teaching online was what here in person and having to teach them weighed the heaviest on her mental over the computer, it was like going health. back and being in my first year teaching “Every week we were told we had to again…. We had to flip our classrooms learn a new skill online and implement in a week. It was really hard, and at that it, and some of that I found extremely point we only thought we would have to stressful,” she says. “That’s what stressed do it for two weeks.” me out, because I spent more time makIn addition to adapting to the changes, ing my Canvas page look cute rather the uncertainty and the back and forth than teaching and checking in on my of it all really affected Harrison. students. So yeah, that first spring was “I like knowing what my expectations pretty terrible.” are,” Harrison says. “The worst part was During one not knowing. Like particularly difficult when our school ‘This is not a normal day, Greene says board said that the she was having situation; this is something positivity rate had so much trouble be less than 5 serious. This is something to getting Canvas, percent but then real that affects lives to the they added other the online learning platform, to factors into it. And point of dying.’ work that she was I’m also thinking – Teacher Micah Jackson brought to tears. about how the kids “I lost it,” she were going to react says. “I was like, knowing what ‘I’m going to retire,’ even though I school was supposed to be like.” couldn’t retire.”

But in the end, Harrison says that the Amy Harrison, a special education kids ended up adapting to the changes teacher at Reedy Fork Elementary better than some of the adults. echoed Greene’s stresses of feeling like a “We had a workday before the kids new teacher despite having 22 years of came back, and that was one of the most experience. stressful days I’ve had in a while because “I think it was like starting over,” HarI didn’t know how they were going to rison says. “Learning all of the technolreact,” she says. “And quite honestly, I ogy and having to teach the kids how to worried for nothing. The kids did a great

job following procedures.”

One of Harrison’s favorite memories from the last year was when her students were able to get together outside and meet in person for the first time for their end-of-year celebration.

“You could see the bonds that they made even though they had not met in person,” Harrison says. “They still had their little friend groups.”

Now, she says she’s less concerned with how the kids will adapt to being back in the classroom and more worried about how the rise in COVID cases might affect them.

“I’m excited to see all of the kids in the building,” she says. “But I’m also apprehensive about the Delta variant and the fact that none of my students are old enough to be vaccinated.”

Harrison, who is fully vaccinated with Moderna, says she was more comfortable being in the classrooms last year because she didn’t have to deal with the Delta variant. She says she’s glad that the school board mandated masks for everyone and doesn’t think her kids will have any issues with them.

“The kids don’t have an opportunity to choose whether or not to be vaccinated,” she says. “And our kids did fairly well with masks, they did a good job of wearing them in the classrooms.”

Cont. on pg. 10

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NEWS | AUG. 19—25, 2021

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Cont. from pg. 9 ‘It’s important to set boundaries’

cially teachers who want to do everything that we’re asked to do, it’s more important that you take care of yourself and our families. I do not check my eacher Micah Jackson, who emails on Saturdays or Sundays. Basically, we do not get paid enough to be as teaches English for Winstonmarried to our jobs as we often are.”

Salem/Forsyth County Schools Harrison says she agrees. said she feels very wary about reentering “It’s important to set boundaries,” she the classroom. says. “Because we were at home and we “I’m 100 percent uncomfortable with were online, some parents thought they it,” she says. “This whole pandemic I could call at 9 p.m. or call over the weekhave not taught inside of a classroom end, but know that once those boundarwith actual students.” ies are set, to keep them.”

Jackson, who says she is “self-diagFor the most part, she says, parents nosed OCD,” did not wish to disclose have been very understanding and her vaccination status. For months, appreciative of her throughout the Jackson and her family have been very pandemic. careful and that she doesn’t feel ready “It’s about having an open line of to go back because of that, she says she communication,” she says. “Just explaindoesn’t feel ready to go back into the ing, ‘This is how it is and this is how classroom. Last year, when teachers were we’re keeping everyone safe.’” told they would have to teach in person Jackson says that setting boundaries again, Jackson says she opted to take for your health in the middle of a panunpaid discretionary leave rather than demic is paramount, too. go back to in-person. Now, as Monday “You have to do what is going to make approaches, she’s feeling nervous again. you happy and comfortable,” she says.

“If the numbers are higher now, why “This is not a normal situation; this is does it make sense to play this game?” something serious. This is something real she asked. that affects lives to the point Jackson, who has been of dying. We’ve had some teaching for 14 years, says ‘I hated teachers in this district die, that she loves teaching but teaching from so you have to put yourself that she felt like she didn’t first and your family first and have many options last year. home, but I that looks like to “I honestly didn’t want to was terrified whatever you is what you have to do.” do the discretionary leave,” of teaching in These days, Greene thinks she says. “But they didn’t of her job like she would if care to do any other options. person.’ an emergency happened on That was a choice that was a plane. hard for me. I enjoy teaching – Teacher Deb Greene “At the end of the day, I so I didn’t want to do it.” think about the airplanes,” she says.

Greene, who doesn’t have kids of her “We gotta take care of ourselves first own, says that the notion of feeling stuck and then take care of the kids or people with limited options is something she’s around you.” heard from other teachers. And for those And despite the difficult year and a that have their own kids, she says teachhalf that she’s had, Greene says she had ers are feeling burnt out. some great experiences.

“We keep getting more put on our During an end-of-year slideshow, plates and we aren’t seeing more money one of her students told her she was in our wallets,” Greene says. “Last year, “her role model” and when she told my raise was $3 per month. And on top her eighth graders that she would be of content, the big push this year which I teaching them in high school too, they agree with, was to take on more of social clapped in excitement. Those are the emotional wellbeing of our students, but moments she teaches for, she says.

I think that some of the people who are “It was just such a fulfilling feeling,” making these decisions aren’t thinking she says. Every year I look for moments about the social emotional wellbeing of that make the whole year worthwhile our teachers.” and last year I got two of them.”

For her mental health, Greene says she’s been practicing more yoga and Learn more about Guilford County Schools’ meditating. She has also had to learn to mental health support for students at gcsnc. set hard boundaries for herself. com/Page/26779. For Winston-Salem/ “My main thing is to demand me Forsyth County Schools, visit wsfcs.k12.nc.us/ time,” Greene says. “Put it down. Stop at Page/785.

5 even if it’s not done…. I think espe-

T

EDITORIAL

Race, 2020 Census and our new nation

T

t took an extra year for the and political dominance in the country for decennial United States Census its entire existence, the US has never been to come out. And in the time nation of white people. It has, however, between the numbers were been majority white in population since calculated — April 1, 2020 — and now, the beginning. That lead in raw numbers a global pandemic has spurred a great dropped even as the overall population internal migration in the country, so grew by 7.4 percent — small by Census state-by-state data is flawed. But it’s still standards — to 331.5 million. our best shot at figuring out who lives in White people now make up less than 60 this country, how many of us there are and percent of the country for the first time what our lives might look like, extrapoever, dropping from 63.7 percent in 2010 lated form hard geographic, demographic to 53.8 percent. This change is reflected and economic data. in the Triad: Forsyth County It’s important because the went from 58.7 percent Census becomes a bluewhite-only to 54.4 percent, This, of course, print for policy, dictating while Guilford, which was allocations of representa54.3 percent white-only in is exactly what tives, resources and other 2010, is now 47.2 percent the white pieces of benevolence form white-only, making the the federal government. county majority non-white supremacists The Census itself is for the first time ever. are afraid of. not political, but it can be North Carolina, which was politicized.

65.3 percent white in 2010, It’s noteworthy and posiis now 60.5 percent white. tive that North Carolina gained enough This, of course, is exactly what the white population to add one House seat, one supremacists are afraid of, but fighting of five states that did so, and Texas, which against the racial changes in our country gained two. Seven states — California, Illiis akin to fighting gravity, or battling the nois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylocean tides. vania and West Virginia — lost one of their The most significant change in racial House seats after losing population. data concerned Americans of two or But the most interesting data concerns more races, which in 2010 measured just 9 race. million people. Now 33.8 million AmeriDespite what our history books and cans identify as such, an increase of 276 popular culture depict, and their cultural percent.

AUG. 19—25, 2021 | OPINION

OPINION

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CULTURE | AUG. 19—25, 2021

Culture

‘A place where no one feels ashamed’: Curvy Fox plussize boutique aims to offer variety for W-S shoppers

by Nicole Zeniker

R

ecently, Phyllis Westerlund found a navy blue dress with polkadots that she really liked at Lane Bryant, but for $89.95.

As a single mom, she says she cannot afford to drop $90 on dresses all the time, a regular occurrence as a plussized woman with few options. She says this experience got her thinking about what she herself could do to change the market.

“I looked at several places and there was nothing that really appealed to me or that I could afford,” said Westerlund.

“Even though I’m 45, I still want to dress trendy. I started thinking about it and realizing there wasn’t anywhere for me to shop except a few chains.”

Westerlund reached out to her friend Coral Crook to ask if she would be interested in opening a plus-size boutique, and Crook jumped on the opportunity.

Neither had seen anything like this in Winston-Salem, and both had experienced a need for it as plus-size women themselves.

Together, they started the Curvy Fox Boutique, which they hope to have a storefront for by November. Currently, they do not yet sell clothing, but use Facebook to gather a following and showcase their merchandise with the live feature.

In the interim, Westerlund and Crook have been working on things like figuring out how to pay taxes on a business, buying the appropriate equipment and decorating the store.

Few stores cater to plus-size women, even though nearly 70 percent of women wear clothing size 14 and up in the United States, a statistic cited by a number of outlets. Alchemy Market Research found that the plus-size market was worth more than $181 billion in 2019.

Additionally, last year Statistica reported that 22 percent of millennials — currently the largest generational market in the United States — prefer shopping from brands that specifically include plus-size models. Still, few retailers have plus-size

COURTESY PHOTO

Phyllis Westerlund wants to wear more cute shirts, but says she has a hard time finding clothes in her size.

options at all, and the ones that do have few of them and tend to keep them in the back of their stores.

“We want a place where no one feels ashamed,” said Westerlund. “We’re all built different, and we know that.”

They have gotten overwhelming positive feedback in advance of their official opening, everywhere from the moms in the Forsyth Girl Scouts troop to their Facebook group, which has nearly 200 likes. The comments are full of women expressing their excitement about finally having a place to shop.

“Many of them have said there’s nowhere else,” said Westerlund. “They’re really glad something like this is finally coming to Winston. A lot of women are excited to be in a place where they don’t have just one rack in the back.”

Learn more about the Curvy Fox Boutique on their Facebook page. Westerlund and Crook will be hosting a Facebook live to show off some of the purchases they made in Atlanta on Aug. 24.

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Westerlund is a teacher and a single mom, while Crook is a stay-at-home mom to two teenage daughters. They have vastly different styles: Westerlund says her friend is more into hair, makeup and animal prints while Westerlund just wants to wear cute shirts.

But this has been an advantage when it comes to buying different items for their store. Just last week, the two women were in Atlanta at a AmericasMart to tour a collection of showrooms and order pieces for their store.

“We have very different aesthetics, so between the two of us we’ve got some beautiful, beautiful pieces coming in,” said Westerlund.

While their Atlanta trip was fun and productive, it was also frustrating at times. Not all stores carried plus size clothing, and the ones that did were often too expensive or poor quality. Westerlund says one store specifically stood out in her mind, one she said was maybe 200 square feet. It stood out because in all that space, there was just one rack of plus-size clothing.

with Dr. Blair Wisco at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro

WE’RE EXAMINING: emotional and physical reactions to memories of stressful or traumatic experiences.

YOU MUST BE: •Age 18 or older •Able to read and write in English THE BASICS: •5 visits to our lab within 2 weeks •$150 total compensation

WHAT YOU’LL DO: •Interviews and questionnaires (3 hour visit) •Monitor your bodily reactions while you think of past experiences (2 hour visit) •Wear a cardiac monitor and answer questions on a tablet computer on 3 days (30 min set-up per day)

AUG. 19—25, 2021 | CULTURE

PARTICIPATE IN OUR RESEARCH

WANT TO SEE IF YOU’RE ELIGIBLE?

CONTACT US TO GET STARTED! You will be asked to complete screening questions online and over the phone.

Email or call us to get more information and be directed to the online survey.

Or, scan the QR code to take you straight there.

Dr. Blair Wisco - UNCG

copelab@uncg.edu

COURTESY PHOTO

Coral Crook says she has an easier time finding cute clothing for her older daughter compared to her younger one, who is curvier.

“It was really overwhelming and daunting at times,” said Crook. “We can’t walk in and spend $100 on a dress, but obviously we don’t want our customers to come in and buy something that falls apart on first wash.”

Both women say they are motivated by their daughters. Westerlund says she has trouble buying clothing for her 18-year-old daughter, who is also plus-size, and Crook says she is able to find much cuter clothing for her older daughter, who is 15, than her curvier 14-yearold.

“There’s a lot more trendy things I can find for my older daughter,” said Crook. “The designers live in this world of skinny models and they forget that there are thicker women out there.

“Most of our friends are considered plus-size,” Crook continued. “It’s really an untapped market because of the way society views plus-size people in general. I just feel like every woman should go into a store and leave feeling beautiful and attractive.”

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SHOT IN THE TRIAD | AUG. 19—25, 2021

SHOT IN THE TRIAD

West Cornwallis Drive, Greensboro

CAROLYN DE BERRY

Greensboro summer break, we won’t forget you. Scene from the Greensboro Elks Lodge #602.

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Across

‘Spuh Day’— or is it schwa day?

by Matt Jones

1 Raises, as children 6 “___ Paradise” (“Weird Al” Yankovic song) 11 Acad. or univ.

14 Former inmate 15 Expensive drive in Beverly Hills 16 Nail polish target 17 Billy Idol song about Italian ice cream?

19 Gp. with many specialists 20 BLT ingredient 21 Jotted down 23 Manipulates 24 Repair bill item 27 Terrier treaters 28 Part of a desk set 29 1977 American League MVP Rod © 2021 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) 30 Personnel group 31 Bits 32 Succeeded at an escape room 33 Commercial photo source that’s only for pasta pics?

37 “Catch-22” author 38 Core 39 Acrylic fiber brand 40 Turn to God? 41 Psychological org.

44 Gas station still available in Canada 45 “___ do everything myself?”

Answers from last issue 46 “Back in the ___” (Beatles song) 47 You can’t make a silk purse out of it, it’s said 13 Call center equipment 49 Anti-allergy brand 18 On or earlier (than) 51 Hex- ender 22 James Cameron movie that outgrossed 52 Boxing match with a Dutch philosopher “Titanic” and ethicist?

25 “I smell ___!”

55 California NBA team, on a scoreboard 26 Closer-than-close friends 56 Lacking fruit on the bottom, e.g.

29 “Famous Blue Raincoat” singer Leonard 57 Italy’s largest lake 30 Former FBI director James 58 Capital of Liberia?

31 Arctic homes 59 Gossipmonger 32 Cocktail with lemon juice and soda 60 Actor Williams of “Happy Days” 33 Vans may get a deep discount here 34 Kind of pronoun Down 35 First part of a Shakespeare title 1 Get plenty of sleep 36 Quick doc. signature 2 Reveal, as a secret 40 Fruit banned on Singapore subways 3 Insight 41 Fur-fortune family 4 Some 20-Acrosses 42 Fake prefix?

5 Obnoxious brat 43 Certain inverse trig function 6 Jackie’s husband #2 45 Canada’s official tree 7 Mid-May honoree 46 Rural opposite 8 Comment from someone who changed their 48 Notice from afar mind after an epiphany 50 Baba ___ (witch of folklore) 9 Title with a tilde 53 Annual coll. basketball contest 10 “Joy to the World” songwriter Axton 54 Words before whim or dime 11 Alaskan Malamute or Boston Terrier, e.g.

12 What dreams may do

SUDOKU

AUG. 19—25, 2021 | PUZZLES

CROSSWORD

©2021 Jonesin’ Crosswords

(editor@jonesincrosswords.com)

Answers from previous publication.

If you read

then you know...

• The plight of gamer girls.

• How yoga can be used for abolition.

• Where to find locally made sourdough.

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