Co-Editors-in-Chief
Melanie Frick and Megan Wise Managing Editor
BluePrints is the official magazine of Cedar Shoals High School. Published opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of anyone other than the staff and individual writers.
BluePrints is a student-led newsmagazine published for the Cedar Shoals community to enjoy as well as to educate student journalists. Each issue is an open public forum for student expression under the guidance of a faculty adviser.
The BluePrints staff is committed to reflect the mission statement set forth by CSHS. The staff’s goals are to provide fair, accurate news and commentaries, as well as to serve the interests of the school and Athens community.
Advertising must conform to the guidelines set forth for editorials. Publication of advertisements does not indicate an endorsement by CSHS or by BluePrints.
Students pictured in advertisements are not given monetary compensation. All advertising rates are available upon request from any BluePrints staff member.
BluePrints is a member of the Georgia Scholastic Press Association and the Southern Interscholastic Press Association. Corrections of errors and omissions will appear in the next issue. Submit letters to the editor to: cedarblueprints@gmail.com.
An improved environment
Iwanted to write a letter concerning Cedar this school year. The school is getting better since last year when I was a freshman and I couldn’t really experience school the way I wanted because the hallways were always crowded and fights happened nearly every Wednesday during advisement. There are students including myself that needed the time to work on assignments and needed that free time during advisement. But entering my sophomore year, I was surprised during the first few weeks, and the school has changed in so many ways. Dr. Utevia Tolbert has made Cedar a better place to learn and to be in. I’m glad she became part of the Jaguar nation even if we feel like the dress code for girls and the two passes a week isn’t right. Right now students feel safe coming to school knowing we have a lot of support from teachers, counselors and other administrators. I was unsure that everything was going great, but it kind of feels something like “High School Musical” now, including the pep rally we had right before the homecoming game: the best first pep-rally in decades.
- K’Viah Davis, sophomoreI’m not sure how long it’s been since there has been a renovation done to the school, but I and many others feel like there should be. For example, the restrooms. The boys’ restrooms are absolutely disgusting. There are toilets and urinals that aren’t in the right place, they leak water when flushed and some of the stalls are missing doors leading to no privacy. I understand the students should be held accountable for the things done to the restrooms, but the school should also take some accountability and make sure the school is up to date. These things do take a ton of time and planning, but some necessities should be put in place like the stalls or working sinks.
- Alex Garcia Munoz, sophomore
A note from the editors of “The Little Blue Book”
Submit your letter to the editor to cedarblueprints@gmail.com to be considered for our next edition.
The literary arts section (pages 44-47) of this BluePrints issue represents our new literary arts magazine “The Little Blue Book.” This section features two short stories written by the LBB editors. Our pieces center on the theme “mothers,” which is emphasized by two short stories and art that displays twisted mother and daughter relationships. Originally inspired by the discontinued “Mosaic” literary magazine, we want to bring the Cedar Shoals student-led art magazine back to life.
The first LBB will be released at the end of the spring semester. Throughout the school year we will be gathering as much work as we can from the student body so that students can dig deeper into their creative abilities and get them published.
Themes will vary in future volumes, but the first theme we decided on is “memory.” A very broad topic, “memory” will contain sub themes that include childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. The theme does not have to be followed perfectly. It is just the aes thetic, but it is encouraged.
We highly encourage students to submit and participate in the literary magazine for social and artistic benefits. Students can flex their art and journalistic skills, as well as use exemplars to spread the word of art and writing through the Cedar community. We feel that hav ing this literary arts magazine will be beneficial for students because it gives them a chance to have their artwork and writing recognized. Even though students might be hesitant to showcase their work, we know that it will be appreciated in every unique way. All submissions will include a byline and be credited to the writer or artist.
Through our own work, we know how relieving it is to be able to express ourselves through creative pieces. Whether it be art, writing, photography or anything else, being able to do something that displays who we are as people to others is always fun. Being able to take so many personalities and organize them into one literary magazine is exciting, and we hope to feature a diverse representation of our school community.
Please help us to bring the literary arts magazine back to life at Cedar Shoals. Interested students can email littlebluebookmag@gmail. com or DM @littlebluebooklitmag on Instagram. We will also hold an interest meeting in the Cedar Shoals library during advisement on Nov. 16, answering any questions people may have and going further into the world of literary arts magazines. We hope to see you there!
-Ava Maddox and Mallory Huntsman, seniorsWe want to hear from you!
he Roe v. Wade court case was filed by “Jane Roe” against Texas District attorney Henry Wade when she wanted an illegal abortion in Texas in 1973, but this summer, the U.S. Supreme Court voted to overturn the case which could drasti cally change the lives of all women in the U.S.
The Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case protected women’s right to abortion for 49 years until the Supreme Court decided in a 7-2 decision that abortion bans were unconstitutional under the 14th amendment which guarantees the “right to privacy.”
On June 24 with Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court over turned Roe v. Wade in a 5-4 decision, using its power to remove women’s rights regarding their own bodies. The decision enacted trigger laws in multiple states and has given many more states the chance to enact restrictive bans.
Trigger laws came into effect as soon as Roe v. Wade was overturned. Alabama’s House bill HB314, or the “Human Life Protection Act,” prohibits performing or attempting to perform an abortion for “an unborn child in utero at any stage of development.” Oklahoma’s SB612 has similar restrictions and made it a felony for anyone to perform an abortion but not to receive one. In these cases, the punishment for abortions falls on the medical provider, placing extra moral pressure on women when choosing whether or not to get an abortion because someone else could be pun ished for their decision.
The reversal of Roe v. Wade tightens restric tions on multiple aspects of women’s health and the medical field in general. The drug methotrex ate, which can be used to treat ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages, is a common drug used to treat arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn’s disease and other autoimmune diseases and has been increasingly difficult to get in states already applying abortion restrictions. This medication is not used in med ication abortions but is still being restricted be cause of its connection with ending pregnancies.
In Texas, pharmacists now decide whether or not to fill prescriptions for medications like methotrexate and misoprostol that can perform abortions or facilitate miscarriages. This gives
pharmacists the opportunity to choose who can receive the medication they need. Methotrexate is being restricted for people with chronic pain, showing our government’s oversight regarding health. People with chronic conditions were put on the back burner because of the possibility that these medications could be used for purposes that some people in power disagree with.
Abortion laws can be quite confusing. Georgia’s law, House Bill 481 (the heartbeat law) was signed by Governor Brian Kemp in May 2019. However, in June 2020 it was found unconstitutional under Roe v. Wade. After Roe v. Wade was overturned the heartbeat law was immediately reenacted.
The heartbeat law mandates that abortions can be performed up until fetal cardiac activity can be detected — with very limited excep tions, most notably if the pregnancy is a threat to the moth er’s life. The other main exception is if the pregnancy is a result of incest or rape, but this exception only applies if a police report has been filed.
This exception becomes faulty in cases of domestic violence and other cases where it’s unsafe for women to file police reports. These exceptions also imply that women should be able to carry a baby in any other case, even if they cannot physically, emotionally or financially support a child. These exceptions also allow restrictions in some cases but not others. This gray area shows the ability of the government to pick and choose when women are worthy of having a choice in their future.
Many other states have also started enforcing strict bans on abortion access. Texas, Mississip pi, Missouri and several others have outlawed it without the six week period of availability. Most of these states include similar exceptions, but the Su preme Court decided not to make the exceptions mandatory.
Art by Ava MaddoxGeorgia House Bill 481 also established unborn children as “natural persons.” Section 3, of the bill reads “Unless otherwise provided by law, any natural person, including an unborn child with a detectable human heartbeat, shall be included in population based determinations.”
This language raises the question of if women are valued the same as the contents of their uterus. If a pregnant woman is carrying another legal person, why is their future being valued the same or less than the future of the cells growing inside them? Having a child changes the course of a woman’s life, and this change gives women less control over the decisions of their future.
If unborn babies are given the rights guar
should be guaranteed the necessary resources to support these babies. The U.S. guarantees 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave for employees of companies that have 50 or more employees, but only 12% of Americans actually get paid parental leave. Parents are being forced to have children, but they aren’t given the money, time and other resources to keep them alive and healthy.
No one is ever sure if they will need an abor tion in the future or if a planned pregnancy will end up unsafe. The entire course of women’s lives can and will be changed based on a decision made by five individuals, only one of them having a uterus.
t a young age I dreamed about getting older and imagined a life of perfection. As I got older, I realized that if I wanted the perfect life I had imagined, I have to put in the effort everyday into everything I com plete, big or small.
Meile Staff Writer
Athens Montessori School (AMS) taught me the skills I need in order to work toward this dream.
I spent 10 years at AMS in the same community with the same people who have supported me for all that time. When I graduated it felt like I was leaving a part of me behind.
The saying “you never know how much some thing means to you until you lose it” captures the way I felt after I graduated from AMS, leaving everything I’d known behind.
Now at Cedar Shoals, it feels like I’m in a sum mer camp just waiting to go back to AMS. At the beginning I tried to pretend nothing was wrong, that I could push through and meet new people, but there’s still a longing to be back at AMS.
The environments at these two schools are extremely different in so many ways, but in the end they’re both schools, trying their best to help the students.
AMS separated students into small buildings for each grade, and we learned in the same room with the same 20-30 people every day. At Cedar, I cannot always receive as much one-on-one time with teachers because of class sizes. The high school block schedule is also stressful compared to the pace at AMS which was much slower.
Though it may seem shocking, AMS students call their teachers by their first names. Because of this my classmates and I made it a goal of ours to figure out teachers’ last names, but now at Cedar it’s a goal of mine to figure out teachers’ first names.
At AMS there was never much pressure on grade percentages until seventh grade, which is not beneficial to me now at Cedar. I put more pressure on myself now to understand the grading rubric. At AMS, I was
taught more about learning skills like time manage ment and how to improve on my work which has been extremely helpful moving into the fast pace of the block schedule.
AMS had very few tests up until seventh grade, including the basic math, spelling and standardized testing. Seventh grade is when we started taking tests regularly, completing math quizzes almost every week, while finishing spelling or etymology tests each Friday.
In transitioning schools, it has been difficult for me to make new friends and balance school work. Though I made the most amazing and memora ble friends at AMS, I missed out on forming new relationships at Hilsman Middle School that would then come with me to Cedar Shoals.
Instead of having all my middle school class mates come with me to Cedar, our graduating class split between Central, Cedar, and private schools.
There are moments where I wished I had trans ferred to Hilsman earlier and met new people, but I’ve come to realize how much I appreciate staying at AMS. Though we now all go to separate schools, I have somehow stayed connected with former classmates, and I’m grateful for the time we still make to hang out.
I also remain grateful for my friendship with my former classmate Sophia. We became closer last year, and we spent Mondays and Fridays in after care together. We spent every minute of aftercare learning card tricks, talking about life, reading, drawing and doing homework together. She helped me realize what type of person I want to be and helped me achieve that. Without her I would be an extremely different person. AMS helped me nurture
this friendship by letting us work together in class and providing an hour each day to hang out on the playground.
Aftercare mixed students from fourth to eighth grade together daily after school. While some stu dents my age might not like younger kids, I adore them. The time I spent in aftercare with a variety of ages has shown me how much I took advantage of the time I had when I was younger. I never knew how fast time went by when I was younger, but I realize it now.
Now at Cedar I don’t spend two hours after school. I now have time to join clubs and partake in activities that I enjoy such as the Georgia Chil dren’s Chorus and the K.A. Artist Shop’s art club downtown.
Cedar has been a rollercoaster of an experience for me with grades and learning. Trying to keep up with the teachers and taking notes was difficult enough for me in a small private school, but at Cedar it’s become more demanding.
To say the least, the transition has been difficult, but the community at Cedar Shoals has been a rallying support system. I’ve had trouble with scheduling, making friends and grades. But now, in the third month of being at Cedar, I think I’m finally starting to realize what a special place it is. Though I will always miss Athens Montessori and all of the experiences and people I was able to learn from and meet, I’m finally excited to be in the middle of a new chapter of my life at Cedar Shoals High School.
y the time that I was old enough to fully understand what it meant to have skin that differs in color from my friends, I had already been be rated with racist and colorist comments from my classmates.
Imagine that: a kid who is not simply Black or white but instead Black and white being told by his classmates that he doesn’t fit in with either party.
As I’ve traversed the complicated maze that is the education system, I’ve been attacked with racist and colorist comments from peers of all races that have tainted my memories of school. Phrases like “You don’t act Black’’ or “You’re only half black, you don’t really count” have been used time and time again to invalidate my identity and to excuse the deep rooted ignorance and hate ful actions of my peers.
Years of this persecution left me feel ing “Too Black for the white kids and too white for the Black kids.” From one end of the spectrum I was bombarded with racist comments or “jokes” and from the oth
er I was ostracized because of my lighter complexion. Wandering between two places where I was either unhappy or unwanted, I had a decision to make: continue to fight for acceptance or go where I am welcome at my own expense.
Settling for the latter, I expected the actions of my classmates would change as we matured, but even now as they hop on the train of whatever social justice movement is most popular at the time, their behaviors often remain unchanged. Social media posts and words of solidarity mean nothing if your actions in person do not align with them.
In the last two weeks alone I’ve been at tacked with the same style of awful offhand comments numerous times, but two instanc es bother me most.
The first of the two came about in a con versation regarding cultural appropriation. After I voiced my opinion on the specifics of the conversation I was refuted by a Black classmate using the words “You’re half racist because you’re half white.” Instead of argu ing over our contrasting views, they chose to use my race to attack me and pass off my opinion as invalid.
The second and exponentially worse of the two stemmed from a conversation about how I ran into an old classmate who was known for his controversial opinions and
actions.
I mentioned the fact that I saw said class mate to a “friend” and they replied, “Oh? Did he chase you around with a noose while wearing a pillowcase on his head?” Our conversation stopped there as I walked away upset and exhausted from the countless times I’ve suffered through encounters like this.
I’ve become desensitized to behavior like this. I’m angry that I’ve had so many racist encounters that they hardly phase me now. I’m upset that in a world where so much progress has been made towards equality for people of all races and ethnicities there is still so much deep rooted ignorance and hostility toward people of color.
Although a handful of my peers have apologized for their past actions, this form of injustice is a hydra. For every apology issued, there are two more offhand com ments coming. Just as I wish for closure and healing for those with experiences like mine, I wish nothing but growth and enlighten ment for my peers who are still stuck in their abhorrent ways.
There’s no clear solution to the problems I have mentioned here, but I believe people can begin by being conscious and aware of their actions and how they impact the people around them.
as the 2022 midterm election quickly approaches voters are presented with the decision between incumbent Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams for Georgia Governor. Kemp is a Republican from Athens who has served as gov ernor since January 2019. Abrams is a Democrat who served as a Georgia State Representative for 10 years. The midterms also include the U.S. sen
ator race between incumbent Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker. A Democrat, Warnock has served as U.S. Senator since January 2021 and was elected in a special election runoff. His opponent, Walker, a Heisman trophy winner at the Univer sity of Georgia and former NFL running back, is a Republican from Wrightsville and has been endorsed by former President Donald J. Trump.
Election day Nov. 8 will prove to be eventful as Georgians decide between these candidates and their differing views on education, abortion, gun control, immigration and law enforcement. Many students will be voting for the first time on Nov. 8, and being informed allows one to make the best decision in the voting booth.
Abrams advocates for women and families’ right to choose and hopes to improve access to reproductive healthcare
Wants to work to repeal gun access laws but says she supports the second amendment
Abrams wants to mobilize more education by providing more money to students as well as raising teacher salaries
Wants to expand mental health support in law enforcement while raising the base salary
As governor, Kemp passed the heartbeat bill, banning abortions after fetal cardiac activity is present
Kemp has worked to make concealed carrying legal throughout the state even without a license
Kemp opposes Critical Race Theory and wants to empower parents to challenge unwantedtopics in schools. He also raised teacher salaries as governor
Does not support defunding the police and signed a bill that would prevent cutting police funding by more than 5% each year
Abrams aims to keep families together and grant more access to DREAMers
Kemp wants to “put Georgia first” and crack down on illegal immigration
Warnock supports choice and believes that the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is a “departure from American ideals”
Advocates for gun control and supports legislation that would shut down loopholes in gun laws
Warnock supports small businesses, especially minority-owned ones, and opposes tax breaks that primarily benefit the rich
Walker supports a complete national ban on abortion without exceptions including rape, incest, or health risks to the mother
Walker emphasizes the second amendment and says that the constitution is “non negotiable”
A Black business owner, Walker is adamant about keeping businesses alive, lowering taxes and reducing “government red tape”
Warnock wants to “reimag ine the relationship” with communities and police
Walker thinks it is “ridiculous” to defund the police and wants to provide them with full support
Warnock advocates for immigra tion reform and emphasizes keeping families together. He wants to combat discrimination against immigrants and give people the “American dream”
Walker attributes the influx of drugs, crime and human trafficking to illegal immigration. He wants to secure the American borders
U.S., language education starts much later. A 2017 study from the Commission on Language Learning found that only 15% of public elementary schools in the United States offered language programs that weren’t English, while in Europe, data from 2018 showed that most students began studying a for eign language at school between the ages of six and nine. In Clarke County School District, I did not have a foreign language class until middle school. Even then, I had to take Spanish, a language I was already fluent in, because no other languages were offered.
education and business, monolingual U.S. citizens do not view learning another language with the same importance as the rest of the world. In a 2016 Pew Research survey, only 36% of Americans viewed learning a foreign language as an important trait to be successful in today’s economy.
Directoror the first few years of my life the only language I spoke was Spanish. I grew up in the U.S., but my parents are both from Argentina and we have always spoken Spanish at home. When I started school, I had to learn English. For so many others like me in the U.S. whose first language isn’t English, learning to speak it isn’t a choice, it’s simply something they have to do.
But for most monolingual students in the U.S. learning another language is hardly a priority.
I have many friends who get straight A’s in their Spanish classes but can barely speak the language. Students with monolingual upbringings in the U.S. see the languages they’re learning as academic and not as a way to communicate with others. In 2021, Preply, a language e-learning plat form, surveyed 1,078 Ameri cans about their foreign language education. 31% of respondents said they had only learned a foreign language because schools required it.
I have taken both French and Spanish classes at school. In these classes, grammar and vocabulary have always been the main focus, rarely actually talking. While I understand that these language classes are mostly beginner, as a bilingual person, I believe that without actually speaking the language while simultaneously learn ing grammar and vocabulary, it is very difficult to become fluent.
While teachers have always attempted to incor porate speaking into the class, the way our entire education system approaches learning languages is just not geared toward actual fluency. It’s geared towards passing tests and passing the class.
I visit Argentina with my family every year, and the majority of my friends there have been learning English since they started school. However in the
Statistics from the 2018 Eurostat database show that 92% of European students were learning a second language in school. In the United States, where most school districts only offer languages after elementary school, reports from the Ameri can Councils for International Education showed that only 20% of students were enrolled in foreign language classes. While it is possible to learn languages at a later age, starting early places more emphasis on the importance of learning a second language.
English has become such a global language. For people in other countries, learning English is important in a much broader context than just for school. Learning English is seen as necessary for success. My cousin in Argentina is only three years old and enrolled at a bilingual school, yet my aunt constantly worries about her not being able to speak English.
Since English has become more globalized in
I can say confidently that my friends in non-En glish speaking countries can speak English better than my English speaking friends here can speak foreign languages. This is partly due to the differ ences in language education and in part because of the role English plays in their lives.
Many people in non-English speaking countries use English to communicate with other people through the internet, or they interact with English media in ways that Americans don’t interact with media in foreign languages. While still learning English at school, students in other countries receive an added dimension to their learning that is completely unrelated to school. In contrast, with American students not interacting with new languages outside of an academic setting, students lose opportunities to communicate with actual people, leading to a flat, unexciting and purely academic way of looking at languages.
A larger focus on actual communication in any language is crucial for improving language education. Studies by the Com mission on Language Learning have shown international study abroad and cultural immersion programs to be beneficial for language learning, but these programs are not always accessible or a possible investment for many schools and students. Instead, U.S. schools could shift toward smaller-scale programs for students to speak with native speakers in the language, having students interact with more media in the language or simply just talk more in class.
I don’t know how to completely fix the flawed system that is our language education, but I do believe that a change in approach — from teachers, school systems and broader curriculums — could encourage monolingual students to learn languages for more than just academics, ultimately changing the way they view both language and the world.
As Toby Bolton ran after his dog through the park, he caught the eye of a former football coach who approached him and asked him if he was interested in playing football.
“I told him no and my mother said that she couldn’t afford it, but the coach offered to pay for my expenses,” Bolton said. “During my first little league game I scored my first play, so that’s when I knew football would be the thing for me.”
When Bolton was younger he had many dreams, but once he started play ing football they changed.
“Once I started playing football it was my dream to go to the NFL. I’m gonna be rich, and I’m going to buy my mom ma a house,” Bolton said.
In middle school, however, Bolton’s goals were not as clear. It took being confronted by a close family member to lead him to a decision.
“I didn’t really take it 100% — still didn’t know if I wanted to play or not. Starting my freshman year of high school my uncle came up to me and asked if I wanted to take football seriously. I had to think about it and I eventually told him
I did. He put me in training for more practice. That’s what got me to the best version of myself,” Bolton said.
Now at the peak of his senior year, Bolton balances his football career, aca demics and his personal life.
“Having a great work ethic gives me a drive to shape me into having a flow with school work and to stay on top of things so it doesn’t stress me out much,” Bolton said.
Like anyone, Bolton admits that he finds moments of disappoint ment, but he has learned to use them as motiva tion for improve ment.
“It happens mainly when I don’t have a good game or I’m just
practicing to the point I don’t see any progress, but I push myself to the point I can get past it and change things to see progress by staying consistent,” Bolton said.
Head football coach Leroy Ryals sees how Bolton’s work ethic pays off both individually and for the team.
“He’s been driven and known what he’s wanted to do since day one. I’m overall glad about Toby’s offer. He can get where he wants to be with expenses covered,” Ryals said.
Bolton fielded three college offers from Anderson University, Furman University and his Division I offer from Tennessee Tech University. Bolton chose Tennessee Tech over the summer to commit early and have his life already set after high school graduation. When he visited the school, he was only attending a junior day and he did not expect to be leaving with an official scholarship offer.
“I didn’t know I was going to come out with my D-I offer the same day,” Bolton said. “My reaction when I got it was me just questioning if this is really real? Is this the process? I just kept telling myself ‘don’t get too comfortable because this isn’t where the road ends.’ Just because
JUMP
“It
you got an offer dont mean it’s over,” Bolton said.
True to his work ethic, Bolton aims to finish high school in strong academic standing to still be successful with or without a college football career.
“I’m going to do what I can to succeed in my dream with the athlet ic part but my main goal is getting my education: getting the degree in business and management and at the end of the day school is school. Football won’t always have me so I need to make sure I have something to fall back on,” Bolton said.
Bolton’s mother Brandi Parrot has been by his side through it all. She loves watching Bolton grow and continue living his dreams.
“From the time Toby was younger, he has just lightened up with football. Being a single mother I can tell Toby has gotten many features of me and it inspires me every
day to continue to support him in his dreams,” Parrot said.
Playing both offense and defense this season, Bolton is showing success on
both sides of the field as running back, wide reciever and defensive back. He has totaled up 40 tackles, five pass break ups, three interceptions, two fumbles forced, three tackles for loss, and one rushing and receiving touchdown each. More importantly, Bolton re mains grateful for his opportu nity, wanting others to be encouraged by his story.
“Anybody else out there that feels like it’s a long process just trust the process and do everything you can do that will lead you in the right path. Just stay patient, consis tent and focus and the time will come,” Bolton said.
“When
During my first little league game I scored my first play, so that’s when I knew foot ball would be the thing for me.
-Toby Bolton
“ “BALL: Toby Bolton jumps in front of Waters-Wilkins Stadium for a posed photograph. He expressed how excited he was for the opportunity to play Division I college football. feels so unreal. I never thought I’d even be talked about the way I am. It’s an indescribable feeling,” Bolton said. Photo by Kylie Toney.
Whether it’s running three miles, building a rope bridge, completing an obstacle course or doing cross country rescue, the Cedar Shoals High School Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) raider team is improving in all areas.
“We’ve been doing really well, the females have been finishing first and second place in our com petitions and we are in the top two in our area,” senior Genesis Moreno said.
The Cedar raider team is split into a female team, a male team, and a mixed team. The teams compete every Saturday from September through October. Un fortunately the annual home meet scheduled for Oct. 1 was canceled because of Hurricane Ian.
“The hardest is when it rains,” junior Nayla Villafana said. “Ev erything is slippery and it’s hard to stand still. When it’s hot you just get tired really easily.”
The raider team is not only adjusting to weather but also to the new instructor, Master Sgt. David Croft.
“It was a lot of them adapting to us and us adapting to them and with the way they wanted to do things,” Moreno said. “He was so used to being with males and so coming here with females and trying to coach females was hard but we all figured it out and we all work well together.”
Croft, who previously worked at Riverside Military Academy, decided to come to Cedar after being impressed by how previous raider
competitions were run on campus.
“Cedar was probably one of the best meets I went to in the past two years. Last year the car
show was also going on so it was really crowded, but everything went smoothly and it was just unbelievable how organized and detailed they were,” Croft said. “When I saw an opening I was like ‘Cedar is where I need to be because they got it going on.’”
Raider competitions have five events and the team with lowest total points wins. Points are related to the rankings in each event: first place is one point, second place is two points, third is three and so on.
Competitions mean a full day of activity. Last ing from anywhere between six to nine hours, the teams are constantly moving around with little breaks.
“Raider challenges you to think outside the box and strategize in order to have the best per formance at the competitions,” senior Fernando Somilleda Bravo said. “It shows you discipline and helps you improve your mind and strengthen your body.”
Each of the teams is made up of 10-14 students with one leader. Moreno is the leader for the female team and senior Nicolas Rico-Ar royo captains the male team.
“Nic is an exceptional athlete, he’s been doing it for several years and same with Genesis. That’s why they were picked to lead,” Croft said.
The mixed team is led by three students: Villafana, senior Josue Martinez and sophomore Marilyn Burgos.
“Nayla was picked for her leader ship and athletic ability. Marilyn is very strong. She did ultimate raider last year and she did really well in several of the events. Josue came to all the summer and training
practices and has worked really hard and has improved 110%,” Croft said. “The mixed team is mainly made up of underclassmen, so one of their main struggles is inexperience, but they’ve been doing really well.”
Being a leader of the raider team requires a commitment to always being encouraging and responsible both during competitions and in the classroom.
“I have to make sure everyone is on top of things, showing up to practice and keeping good grades,” Villafana said. “I also have to make the teams for each event.”
Moreno is also the Battalion Commander, the top ranking student leader for JROTC. She says she constantly has eyes on her.
“I have to be an example always, no matter what around the cadets,” Moreno said. “It’s very stressful and sometimes you just have to loosen
physical team test
10 team members must compete and test their individual and team agility, strength, balance and stamina.
rope bridge
10 team members must contruct and travel across a rope bridge.
up, but it’s fun because you get to have a friendship with all the people around you.”
Raider competitions challenge physical strength, and while each team shows great improvement with this as the season continues, sometimes the bigger issues are mental ones.
“I feel like self doubt might be the hardest thing during competitions because sometimes self doubt gets to your mind too much and then you don’t keep pushing yourself,” Villanana said.
Despite all the mental and physical chal leneges, for Moreno, being a part of raider has brought a sense of accomplishment.
“I continue to compete because I love how it feels, the adrenaline and feeling I get from working hard feels good to me,” Moreno said. “The team work and the way you push yourself past your limits, and being able to see how you are capable of anything that you put your mind to makes the sport valuable.”
Somilleda Bravo impulsively joined the raider team because he saw the community they inspire, and he has never looked back.
“I’ve gotten the chance to meet some cool people and make memories with them,”
Somilleda Bravo said. “The competitions can be challenging at times but it’s always fun to go out there and bring home some trophies.”
Although the teams continue to place first and second at competitions, they will not be attending nationals.
“The instructors have to pay for nationals in May, before the season even starts,” Moreno said. “They have to estimate if it’s going to be a good team or not, and we didn’t know how many people we were going to have.”
Raider has not competed at nationals since 2020, but Croft hopes to bring the teams to nationals within the next two years.
“My goal for the raider team is to get to nationals and win a national championship for Cedar,” Croft said. “I have no doubt that they can do it; I think they deserve to be on the national scene.”
cross couuntry rescue
10 team members must run one to three miles while carrying rucksacks and a weighted stretcher.
10 team members must complete numerous technical obstacles.
5k team run 10 team members must run three miles together. All members must nish at the same time.
If there’s one thing that students are best known for when it comes to sports, it’s school spirit.
The current Cedar Shoals student exhibiting and leading the most school spirit is sophomore Isaiah Cromartie.
Cromartie is a staple at many of the Cedar sporting events, specifically basketball, football and volleyball this fall.
He started going to games regularly in sixth grade, and was hooked by the atmosphere of the gymnasium and football stands.
“I love how loud the games can get,” Cromartie said. “It shows that Cedar Shoals is the place to be on Friday nights or whenever the basketball team is at home.”
Cromartie’s friends also enjoy how much he supports the Jaguars.
“He’s just really passionate about Cedar sports,” junior Jose Balvar said. “He’s always at the games and he’s always fired up.” Balvar plays both offensive and defensive line for the football team.
Some of Cromartie’s favorite all-time memories happened while he was sitting in the bleachers of the Turner-Neathery gymnasium.
“I remember when we were playing Lithonia in the 2020 playoffs,” Cromartie said. “We just kept moving the ball around, and we eventually hit a game winning three, and everyone ran on the court.”
It turns out that wasn’t even his favorite mo ment of the tournament, as yet another miracle was in store during the semifinals at Fort Valley State.
“It’s the longest I’ve gone to see the Jags play,” Cromartie said. “It’s two and a half hours, but my godmother drove me down there.”
In the fourth overtime, Southwest DeKalb led 72-70. The Jaguars needed a three to win.
In a hectic moment of multiple misses and passes, guard Tyler Johnson had the ball last. He hit a last second three pointer in a moment that MaxPreps ranked the second best buzzer beater of the year and number three best play of the year in general. Cedar got the 73-72 win and headed to the class 5-A championship.
“It was absolutely awesome. It’s my favorite moment going to a Cedar game,” Cromartie said.
Not every event is mem orable, as there are some things that he has seen that he disapproves of.
In the first game of the 2022 football season, a major fight broke out between the Cedar Shoals and Clarke Central teams after a late hit near
the Cedar sideline.
“This was something that had been building up all game,” Cromartie said. “Sometimes emotions can just get the best of you. I know they can do better.”
A diehard Georgia Bulldogs fan, Cromartie enjoys watching games between the hedges, too. “I recently saw them play Samford. The Bulldogs are my favorite sports team, period” Cromartie said. “The atmosphere is complete ly different, Sanford (Stadium) is such a crazy environment, and Cedar is much more chill in comparison.”
Cromartie’s spirit shows up with his post high school plans. He hopes to help people during tough times when he grows up.
“I just want to become a funeral home director,” Cromartie said. “I want to be able to help people in their time of need.”
LOUD AND PROUD: Sophomore Isaiah Cromartie cheers from the bleachers during the Classic City Championship. Cromartie has become somewhat of a mascot for Cedar sports, as he attends football, basketball and volleyball games. “The atmosphere is top notch, the Cedar fans really make games an event,” Cromartie said. Photo by Melanie Frick. Photo by Kylie Toney
Each fall for the past 25 years, the rela tively quiet town of Braselton plays host to one of the biggest automotive events of the year. Starting on Sept. 28 and continuing through Oct. 1, the internationally acclaimed 2.5 mile racing facility Road Atlanta welcomed over 150,000 fans for a weekend of racing, festivities and on-track action. Sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), Petit Le Mans is one the most prestigious races in America. Named after the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans, Petit (“Little”) Le Mans is a 10 hour test of endurance and speed with some of the biggest names and brands in motorsports.
Drivers and teams from all racing disciplines around the globe flock to the small Georgia town for the weekend, with notable names like sev en-time NASCAR Champion Jimmie Johnson, four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves and former Formula 1 drivers Kamui Koybayshi and Brendon Hartley of Japan and New Zealand mixed in with local talents and heroes.
The weekend starts out with numerous support
series races consisting of young drivers looking to prove themselves alongside more experienced veterans. The most notable series, the Michelin Pilot Challenge, featured two local drivers this year: Athens native Andrew Davis and 17-year-old Tyler Maxson.
Davis currently races for McCann Racing, driving the No. 8 Porsche Cayman GT4. Davis won the 2011 Grand-Am championship, driving with legendary team Brumos Racing, one of the most successful Porsche racing teams in America.
“I’ve finished on the podium multiple times at Petit Le Mans. Getting to spray champagne after a hard day’s work is something special,” Davis said. “I’ve dreamt of driving at this circuit (Road Atlanta) since I was 4-years-old, so racing there now is quite literally a dream come true,” Davis said.
A University of Georgia graduate and a resident of the area, Davis commutes to Road Atlanta instead of staying in a hotel like other drivers.
“It’s always a slight advantage racing on your home turf. I’m able to sleep in my own bed and the general familiarity keeps me ultra focused. It’s also energizing to have additional friends and family at the track as a cheering section,” Davis said.
The same can be said for Bogart native Maxson,
who started out his racing career in karts at the age of 5 and hasn’t looked back.
“I tried a lot of different sports when I was younger, but I didn’t really enjoy any of them as much as I liked racing. My family and I decided to buy a go-kart and I just got hooked from there,” Maxson said.
Maxson attained his IMSA racing license at age 16, meeting the age requirement by two days. Maxson then raced multiple times in the Michelin Pilot Challenge, a junior series with shorter races and slower cars.
In 2019, Maxson signed with highly acclaimed Indy 500 winning team Bryan Herta Autosport. He is now finishing his third season in the Pilot Chal lenge, accumulating multiple poles and victories.
This year, Maxson also competed in the highlight of the weekend, the 25th running of the Motul Petit Le Mans. In the Pilot Challenge, Maxson drove his No. 77 Hyundai Elentra N to an 8th place finish. Maxson also finished 8th in his class for Petit Le Mans, where he competed in the No. 38 Perfor mance Tech Motorsports LMP3.
In endurance racing, multiple classes or groups of cars compete on the track. For Petit Le Mans, these classes are; LMP3, GTD, GTD Pro, LMP2 and DPi.
The classes have varying shapes, siz es and speed. This creates lots of traffic, with the faster classes weaving between slower cars, creating a unique challenge for the drivers.
“The closing rates are huge. In the Pilot Challenge, there are just two classes, the Grand Sport GT4s, and the class I race in, the Touring Car or TCR class. With these two classes the speed differential isn’t huge. Whereas in the WeatherTech Series, you’ll have DPis and LMP2s which are ludicrously faster than you, going past you 20 mph faster than you,” Maxson said.
The cars fight for an overall or out right victory while competing within their classes.
Born in Atlanta, Dylan Murry races with Dutch outfit Racing Team Nederland. Murry turned 22 this year, and is in his first season with Team Nederland. The team fields an LMP2 prototype and has been competitive all season long.
“It’s really been great because it’s my first time working with a European team. It really allows me to expand my knowledge of different team cultures, car setups and what is expected of the driver,” Murry said.
Unfortunately, Racing Team Neder land pulled their entry for the race just
days before the event due to its owner’s involvement in a money laundering scandal.
Besides the on track racing, Petit Le Mans offers a unique fan experience, a staple of IMSA events.
“It’s super cool, when you walk around (the track) and there are thousands of fans everywhere and it’s not a big facility,” Maxson said. “You really realize how many fans are there.”
Fans can get up close and personal with the drivers and the teams for no extra cost. The pad dock, or garage, remains open to all ticket holders throughout the weekend, allowing fans to take pictures and watch the work being done to the cars. There are also no assigned seats at Road Atlanta, providing free access to the many vantage points and locations across the facility. On Friday, fans have the opportunity to access the paddock and get autographs from their favorite drivers and teams.
“We love that the fans can get close and interact with the teams and drivers. It can leave lasting im pressions, especially on the young fans. I’m always happy to make time to stop and chat with those interested,” Davis said.
Before both the Michelin Pilot and WeatherTech Championship races, fans were allowed onto the front straight for the Hagerty Fan Walk, just minutes before pre-race ceremonies. Fans sign their
names on cars (team permitting), talk to the driv ers, take home free shirts and souvenirs, and watch the teams make final adjustments on their cars.
This activity caps off with pre-race ceremonies, starting with the French national anthem, a tribute to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the most histor ic and prestigious races in the world.
Once the race starts, fans flock to spectator hill, an area located toward the middle of the track. There, fans set up canopies and lawn chairs as they watch the cars attack Road Atlanta’s sweeping esses.
“Spectator hill provides a great opportunity to sit in the grass, have a snack and observe the amount of speed the cars can carry through the corners,” Navaz Hussain, a crew member for Murillo Racing, said. This is Navaz Hussain’s 6th year working with the team, hosting team meetings, helping with pit stops and repairing the decals on cars. He has attended Petit Le Mans several times in the past.
Terrace seating can be found by turn 10, also known as the chicane. There, fans watch the cars sail down a hill, slamming hard on the brakes for a tricky left-right complex. Turn 10 is a prime passing zone for drivers and a great spot to view constant action.
“Moving around is the best way to get different perspectives of the action. There is no assigned seating, but make sure to find a great spot to take
in the opening laps of the race. It’s a sight to see for sure,” Davis said.
Petit Le Mans serves as the season-finale for all IMSA series, meaning championships are often decided throughout the weekend. This year was no different, with the championship battle between Wayne Taylor Racing and Meyer Shank Racing coming down to the final hour of the race. The duo fought back and forth throughout the race, but late contact with less than 30 minutes to go took the Wayne Taylor car out of the race, handing the title to the Meyer Shank team.
Bringing in an audience 12 times the size of Bra selton’s population, Petit Le Mans offers something to everyone. Navaz’s brother Nick Hussain attended with his family this year.
“Sometimes we feel intimidated when we don’t know about a sport or a topic. The fans were great at encouraging new people to enjoy the sport, and it was a really welcoming atmosphere that puts you at ease, even if you don’t know a lot,” Nick Hussain said.
Attending for the first time, Nick Hussain en joyed all Petit Le Mans had to offer.
“It’s not like you’re going to a football or baseball game where you’re in bleachers the whole time. When my family and I went up to the fan zone and there were bouncy castles and things for the kids, it made me realize the race organizers do a lot of things to make the races family and kid friendly. I would definitely go again,” Nick Hussain said.
UP AND DOWN: A pair of Daytona Prototypes work their way through slower Grand Touring traffic over one of the many crests of Road Atlanta. The track features the most elevation change per lap on the IMSA calendar. “The most unique element about Road Atlanta is the drastic elevation change, there are multiple blind corners. The track uses the local topography to create a thrilling layout. It provides a little bit of everything and puts driver’s skills on display,” driver Andrew Davis said. Photo by Ethan Greene.
Art by Eva Lucero Design and graphics by Aiden Dowling
The Red Hot Chili Peppers released their 13th studio album “Return of the Dream Canteen” on Oct. 14. The new album’s funk revival actualizes the saying “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” From the evolution of their style from funk rock to dad rock, this new album brings back their original style with a twist.
Noteworthy influences include George Clinton, James Brown and Jimi Hendrix, all evident on songs like “Copperbelly,” “Peace and Love” and “La La La La La La La La” from the new album. These songs have slower tempos and instrumental solos, specifi cally from bass guitarist Flea.
Several of RHCP’s rock influences include The Smiths, The Cure and Iggy and the Stooges. Songs like “Fake as Fu@k,” “Bella” and “Reach Out” showcase their rock influences. These influences are heard in the heavy guitar and drum solos, as well as the faster tempos.
In “Fake as Fu@k,” the initial calmness starkly contrasts with the immense emotion throughout the rest of the tune. After the intense beat drop from drummer Chad Smith, it becomes more violent. The song goes through multiple stages of discovering a truth: the burden being lifted from the weight of a lie. The verse, “Where misdirection waves its magic wand, everybody sing that song,” represents how everyone is simulta neously deceived and deceiving.
“Tippa MyTongue” features a drum and bass-heavy introduction, gradually growing louder. The combination of Anthony Kiedis’ signature nasal vocals and the comple mentary bass are upbeat and smooth. Strong guitar and bass solos toward the middle create that classic blend of funk-rock that RHCP are known for.
Their new album and concert performances stay true to their original style from the origin of the band in the ‘80s, so fans of their older tunes will appreciate it.
-Isabella MorganReceiving the Harvey Award for best manga series the second year in a row, “Chainsaw Man’s” success has grown exponentially since its release. When fans heard that Studio MAPPA, the animation studio behind recent anime such as “Attack on Titan” and “Jujutsu Kaisen,” announced they would be taking on the challenge, “Chainsaw Man” quickly rose to the top of the charts for the upcoming season. Almost two years after the initial announcement, the show finally began airing weekly this fall.
Taking place in a world where devils run rampant, devil hunters act as heroes, fighting them to protect humanity. The main character, Denji, makes a deal with the chainsaw devil and begins to fight devils under the command of the government’s Public Safety division. “Chainsaw Man’’ captures Denji’s story from start to finish, focusing on his repetitive habit of being manipulated due to his juvenile nature.
The manga takes pride in its messy, spontaneous artistic style and paneling, and the show is popular writer and illustrator Tatsuki Fujimoto’s first time being animated. Concern about whether the manga’s aesthetic could be fluently adapted in animation quickly arose, but when the first episode aired these worries were silenced.
MAPPA opted toward a combination of 2D and 3D animation for “Chainsaw Man,” similar to their recent adaptation of “Attack on Titan.” While this style is typically frowned upon, with overall dissatisfaction in “Attack on Titan’s” visual appeal, MAPPA’s return to CGI clearly aims to blend these styles more fluently while also keeping Fujimoto’s unique style alive. The result yields relaxed scenes with great detail in the character’s emotions and color schemes of the environment, and action scenes highlight the roughness and rapid movements the manga is so well known for. “Chainsaw Man’s” wild success was expected, but MAPPA’s work on the series leaves a great impression on fans looking forward to the second season.
-Aiden DowlingThe witches are back, as the Sanderson Sisters grace the screen once again in “Hocus Pocus 2,” now the most watched movie premier on Disney+. Like the original, the movie follows teenagers who accidentally revive the sisters (Bette Mid ler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy) and then have to prevent them from becoming immortal.
Before the teenagers are introduced, the witches are portrayed as children being ostracized in 1653 Salem. Through their origin story the movie attempts to bring a sense of humanity and morality to the witches that doesn’t feel genuine or neces sary. Unlike the original, the film doesn’t let the witches just be witches, failing to realize their appeal is in their villainous, one-dimensional evil. At points, particu larly the uncharacteristically peaceful ending, the movie feels like it’s trying to be more than a remake of a cult classic.
The teenagers are often cringeworthy and annoying, making their solo scenes sometimes difficult to watch. While trying to save Salem from the witches, they also unpack their petty friendship drama. Compared to the witches, they’re hard to root for.
The movie’s high points are in its nostalgia. Despite the cheesy attempts to humanize them, the witches maintain their campy charm with their signature dynamics and hijinks. But there are moments where the dialogue feels like a copy-and-paste from the original. The structure of the plot follows almost exactly the same sequence as the original, down to the witches’ musical performance and their temporary confinement and escape.
The credits leave a setup for an unconfirmed third movie. The plot doesn’t seem to leave a possibility for another movie with the original witches, making the idea of a third sound like a complete cash grab.
An unnecessary remake, “Hocus Pocus 2” is ultimately worth a watch if you’ve already exhausted the original this Halloween.
Amazon Prime’s new series “The Rings of Power” brings new under standing to J.R.R Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” with explanation into the making of the rings. Roughly based on the events in “The Silmarillion” and with many added original ideas, TROP just doesn’t feel like Tolkien at all.
The beginning of the show splits into five storylines, four of which merge throughout the show’s progression. Galadriel’s search for Sauron in the main storyline combines with stories in Númenor, the Southlands, and Mithril (an ore) in Moria, ending with the creation of the three Elven rings. Nori (Makella Kavenagh) and her blooming friendship with The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) is an unnecessary, standalone storyline that feels as annoying as it is time consuming.
The eight episode series drags on forever, and nothing really happens until the sixth episode. The show runners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay take for ever developing moments that have little importance, while the scenes that actually have meaning, like the creation of the rings, speed by.
Payne and McKay keep the audience guessing about who Sauron is by introducing new characters that display similar characteristics to how Sauron is depicted in the books. There were three characters in the running to be the Dark Lord: Halbrand, The Stranger and Adar (Joseph Mawle).
Prime’s budget of a little under $500 million for season one allows for scenes with great CGI and computer effects, including the vision of Númenor flooding and the explosion of Mount Doom. Sadly this budget was not spent on better wigs for the Elves and the demon chihuahua looking CGI Warg.
The ending of TROP still leaves unanswered questions that may be answered in the confirmed second season. Although many things do not comply with Tolkien’s outline of Middle Earth in the first and second age and the creation of the rings, the show is still entertaining and leaves the audience wanting more.
-Megan WiseWith Halloween approaching, horror movies have started coming to the big screen. The highly anticipated gory psychological horror movie “Smile” gravely lets audiences down on that front. With the trailer running before what seemed like almost every movie in recent months, the actual film feels dragged out and useless, unable to live up to its own self-induced hype.
“Smile” follows psychologist Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) who, af ter witnessing a patient commit suicide in front of her, starts to see the “dark smiling entity” that drove her young patient to take her own life. With the help of her cop ex-boyfriend Joel (Kyle Gallner), Rose finds out that this curse goes from person to person thriving off its victim’s trauma. She now must break the curse before the smiling entity, who is impersonating people from her life, forces her to kill herself in front of another, continuing the curse.
While promoted as a horror movie for the grotesque, face-peel ing gore and the many graphic suicide scenes, the real horror is the response to mental illness in the film. When the curse starts to affect Rose, she presents as having a manic episode, something she is used to seeing in her practice. However, the other people in her life see the signs of mental illness and choose to abandon her. When Rose is in need of her support system the most, she is left completely alone. This feels poorly handled, leaving viewers with unnecessary feelings of depression. Watching could be traumatic to those who have undergone similar abandonment experiences.
The special effects and gore look scarily realistic with bloody scenes of faces being removed and carved up. With lingering wide shots and dark lighting, the movie has an eerie feeling that does not entirely fit the slightly dull, drawn out acting and pace of the film.
Despite the visual appeal and solid storyline of “Smile,” the abandonment of people with mental illness in their time of need is an all too real problem that is not even addressed properly in the film.
-Emma McElhannon
By Mia La Design by Ellie Crane Art by Mia La
After the East side Menchie’s closed in 2018, the former frozen yogurt shop sat vacant in the Georgetown Square shopping center — until recently. Athens citizens have been anticipating the opening of Mochinut, an Asian-inspired donut shop based in California.
Jaewook Ha founded Mochinut in 2020 and has since been expanding locations across the country. Mochinut also plans to open locations outside of the U.S. and has already started the process of opening stores in South Korea and Thailand.
On Sept. 12 Mochinut opened its Athens location to the public, bringing a friendly environment and good service with it. The atmosphere in the shop has a welcoming and cheerful feel. Although the inside of the shop felt incomplete on opening day with packing boxes still out and limited seating, the space has great potential to become a lively envi ronment. The store has sizable front windows that let in plenty of natural sunlight, making the space open and inviting.
GRAND OPENING: Mochinut offers a welcoming aura with unique food unlike anything else in the area. Photos by Ellie Crane and Mia La.
Originating from Hawaii, mochi donuts combine Japanese mochi and American donuts. They have a different shape and texture from an average donut. Mochi donuts are made with sticky rice flour which adds a unique chewy texture, and they are construct ed with eight small dough balls connected to shape a ring. Mochinut offers numerous different flavors which swap out weekly. Visible through the Mochinut Insta gram, weekly flavor options are posted regularly but may vary with location.
The Athens Mochinut opening week flavors included caramel churro, strawberry, M&M, white chocolate matcha, chocolate beignet and origi nal (which is always offered). Each donut flavor includes the same donut base with varying icings and toppings. But with each experience, customers will encounter a chance to try both classic American flavored donuts like coffee and strawberry or Asian-in spired flavored donuts such as black sesame and yuzu. In addition to the distinctive mochi donuts, a variety of Korean corn dogs with crispy toppings such as potatoes or ramen are now being served. You can choose between a filling of mozzarella cheese, a regular hot dog or both. Menu items also include boba, a Taiwanese drink commonly served with tapioca pearls in a sweet milk tea base.
Although the food is well made, there seems to be a lack of ingredients to serve every customer’s exact order. On opening day the shop was out of tapioca pearls only four hours after opening. The day they started serving corn dogs, they were also out of multiple types and toppings leaving scarce options. The Athens Mochinut is also not prepared to serve ice cream, a common treat served with their donuts at other locations, for at least a year. As Mochinut expands, it’s exciting to see Athens citizens experience Asian-American food in a creative way. With flavor options changing regularly, almost anyone’s preferences will eventually be met. But, with food falling on more of the extra sweet or oily side and being slightly pricey, going to Mochinut will likely be a special occasion. Still, the shop offers a space to have fun with friends and family whether that be playing with their complimentary foosball table or taking pictures by their photo backdrop.
Design by Aiden Dowling
By Aiden Dowling Art by Mia La
Opened in 1979, Gyro Wrap earned its reputation as a classic and unique place to grab a bite to eat. Sadly amidst the pandemic, the restaurant strug gled financially and closed after almost 40 years in business. Under new ownership, Gyro Wrap has reopened its doors, down the road from the original location and ready to serve up wraps and salads once again.
Finding the restaurant itself however proved to be a challenge in itself. Even when standing inches away, the only identifying factor is a small white logo on the door. Previously known for its colorful walls and signs out front, their blank white building blends into the streets of downtown Athens.
However upon re-entrance, the classic atmosphere managed to survive the transition in location and ownership. Upon entering, the dimly lit tables are complemented with the chatter of customers on the first or second floor. The quiet pub-like scenery welcomes customers into their door, like the establishment never even left.
Upon inspection of the food itself, the nostalgia quickly wears off. The staples the restaurant is known for, their curly fries and wraps, leave much to be desired.
On paper, the restaurant stayed true, with minimal changes to the menu items themselves and only a few topping changes throughout the menu such as additions of tomatoes and red onions. However, the actual quality of food has definitely changed. Their signature Z-sauce lacks in flavor and the wraps feel criminally emp ty, lacking in meat and toppings when compared to promotional photos and the previous establishment. The fries, known for their crisp shell and flavor, also lack the original quality. Gyro Wrap’s new fries are just not the same, tasting fresh out of the microwave. The meat, while still having the original flavor, comes in shockingly low amounts per wrap. These changes bring pain to long-time customers, along side an increase in pricing, as their specialty Gyro Wrap has changed in price from $6.99 to $8.49.
Trying to live up to the hype of a long-respected establishment is always hard, and Gyro Wrap’s return continues to prove this challenge. While the restaurant’s return back to town offers some pre-pandemic nostalgia, it fails to deliver the same quality and service as in the past. As the restaurant continues to serve customers, hopes are high the new owners can live up to the previous expectations.
As bright white lights lit up the Coca-Cola Roxy theater stage, a silhouette appeared on the closed curtains that opened with the telltale production tag of musical producers “Take a Daytrip” who have worked with the musical star Lil Nas X to produce his biggest hits to date.
Standing center stage in a black and gold outfit, Lil Nas X per formed the fan favorite “Panini” to open the concert. As he danced around the stage his vocal performance was accompanied by bright lights, thematic backdrops and a talented all male team of backup dancers. The concert was split into three acts each with their own theme and a setlist to match.
Act one “Rebirth” focused on Lil Nas X’s slower and more relaxed songs about his life before fame. Highlights of act one included “Sun Goes Down” and “Tales of Dominica” which both focus heavily on his struggles with his mental health, family and sexuality. The live performance added an extra layer of vulnerability and emotion that doesn’t completely translate to the traditional recordings of these songs. Act one closed with the song that started it all — “Old Town Road,” a fitting end for “Rebirth” as this song changed Lil Nas X’s life forever.
In between each act “The Wizard Of Nas,” the storyteller of the concert, visited the audience to preview the next act. These inter missions offered a comedic moment of peace for those in the crowd as everyone took a break from screaming and singing along to hear what The Wizard Of Nas had to say. However one intermission just moments into the first act didn’t include a visit from The Wizard but instead a few words from Lil Nas X himself about how he’d be back on stage shortly after his bathroom emergency subsided.
Act two “Transformation” matched the energy set of its predeces sor with more hits like “Dead Right Now” and “Don’t Want It.” Act two provided the best visuals out of the three with intricate choreog raphy from the backup dancers that included flips and other acrobat ics.
The third and final act of the concert titled “Becoming” featured Lil Nas X’s most popular songs “Call Me By Your Name” and “Industry Baby” as well as a surprise performance of an unre leased song called “Down Souf Hoes.” After a seven minute long performance of an extended and remixed version of “Industry Baby,” butterfly shaped confetti rained down over the audience. The butterflies symbolized the transformation of Lil Nas X’s life and how it had transformed into something greater. After the perfor mance the curtains reopened minutes later for an encore perfor mance of his latest release “STAR WALKIN’.”
Aside from the painfully long and boring pre-concert perfor mance from a local Atlanta DJ duo, everything was perfect. The visu als, the performance and the energy from the crowd all far exceeded expectations.
Tcoach in each academic subject area at Cedar Shoals.
“I would describe it as a position designed to support the teachers and help them improve their practice. Not only shar ing strategies, but doing walkthroughs and talking with the teachers about their goals and how they want to improve as teachers,” social studies instructional coach Andrew Vernor said.
In his position, Vernor assists world history and government teachers alike. Entering his second year as an instructional coach at Cedar Shoals, Vernor also teaches AP Human Geography.
“We help them reflect and learn from not only what we do in the classroom, but also the data sets that we generate. Really trying to support the teachers in that way and create a venue where we can come together and discuss those things in a way that is hopefully positive and supportive,” Vernor said.
A coach’s responsibilities are diverse, including compiling and analyzing data, coordinating tests and quizzes, helping with time management and aligning curriculum to keep teachers on track.
“We’re taking what the state tells us that we need to do in order to meet the goals and then we come down to the district level.
district has adopted so that we can improve instruction,” math instructional coach Christine Guske said.
After teaching algebra I at Cedar, Guske became an instructional coach this school year. Though she was planning to enter a curriculum based profession from the start, Guske has also held positions as an assistant principal and assessment professional. Now as the math instructional coach, she assists teachers in the math department, from geometry to calculus.
More specifically, instructional coaches connect with teachers in their department. Through professional learning communi ties (PLC’s), coaches meet with teams of teachers for each academic course offered in their departments, helping to find places for improvement. PLC’s give room for reflec tion and help teachers find the best teaching strategies moving forward.
Instructional coaches fill collaborative roles with teachers. For instance, after data covering test results is compiled and analyzed, instructional coaches bring this information to the teachers. During PLC meetings, coaches relay this information and facilitate discussion about how to proceed.
In a recent world history PLC meeting, Vernor sat with teachers Beth Mendenhall, Ron Helm and Jennifer Goff, all teachers on that team. The group discussed the approaches that were taken during
up an Edpuzzle discussing the 1800s cholera outbreak in Europe, and all world history classes had incorporated the activity into their lessons that week. After conversing, the team concluded that this was an engag ing activity for students and then wondered how similar activities could be introduced. Vernor then led a new conversation about a recent test, asking how students felt and examining results. Since each teacher in the PLC gave the same test, the differences in scores illuminated how one teacher may have found more success with certain topics or methods.
“No two teachers are the same. They’re going to emphasize different things. You have to see that even though one instructor may put a big emphasis on something and the other one may not, does that hurt or harm or change the educational experience of the students? Because everybody keys in on different things,” Helm said.
Hannah Doolittle, English department, emphasizes possible struggles with collabo ration across her department.
“We have this content that we like to teach, so sometimes it can be difficult or there can be some resistance to planning collaboratively. But having an instructional coach there can help grease the wheels a little bit,” Doolittle said.
When it comes to experience, a veteran teacher’s needs differ from a new teacher’s, and Guske says these differences influence
ments are interpreted.
“I’ve seen some big changes, es pecially with the new teachers. The ones who have been here a while, I think it’s going to take maybe a little bit longer, because they’ve already been here and there’s not as much of a growth curve at this point,” Guske said.
Experience also affects how well a coach’s assistance will be received or how much is needed. As Guske said, a more seasoned teacher may already have systems or approach es in place and may not need the same guidance that a new teacher needs. An experienced teacher has had time to develop concrete, test ed lesson plans, assessments and rules that work for their classroom, while a new teacher hasn’t had the same opportunity. An instruction al coach acts as a mentor in that sense, guiding teachers over obsta cles. Determining where teachers can benefit is another important role the coaches have.
LISTENING IN: (left to right) Christine Guske and Katie Bittler meet with the instructional coach team to discuss updates within each department. Through their assistance, coaches hope to improve student experiences as well. “Those of us that are in the classrooms on a regular basis, interacting with students and talking to students delivering content, we want to see these learning experiences being available to all students and that’s kind of the larger objective. Hopefully,
“My job is to listen and respond in kind and find a balance in, ‘Okay, how much do I push? How much do I pull back?’ And doing this balancing act around knowing my teachers and what they need. But also knowing when to press them a little bit and expand their capacity for greatness,” English instructional coach Katie Bittler said.
While this is her first year at Cedar Shoals, Bittler holds years of experience as a high school English teacher, counselor and life coach prior to this position.
“I took some time off and then came back, so this is my third year back in. But this is my first year as an IC. I just really love the work. So it’s a really good fit for my per sonal value and my professional value system. I believe so strongly in the power of people who feel empowered and who receive the message that they can do it,” Bittler said.
The ultimate goal of an instructional coach is the improvement of the student experience as a product of the guidance they offer to teachers.
“I’m hoping that they (students) see their classes become more engaging. I hope that they see and feel that their teachers are doing everything they can to support their learning through different strategies, through different lenses, differentiation, so that they have access to the material and they’re able to really shine,” science instruc
tional coach Melissa Paul said.
Paul is heading into her second year in the coaching position, also teaching one block of human anatomy.
Cedar may have a full staff of instruc tional coaches, but that hasn’t always been the case. Last year, two coaches were stretched between four subjects, with Ver
style. They have a different curriculum. That was hard, so I’m thankful to have four coaches now,” Paul said.
With all four subject areas represented, each instructional coach has taught the subject they help with. Having all been in the same position, the coaches can provide personal experience as another layer of assistance.
translates to other measurements of student experience and student learning,” social studies instructional coach Andrew Vernor said. Photo by Megan Wise. “ “
“I have a very diverse back ground with the standards and in these classes, which I feel has really helped me. Because I feel like I can empathize with teach ers when they’re struggling or (when) they’re like, ‘Hey, I don’t know what this should look like.’ I’ve been there and so leaning on where those gaps may be when I was a learner and (my) struggles has been extremely helpful,” Paul said.
nor leading social studies and language arts and Paul leading science and math.
“It was a lot to try to be an effective coach with so many different teachers and so many different needs. In all honesty, my background is more in science. Yes, math is the language of science, you can’t have one without the other. I learned a lot, but I don’t feel like I had all the necessary skills to provide them with targeted support to specifically help them. I was able to do it through a science lens, and that makes it challenging because they have a different
From her perspective in her third year of teaching, Doolittle sees the value in the work of instructional coaches as they help teachers reach their full potential.
“People have different opinions on instructional coaches, for good reasons, but I always try to look at it as, ‘This is a person who wants to help me and wants to help kids.’ I also want to help myself and want to help kids, so I think starting on that foot has really helped me understand what instruc tional coaches can do for me,” Doolittle said.
My job is to listen and respond and kind of find a balance in, ‘Okay, how much do I push? How much do I pull back?’ And kind of doing this balancing act around knowing my teachers and what they need.
- English Instructional Coach Katie Bittler
that
On Oct. 4, players representing Cedar Shoals football, track and soccer signed a beam to be installed in the school’s new field house currently under construction.
“I think (the fieldhouse) means a lot to the players. We’re getting a new building and new equipment,” junior soccer player Lillian McGreevy said. “I love Cedar. I love the team. Just having sports teams in general is a super good way to bring the com munity together. Knowing that I made an influence somehow or that I’m leaving a mark means a lot to me because it’s been a big part of my life.”
Director of Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST)
John Gilbreath is glad to give student athletes a lasting memory and wishes that his school had events like this one.
“We didn’t build anything new back in the day. My school was a lot older so we didn’t have the opportunity for new facilities like this,” Gilbreath said.
-Delia McElhannonStudents poured into the Cedar Shoals gym as the bell rang for fourth block on Sept. 23.
“I was surprised when they made the announcement for the pep rally because we haven’t had one in so long, so I assumed it was a rumor,” senior Ashley Lester said.
The pep rally was not a rumor. It rounded out homecoming spirit week which had different costume themes for each day. Students emceed the event, led games, activities and highlighted fall sports.
Associate Principal Dr. Utevia Tolbert met with members of SGA to plan the pep rally.
“A lot of things haven’t been done in a long time, and we are going to be known as the people who brought them back,” Tolbert said.
Later that evening, Cedar Shoals alumni attended a reception event which took place in the cafeteria. Attendees enjoyed reunions with former class mates, refreshments and later the homecoming game against East Hall High School in which Cedar won 49-21.
“I was really happy we won, it made the day so much better than it already was,” senior defensive back Amadi Smith said.
Members of the homecoming court were recognized at halftime. The 2022 homecoming king, Daniel Choi, and queen, Zaya Roberson, were crowned by last year’s winners Marik Armstrong and Deshauna Foote.
The next day, Cedar students gathered again in the cafeteria and patio for the homecoming dance, the theme being “Golden” in honor of Cedar Shoals’ 50th anniversary.
“It was so fun seeing everyone dancing, eating and having such a great time,” junior Akeelah Barnes said.
-Ikeoluwa OjoThe Cedar Readers book club attempted to catch a killer after school on Oct. 12. The media center hosted a roaring twenties themed ‘whodunit’ game inspired by the genre that the participants recently read.
Leading up to the event, 30 club members received an invitation to the party, explaining their role and what to discuss during the gathering. Every part was curated to a particular student based on their personality and what role librarians Kerry Hogan and Megan Ogden thought would suit them.
“If I knew you well, I cast you based on what I thought you could do with the role. My vets were in the main roles. For everything else, the leader ship team helped,” Hogan said.
While students prepared, Ogden and Hogan artfully decorated a snack and drink bar along with the evidence that participants would need to solve the murder. In a thrilling 90 minutes, four members correctly caught the culprit: Skylar, a criminal pilot played by Chloe Smith, attempting to get rid of anyone who knew of his illegal involvement.
The event concluded with Hogan awarding best costume, best death scene and best reasoning given for the murder.
-Kira Law
When a letter arrived in the mail informing Lexington Gardens resident Barbara Daniel that she had to vacate her property within the next 30 days, she was initially shocked and confused. What she didn’t know was that her house, along with hundreds more in Athens that generally housed low income residents, had been purchased by Florida based investment group Prosperi ty Capital Partners. After the acquisitions Prosperity Capital, who did not respond to a request for an interview, raised rent almost 93%, from $825 to $1,595 a month.
a home in 2019, they paid significantly higher interest rates towards their mort gage than if they bought in 2020 after rates plummeted in the spring.
Local realtor Joe Polaneczky, owner of Nabo Realty, says that another factor driving the housing boom was low supply and extremely high demand
and making it difficult for citizens, espe cially younger homeowners, to find and keep their homes. As tenants are evicted from their homes, homelessness rates in Athens continue to rise, according to Athens Homeless Coalition.
Daniel knew that Prosperity Capital had violated Georgia law by not giving 60 days notice on evictions, so after she wrote a letter to Prosperity Capital and received no response she sought outside help.
“They gave me 30 days’ notice and I wrote them a letter saying I wasn’t going anywhere. So the Department of Com munity Affairs got in touch with them and said they had to give me 60 days,” Daniel said.
The problems for tenants affected by Prosperity Capital are not new or unique to them, and they are part of a larger trend in Athens and the country as a whole.
Over a three year period from Octo ber 2019 to 2022, the median price of a home in Athens-Clarke County rose from $199,000 to $306,280, an increase of about 50%. Home prices had been rising steadily since the 2008 financial crisis, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused a large spike. A main cause of this trend was the record low mortgage rates during the pandemic. If a person bought
“We didn’t have an inventory of homes built up, and the demand for housing to buy was really high so any thing that went on the market for sale typically sold very quickly,” Polaneczky said.
This drought caused homeseekers to spend more and more on any homes that they could find.
One factor unique to Athens is the University of Georgia, which some see as a main contributor to high housing prices. A common local complaint is that more parents of UGA students are paying for their children to rent houses at higher rates and driving up prices. Some are buying the houses themselves to sell later to offset the costs of sending their children to UGA.
“For a wealthy family, the difference between paying $650 a month for their kid to live in a property or $900 a month is no big deal to them,” Polaneczky said.
Most rent and mortgage rates in the Athens and Atlanta areas do not meet standards of affordable housing. To be considered affordable, monthly rent or mortgage rates on a home or apartment cannot exceed 30% of a tenant’s income. This shift is turning many low income tenants away from affordable housing
After receiving eviction notices, tenants sought out community help to push back against Prosperity Capital’s rent increases and evictions. One of these organizations was The Young Democratic Socialists of America in Athens.
“We believe that housing should be a human right. We also think that capital ism is the problem. Obviously we can see the profit motive pushing people out of their homes and there being no solution for these people because of profit motive,” Erin Stacer, Young Democratic Socialists of America in Athens co-chair, said.
The YDSAA are actively trying to en courage local funding for tenants along side their protesting and organizing.
“We can try to rally folks so that we can hopefully get these people some resources if they need it. There’s a lot of good mutual aid groups around town. Hopefully we can do a similar kind of thing but also with some fundraising on a bigger scale. We’ll see if that’s going to be possible,” Stacer said.
Following the eviction and rent renewal notices received by tenants, the YDSA held regular meetings to organize against Prosperity Capital. They helped Lexington Gardens tenants organize a protest that occured on Aug. 31. The protest took place outside of a
and
It’s
meeting between representatives of Prosperity Capital and tenants from Lex ington Gardens to discuss and negotiate the rent increases. Tenants and protestors held signs, chanted and read the list of demands they created:
- Provide new leases to all tenants with reduced rent and accept section eight and other subsidized housing vouchers.
- Do not raise any rent until all necessary renovations and maintenance for health and safety have been addressed.
- Cap the amount of future rent increase by a maximum of 10% per year.
- Remove the surcharge for paying online and allow other forms of payment including checks.
- Provide necessary maintenance and access to all amenities including trash.
- Provide relocation assistance to anyone who wants to move such as money for deposits, time to find housing, and re turning security deposits.
At the protest, Highland Park resident Juana Hulin spoke about her personal ex periences with this sudden rent increase and the mental toll that evictions place on tenants.
“It sucks. It’s stressful to the fami lies with children. And this is affecting families’ mental health, and it is bringing
undue burden on families, as I already tried to pay the rent that they have been locked in for so long,” Hulin said.
5 Weeks later, many of the same tenants and protestors marched from City Hall to Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz’s house and demonstrated in his yard. He responded by speaking to them and listening to their concerns.
On Oct. 4, residents of affected hous ing units and student activists spoke at a scheduled Mayor & Commission meet ing about the evictions and the toll that it is taking on them.
“I shouldn’t have to not be able to sleep at night when I know I used to sleep,” Daniel said during public com ment.
At this session, the commission voted on several items relating to housing issues, including a report from Opticos Designs, Inc. that recommended ‘miss ing middle housing,’ a pre-World War II style of city planning where smaller and medium sized houses are built closer to gether to create more options for housing affordability.
As Prosperity Capital bought prop erties and sent eviction notices, tenants scrambled to find new homes. The lack of
affordable housing has made house hunt ing laborious and difficult. Many tenants, especially those living with family and children, have been struggling with this sudden change.
“I don’t get no sleep. It’s affected my appetite. My kids are all stressed out wondering what they’re gonna do. So yeah, it’s definitely been a lot of extra stress that we don’t need right now,” Hulin said.
Stress is not the only burden placed on tenants. Some have faced physical challenges and illness in their search for a home.
“I done got sick. I am sick. I had surgery, I caught Covid because of going back and forth trying to find somewhere to stay and they didn’t warn us. It’s not right,” Lisa Walker, another Lexington Gardens tenant, said.
Many families are struggling to find affordable housing after these rent increases, and they are worried about becoming homeless.
“It’s hard, especially when you don’t have nowhere to go. And if you don’t have nowhere to live, you’re stressed out figuring out if you are going to be homeless. That’s the biggest fear: being homeless and put out on the street,”
Hulin said.
Before the 2008 financial crisis, hous ing in Athens had a reputation for being affordable, which attracted many of the artists who make Athens famous.
“You could actually focus on your art or your music and only have to work a part-time job or something downtown or at a bar to get by so you can really put some time towards your art,” Tim Den son, the ACC District 6 Commissioner, said. “But as companies like Prosperity Capital aggressively buy units and raise rent, Athens’ music scene and overall quality of living becomes imperiled.”
Rises in rent have also further exac erbated the disparity between income and housing availability. The median household income in Athens is $38,623, while the median housing price is around $300,000. This means that rents and mortgages far exceed the 30% affordable housing line in most cases.
“Athens-Clarke County already has a homeless crisis. And if me and my three girls don’t come up with the $1,700, we will be homeless. I have no family that I can live with in Clarke County, nor does Prosperity Capital partners even talk to me to discuss if I will have anywhere to go,” Hulin said.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, there was an initial boom in existing houses as the market froze. But as the pandemic continued, the amount of available houses rapidly dropped and available houses became harder to find. Athens is no exception, with a vacancy rate as low as 2.1%, a number well below the national average of 16.6%.
“That’s one of the things that’s al lowing Prosperity Capital Partners and others to do this. They know people don’t really have much of an option to go somewhere else,” Denson said.
Rising rental prices are causing housing insecurity among many
We believe that housing should be a human right. We also think that capitalism is the problem. Obviously we can see the profit motive pushing people out of their homes and there being no solution for these people because of profit motive.
“
ErinAthens citizens, but the local government can do almost nothing to help. Georgia, like 37 other states, prohibits rent control. Landlords can raise rents as much as they want in as little time as they want, and the government cannot interfere by setting rent caps.
“The state of Georgia bans any kind of rent control on a local level. It really leaves us only able to try to assist more on the edges of things,” Denson said. “Right now, the way the law is structured, almost everything kind of prioritizes the property owners and then leaves the tenants without a lot of protection.”
Though the state government is limit ed, there are still achievable solutions set in place to provide affordable housing in Athens.
“We just passed a housing ordinance that encourages new developers to set aside a percentage of the housing building strictly for affordable housing for lower income individuals,” Denson said. “They get inspired to do that by being able to build more densely. They’ll build more housing than they would be able to do normally. That kind of helps them cover the cost of creating affordable housing.”
Federal dollars acquired through Community Development Block Grants are being set aside to help tenants who have been evicted from their homes.
“We use those dollars that were going to be allocated for other things to now switch them over to help folks who are being displaced to cover those moving costs they might have whether it be rent
ing a moving truck, paying for storage units, paying for a down payments or first month’s rent in a new place,” Denson said.
YDSAA members have encour aged the Athens community to help homeowners facing housing insecurity through attending social events and pro tests. Local groups and organizations can then provide help to tenants by providing resources and possible fundraising.
“Join the groups that are working on this issue. Right now we’re meeting basically every week with the tenants to organize a tenant union so that these tenants can work together in solidarity, to demand better conditions,” Denson said. “If there’s anybody who is one of these tenants, we encourage you to get involved and join the union. Anybody that’s not, I encourage them to kind of get involved with the mutual aid group, which is Ath ens Housing Advocacy.”
By joining community groups and providing aid to affected Athenians, solu tions are achievable. Though minimizing this issue on a local scale is beneficial to Athens property owners, housing prices are a national problem that is becoming more apparent.
“I care about the fact that this is an opportunity to draw attention to a thing that has been happening, but it’s getting worse,” Stacer said. “This isn’t new, it’s happening more and more and on a larg er and larger scale.”
GIVE US A SIGN: Protest signs reading tenants’ demands for Prosperity Capital, which were read at a protest at Lexington Gardens on Aug. 31. Graphics by Ellie Crane and Marcus Welch.
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Stacer, Young Democratic Socialists of America in Athens co-chair
Leading her childhood with the idea that “education is the key to success,” Dr. Utevia Tolbert has always found her home in the school building. Born and raised in Atlanta, Tolbert now works as Associate Principal of Operations at Cedar Shoals High School and hopes to spread her philosophy throughout Clarke County.
As Associate Principal of Operations, Tolbert works alongside Assistant Principal
Fabian Jones to plan for safety issues as well as athletics. She leads and helps supervise the English and special education depart ments.
“It gets challenging sometimes because part of my responsibility is to keep our students safe and to make sure teachers are doing what they’re supposed to do,” Tolbert said. “Sometimes that can get a little grimy simply because if I’m the one that everyone
by Tory Ratajczak
sees all the time (who) is holding people accountable, that can rub them the wrong way.”
Growing up in downtown Atlanta, Tolbert’s single mother had struggles of her own, but her mother made sure Tolbert went to the best middle school before attending Grady High School. She recalls being an engaged student, participating in clubs and sports including DARE club, Beta Club, basketball and cheerleading. On top of her busy extracurricular schedule, she helped out when needed at home due to her mother’s absence.
“I was definitely more ma ture. My mom was on drugs probably much of my middle school and some of my high school years, so I had to work and babysit (younger rela tives),” Tolbert said.
Even though she was con sidered an “at risk” student as a result of these environmental factors, Tolbert does not be lieve that she was in a harmful environment.
“Those are stereotypes that people place on students that grow up in what we call ‘the projects’ or ‘the hood’ or anything like that, which I definitely did,” Tolbert said. “I feel like I came from a neigh borhood where people loved me.”
Tolbert did not allow these stereotypes to restrict her. Rather, she used them to her own advantage. She took every opportunity she could, working even harder toward her goals.
“It was a motivation, and it never served as a barrier for me. I took advantage of opportunities and resources that were provided to us because people considered us ‘at risk,’ which allowed me to get the Pell Grant and the Hope Scholarship when I got to college,” Tolbert said.
Tolbert planned to become an undercov er cop, inspired by growing up in a “poverty stricken, drug infested neighborhood,” but she also realized that the people in her neighborhood offered her a foundation, looking out for their youth.
“If they (my neighbors) recognized the gift that you had, they would try to push you to do well,” Tolbert said. “My next door neighbor was basically like a built-in babysitter most of the time. People would be shocked to know but many of the drug dealers in the neighborhood were protective of the youth. Overall, most of the people in my neighborhood were just a huge family.”
Tolbert knows what it feels like to have to advocate for oneself and wants students to know they have help along the way.
“I feel like my counselors didn’t encour age me enough to go to college or help me decide what I could do after high school, so I try to do that with my students now,” Tolbert said.
Going into her junior year at the University of West Georgia, Tolbert changed her mind about her career. Getting preg nant with her daughter Dalace made her rethink it all.
“My daughter has actual ly shifted my entire life, because now I had someone depending directly on me,” Tolbert said.
Having a kid shifted her priorities and ideas. As a single mother, Tolbert was determined to graduate college — both for herself but also to send the best message to her daughter.
“I wanted to be an undercover officer and that was based on how I grew up,” Tolbert said. “Now that I had a kid, I didn’t want her to be afraid that her mom wasn’t going to come home.”
After graduating from UWG with a bach elor’s degree in arts and history and a minor in criminal justice, Tolbert took a job as a teacher in the special education department at Hilsman Middle School, specializing in
work with students with emotional and behavioral disorders. She moved to Athens because her daughter’s father lived there.
“I considered it a blessing because then I got into other schools and started working toward my educa tional degrees. It was a matter of time until I fell in love with the commu nity, the students and just the feel of Athens,” Tolbert said.
During her 21 years in education, working various jobs in Clarke Coun ty and attending Piedmont College, Cambridge College, Paine College and UGA to receive her master’s, leadership certification, specialist degree and her doctorate in education Tolbert found inspiration from her coworkers and past teachers.
“Once I made the decision to be a teacher, I decided I wanted to be like Mr. Feldman, my high school history teacher. He taught me a lot about Black history and what that meant, who I was, and what impact it would have on who I was becoming,” Tolbert said. “As I got older and started work ing in the field of education, Ingrid Gilbert, who was my first principal at Hilsman, helped to serve as a mentor for me and still does. She loved the kids, she loved the adults. She did whatever she could to create a healthy environment where
FINAL GRAD: Tolbert poses in her graduation cap and gown for her portrait photos before her college graduation at UGA. Wanting to set an example, Tolbert advanced her education not only for herself but also for those around her. “I recently finished my doctorate degree at UGA, which was one of my major milestones. It was something that I wanted to do for me. I’ve set the example for my girls and I’m the first person on both sides of my immediate family to receive my degrees. It’s been a good thing,” Tolbert said. Photo courtesy of Utevia Tolbert.
the Clarke County School District Learning Center, she was offered a position in CSHS’ administration last summer.
“I didn’t hesitate to take the job, I had visited a year prior and knew all the stuff that happened in our district in gener al,” Tolbert said. “You’re asking me to go into a building with students that I love in a community that I love. Of course I would accept the job.”
she was firm, fair and consistent and I often strive to be that same way.”
Tolbert’s interest in education came from issues like funding cuts, the need for teacher diversity and the lack of care toward students with special needs.
“I actually want to open up a facility that only caters to kids with autism or students with some behavior issues that don’t neces sarily get a chance to engage in other things because of their disability. I want to be that person to help them feel as important as they are.”
Moving forward in her career, Tolbert found herself at the doors of Cedar Shoals. As she worked as the interim principal at
As Tolbert becomes more comfortable in the CSHS environment, she hopes to change the perspective the Athens community has about Cedar Shoals.
“Everybody thinks that Cedar is just bad and it’s the worst place to be, but it’s never been like that. We definitely have our chal lenges, but every school does. We are doing some of the most amazing things but the only thing people can see are the negative things and that drives me insane,” Tolbert said. “We have so many amazing things happening in our building that do not get communicated as often as when negative things happen.”
I feel like my counselors didn’t encourage me enough to go to college or help me de cide what I could do after high school, so I try to do that with my students now.
- Associate Principal of Operations Utevia Tolbert
“ “By Melanie Frick Design by Aiden Dowling
If you have had the chance to explore the Woodlands, a fantasy forest home to magical animals and evil Wolvers, you’re either protagonist Admarie Baxer or a reader of 15-year-old Jadin Fielteau’s graphic novel “The Woodlander.”
“Graphic novels were something that I wanted to try doing, but thought that I should wait until I was older because when you see the back of a book the authors are always adults, so it never oc cured to me that I should try,” Jadin said.
Admarie, The Woodlander’s protag onist, caregiver and explorer, is hesitant at first to venture into the woods behind her house after discovering an uncanny creature. But when her close friend con vinces her there is nothing to be afraid of, she finds herself back where her story began.
by Melanie Frick
“I started thinking about what story I wanted to create and flesh out, so then I just started doing it,” Jadin said. “I was like, ‘Well, I’m in this now’. Then I start ed drawing.”
Although Jadin attended Howard B. Stroud Elementary School from kinder garten until fourth grade, she currently takes online courses through Georgia Virtual School. Jadin’s father, Kidd Fielteau, feels that homeschooling allows his children greater flexibility in certain aspects of their education.
“It’s one of those situations where if you don’t like what is being taught in school, you might as well just do it your self,” Kidd Fielteau said.
Jadin credits her own story develop ments to her early love of reading. Her favorite book series being “The War riors” — stories about the adventures of magical feral cats in fictional forests — is
“My mom would give us story prompts, and I would really enjoy doing those, sometimes too much. I’ve always enjoyed reading, so that’s how I enjoyed creating stories,” Jadin said. “I was like, ‘Well, what if my character did something like this?’ When I started thinking about that, that’s how this story was
Art by Jadin Fielteauand began like most do — with pen and paper.
“I enjoyed drawing little doodles of stuff like Disney things from ‘How To Draw’ books. I would draw the princess es or I’d trace over books that I enjoyed reading. I asked my mom all the time to get some of her thin, transparent paper and I’d trace over it,” Jadin said.
Having the ability to watch Jadin’s art evolve over time, Kidd Fielteau was aware of her improving capabilities.
“There was this one picture of a duck that she did around first grade, and I was like, ‘This is really good for a first grader.’ I’m going to be honest, I’m not one of those parents who is like, ‘This is lovely. Everything is amazing,” Kidd Fielteau said.
Jadin’s art is a family affair with her parents and siblings giving her support. Her younger sister relishes giving Jadin feedback on her characters.
“My sister enjoys giving me critiques on my art and watching what I do. I’ll ask her, ‘What color should this be here?’ Just little stuff like that, she is able to help out,” Jadin said.
Although Jadin is constantly shifting her style, around the age of 10, she start ed experimenting with digital drawing. Finding artists such as YouTube creators Hyanna Natsu and DrawingWiffWaffles helped her blend both anime and nature into her drawings.
“I liked their (DrawingWiffWaffles’) style and how they drew nature, and I was like, ‘I kind of want to just draw something natury as well,’” Jadin said.
“But since I was more into characters, I put a character in nature instead of just drawing nature. That’s where the story started and I developed the story along with her (Admarie) as I created her.”
Comfortable in her art, Jadin never imagined creating an entire graphic novel out of her work.
“I wanted to create my stories and show it to the world and see what would happen, but I always thought that it was something that I should do later or after I had developed more,” Jadin said. “When I started the book, it was more so my dad’s idea.”
The artistic apple didn’t fall far from the tree in Jadin’s family. Both her par ents work at the Lyndon House Art Cen ter in Athens. Kidd Fielteau teaches a
teen media art class, and Tabitha Fiel teau, Jadin’s mom, teaches a sewing class. Kidd Fielteau also works as a photographer and Tabitha Fielteau as a seamstress, and together they run and operate their own women’s motorcycle clothing line, Chic Riot. Knowing that Jadin could eventually sell her novel through Etsy, a platform that Tabitha Fielteau used to sell clothes on, Kidd Fielteau began setting deadlines starting in August of 2020.
“I don’t want to say I forced her into it, but if I didn’t, she would have never even thought about it or tried. I was like, ‘You’re going to make a graphic novel, and you’re going to have one year to do it,’” Kidd Fielteau said.
Once the plan was set, it was time for Jadin to get to work. Putting to gether the various characters she had developed over the years into a comic format took time.
“The most challenging part men tally was writing it because although I did develop the story and wanted this and that to happen, it was also like, ‘Okay, now I have to fully write it out and make it understand able.’ I can’t have people reading my head,” Jadin said.
Both of Jadin’s parents were there to help her with the novel’s dialogue and grammar. Kidd Fielteau ensured that even though Jadin is homes chooled, she knows what publishing a book will be like when her parents are not her editors.
“The script had to be finished in two months, just a rough draft with outlines and sketches,” Kidd Fielteau said. “‘You think I’m being harsh right now until you get into the real world. Then
you have an editor and you have a pub lisher and you have somebody to report to. They’re going to be even worse than me.’ I’m kind of preparing her for when she actually gets out there.”
With Kidd Fielteau’s expertise in photography, in 2018 he handed down his skills in Adobe Photoshop for Jadin’s own digital creation, giving her the re sources she needed to design her graphic novel. Finally Jadin was ready to publish, going through MP Morris Publishing which provides a platform for authors to self-publish graphic novels.
“With a graphic novel there’s the tem plates and the layouts, so there were only a few publishers that we explored. We wanted one that was United States based, and one that had a fast turnaround and
fit cost wise,” Kidd Fielteau said.
Jadin advertised her novel through her Instagram (@art_by_jadin), and her dad took professional photos for her Etsy page (ArtByJadin). She even garnered the attention of Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz who made an Instagram post about Jadin himself.
“For about ten years of my young life, I aspired to be a sequential artist, and never got there, but this 14 year old stands tall and stands as an inspiration to us all,” Girtz wrote.
Girtz’s post caught the eye of local podcaster Victoria Cooper, who featured Jadin on episode 11 of her podcast “little decisions,” a platform to foster kindness and community in the Athens area.
“I told her, ‘If it sells two copies, who cares? You made a book. You did it.’ Honestly, I was surprised that it even sold because I was like, ‘We’re just going to do it to say that you did it, you accom plished something,” Kidd Fielteau said.
But Jadin didn’t have to worry about not selling — in fact, she had to worry about not selling out.
“It was really exciting. I was like, ‘Wow,’ I didn’t think that anyone would want to read it or buy it, like using your own money to buy something that I worked so hard on, so it was really re
warding,” Jadin said.
Having a tangible book to sign and hold felt surreal for Jadin, but she knows that her work is far from done.
“Now that I’m creating my second book, I have a better understanding of how to go about it. There were mistakes that I made before, so I have learned from those as well,” Jadin said.
Currently at the end of her sketching phase for “The Woodlander’s” sequel, Ja din feels confident in what is to come for Admarie and the Woodland creatures.
“Things are going to get more inter esting with the Wolvers. They weren’t too prominent in the first book, so you’re going to see a lot more of them and their ideals,” Jadin said. “I hope for it to be a trilogy.”
SKETCHES: Drawings and doodles are shown of character possibilities for Jadin Fielteu’s graphic novels. Jadin Fiel teau is currently in the process of creating The Woodlander’s sequel, and her father is excited for her to show off her writing skills. “It all started with just an idea and then the script formed. I really liked the firststory, but when I read the second script, I was like, ‘Wow, this is better than the first book.’ I’m not being biased because I would let her know ‘Hey, this story sucks’ but it’s actually better,” Kidd Fielteau said. Art by Jadin Fielteau.
Jadin knows that no matter where life takes her, creating stories will always be a part of her. Selling her books was simply an added bonus to being able to see and hold what she worked so hard to create.
“I think when I finally finished it was the most rewarding,” Jadin said. “When I had everything done and I could scroll through all of the pages and I was like ‘I did this,’ and now I can go back to draw ing other things.”
PART OF THE PROCESS: Jadin Fielteau opens her computer to her sketches on Photoshop. Kidd Fielteau admires Jadin’s hard work.“It’s actually cool to see the process of how it goes to create a story because I couldn’t create one. You have ideas of stories, but to actually flesh it out with the characters and the settings and even the dialogue, es pecially in the second book, the dialogue is actually strong,” Kidd Fielteau said.Photo by Mela
nieFrick.
19year old Jane Foley was pregnant with her first child despite being on birth control at the time of concep tion. She was unaware that the antibiotics she was prescribed made her birth control ineffective.
“There’s a lot of misinformation out there, especially for younger women. I bought my birth control through the health department, and they never mentioned anything about what can make it ineffective,” Foley said. “I went to urgent care for strep throat. They also didn’t mention that when you’re on antibiotics, birth control is ineffective.”
Alexssandra De La Peña is a senior at Clarke Central High School. In February of 2022, she gave birth to her son Giovanni. De La Peña has decided to finish high school and graduate early to support her son.
“His dad is working full time with school to make sure we can provide everything for him. I had to switch my whole plan with school and graduate early so that I can go straight into working and also be able to provide for him,” De La Peña said.
Though pregnancy is a natural part of life, there are many misconceptions about moth erhood in society that can create harmful stigmas.
While some believe pregnancy to be joyous and filled with heartfelt moments and excitement, many moms spend these 40 weeks nervous, uncomfortable, and over whelmed by outside opinions.
Throughout the final weeks of her preg nancy, Foley found her patience diminished as strangers continued to strike up conversa tion, inflicting their own opinions due solely to the fact that she was expecting. Since being interviewed Foley has given birth to her daughter Nova.
“People tend to not ask for consent when you are pregnant. They will come up to me and start touching my stomach in the gro cery store. I walk around now with a differ ent cadence about me, I just want everyone
to leave me alone,” Foley said. “I dread going out in public these days. Every single trip there’s something that happens with a com plete stranger and that’s really tiresome.”
De La Peña has found that throughout her situation, the most important thing has been surrounding herself with people who support her.
“At first I felt like, ‘There’s no way I am going to be able to do this,’ but it really depends on the support you have, regardless of your situation,” De La Peña said. “I was just nervous. I had to go online my second semester of junior year because I was about to give birth. I was managing having a baby and school and it was stressful, but my teachers were very lenient and helpful.”
and maternity leave benefits
According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, longer paid maternity leave results in healthier mothers and babies, decreasing infant mortality rates and even increasing later test scores. United States la bor laws require up to 12 weeks unpaid materni ty leave, howev er these conditions only apply for women working for a company consist ing of over 50 employees. As of 2021, only 26% of state and local gov ernment workers receive paid leave benefits according to The US Bureau of Labor Statis tics. Of the 50 states, only 11 offer publicly funded paid maternity leave.
Deah Wise, mother of two, is 25 weeks pregnant with her third child. She works as a seamstress at State the Label, a women’s clothing store in Athens, but she made the decision to quit her job and stay home with her children once her baby arrives because of the excessive financial expenses for childcare.
“I work for a small business and they were really trying to put together a maternity package, but before they were able to do that I already made the decision that this was going to be best for our family. It’s more ex pensive to have a newborn in daycare, so we prefer that one of us is at home when they’re young,” Wise said.
Fears and new adjustments that come with motherhood
Clinical lactation consultant, certified labor doula and co-owner of local business Athens Born Birth Services Kate DeWolf often sees pregnant women having fears that their opinions will not be heard during childbirth.
“As a doula I see pregnant people feeling worried that their bodily autonomy is not going to be respected. With the health care issues right now regarding restricting wom en’s access to abortion healthcare, I have a lot of clients who are worried about that,” DeWolf said. “They’re worried about what happens if they become pregnant and end up with complications, if they’ll have access to all the procedures that they need.”
With the hormonal, physical and psychological changes women experience throughout pregnancy and childbirth, it is no surprise that they are greeted with varied emotions. Postpartum Depression (PPD), commonly referred to as “Baby Blues,” is depression experienced by a mother after giving birth. According to the CDC, 1 in 8 women experience symptoms of postpartum depression, though numbers may vary by age, race and state.
...There is this shame monster created. You feel like you have to explain why you’re getting a bottle out in public versus breastfeeding. For me, part of it was letting go of expectations. I felt like a failure like, ‘Why can’t I do something that seems so easy and natural for so many women?’
- Deah Wise
“ “
After contracting an infection following her son’s birth, Wise recalls feeling mild symptoms of PPD.
“I definitely had symptoms especially around being hospitalized and having to be away from my son when he was a newborn. That was super hard. I think everyone has some mild form. It isn’t possible to not have some kind of mental setbacks, just because of the lack of sleep, physical challenges and recovery,” Wise said.
One decision expecting mothers must make is whether they will breastfeed or formula feed their baby. Many nutritional benefits come with breastfeeding. Breast milk is filled with antibodies that can help babies develop strong immune systems that protect them from illnesses, according to the CDC. Breastfeeding also tends to be cheaper on average compared to the cost of bottles, water and formula that formula feeding re quires. Due to these benefits, 75% of mothers start out breastfeeding their babies.
Foley plans to breastfeed her daughter, but she understands that many compli cations can take place that could prevent breastfeeding.
“I want to breastfeed, however I am very aware that things don’t always go as planned and sometimes there are complications. Ev ery mother wants to decide for themselves, but knowing that isn’t always an option is stressful,” Foley said. “I am learning that as long as your baby is fed, that’s what matters. Also, for me, it’s honestly about financial
stress. As long as it goes well, breastfeeding is a lot more affordable than formula feeding.”
While Wise intended to breastfeed her previous children, she experienced different complications both times that hindered her ability to do so. She remains hopeful that she will be able to breastfeed with her current pregnancy but understands the complica tions that can arise firsthand.
“I always start out trying to breastfeed. I had different problems with my first two. My daughter may have had a tongue tie; she didn’t eat well. So we had to supplement with formula. I wasn’t able to produce enough milk because she wasn’t demanding enough. We eventually just switched over to formula full time,” Wise said.
Though breastfeeding is often described as “natural,” it is a lengthy process for both the mother and baby to learn. Babies sometimes have difficulties latching and mothers are not always educated on methods to increase milk production. Some hospitals have lactation consultants who specialize in helping women breastfeed but others do not. If there is no access to a lactation specialist at the hospital, women can end up paying $150-350 an hour to meet with a consultant. Some insurance plans will cover the visit of a lactation con sultant, however it is best to call and ask your specific provider.
“At first, it’s a bumpy road. Breastfeeding is not easy at all and it takes so
MEMORIES OF MOTHERHOOD: Jane Foley (right) holds her daughter just moments after her birth. Deah Wise (below) poses for a picture with her two children at the Botanical Gardens. “My husband and I are high school sweethearts. Parenthood for us has been really redeeming in a lot of ways, our life now is really peaceful,” Wise said. Photos courtesy of Deah Wise and Jane Foley.
much for women to produce just an ounce of milk. When I first left the hospital, I was not producing enough milk,” De La Pana said. “I had to change my diet completely just to produce enough. We had to go get formula while I was trying to get my milk production back up.”
DeWolf feels the cultural impact on breastfeeding makes it much more difficult for new mothers to learn.
“The word that we see associated with breastfeeding a lot is natural, and I think the tricky part is in our culture, we use that term to be synonymous with easy, and that really sets parents up with unrealistic expecta tions,” DeWolf said. “It’s actually a learned skill that is taught culturally, and we are not a breastfeeding culture. People don’t grow up seeing that everywhere so they don’t learn.”
Only 40% of women breastfeed for as long as they intend to. Factors leading to this consist of issues with latching, concern about nutrition, changes in medication, unsupportive work policies, lack of support from friends and family and embarrassment to do so in public spaces.
Cultural expectations for mothers to breastfeed their babies can often make formula feeding mothers feel a sense of guilt. Wise felt ashamed when she was unable to breastfeed her son because of her medical condition.
“In an effort to educate people about the benefits of breastfeeding there is this shame monster created. You feel like you have to explain why you’re getting a bottle out in public versus breastfeed ing. I think the pendulum just swings both ways, there are stigmas with both,” Wise said. “For me, part of it was letting go of expectations. I felt like a failure like, ‘Why can’t I do something that seems so easy and natural for so many women?’”
DeWolf feels that whether women choose to breastfeed or formula feed, they are going to be judged regardless.
“I often feel like we’ve set women up for failure and then make them feel bad about not being able to achieve it (breastfeeding). A lot of times, it gets painted as though women are shaming each other, but I think it’s just more that on a systemic level they are not set up for success. I wish that we were focusing our energy more on systemic overhaul, rather than people’s individual day to day choices,” DeWolf said.
While mothers can feel judged for for
mula feeding, it also may feel like there is never a right spot to breastfeed their babies in public.
“There are people out there who fetishize you feeding your child or are offended about it and say that it’s indecent or that you’re drawing attention to yourself. In reality, women don’t want to have themselves exposed. It’s just that their kid is hungry and they need to eat,” Foley said.
De La Peña feels that as long as a mother is making the effort to feed her child, the opinions of others do not matter.
“Nobody’s asking us to cover up while we’re eating, nobody’s judging us while we’re eating. The baby’s doing the same thing. It’s very unnecessary to judge a mom for breastfeeding in public because we’re not going to hide ourselves while eating,” De La Peña said.
Multiple causes led to what is now a national baby formula shortage. In the beginning of 2022, Abbott infant formula was recalled after two babies allegedly died from consuming it. During quarantine, many families stockpiled baby formula out of fear that they would run out, leading to a drastic decrease in the amount of formula produced by many companies. An increase in pregnancies during the pandemic led to increased demand that companies were not prepared to meet. Almost all of the baby formula in the United States is domestical ly produced, and under President Donald
Trump, the United States-Canada-Mexico Agreement was enacted, making it increas ingly more difficult to import baby formula from Mexico and Canada.
Despite the shortage beginning to ease, parents continue to struggle in finding for mula in local grocery stores.
Wise worries that with her past com plications with breastfeeding, she will be unable to breastfeed her baby as well as find formula to feed him.
“With my son, I got a horrible infection that put me in the hospital for a week when he was five weeks old, and that led me to quit breastfeeding early on. I was pretty cer tain that if I ever had kids again, I would just do straight formula, but with the shortage, we circled back to the idea of breastfeeding,” Wise said. “I’m really hoping breastfeeding is a great success this time around because the formula shortage is really scary. There are so many different formulas out there and once you find the one that works for your baby, I can’t imagine having to hunt that down or use something else.”
The belief that formula food is unhealthy or harmful for babies is inaccurate. Though breast milk has many nutritional benefits for infants, baby formula is still a beneficial alternative, and can even aid some supple ments that breastfeeding cannot.
Despite studies showcasing the misinfor mation spread about formula versus breast milk, many people still tend to judge moth ers for formula feeding their children.
“There’s still information out there that is inaccurate. People will say, ‘Formula babies, they won’t sleep as long’ or ‘They don’t get the right nutrients.’ The judgment is very unnecessary and nobody should feel bad for formula feeding. Nobody should feel bad about taking care of their child. Anyway that you’re taking care of your baby should be your decision,” Foley said.
Despite outside opinions and judgment regarding parenting, raising a child takes time and new moms are there to learn what works best for them along the way.
“There’s no rulebook on how to be a mom. You’re not going to be the perfect mom in two days or a week, it all just takes time. And being how young I was, I just tried to remember to take time for myself and not listen to what other people had to say. You know your baby and that’s it,” De La Peña said.
U.S. labor laws require up to 12 weeks unpaid maternity leave for women employed at companies with greater than 50 employees.
As of 2021, Only 26% of state and local government workers receive paid leave bene ts.
Of the 50 states, only 11 o er publicly funded paid maternity leave.
82% of Americans want some form of federal paid maternity leave.
19% of American workers are covered by a de ned paid family leave bene t.
By Ikeoluwa Ojo Design by Megan Wise
As students flood the halls of Cedar Shoals High School tropical scents of conditioners, gels and hair jams follow the crowd. These products go into the creation of heart-designed cornrows, knotless braids with wooden beads and locs with blond highlights, which are just a few examples of the wide variety of hairstyles sported by students.
How one’s hair is styled can play a large role in their confidence and self identity. For senior Jordan Smith, the importance of her hair appearance goes deeper than the follicles growing from her scalp.
“I love my hair simply because of its versatility. When I change hairstyles it feels like a new me,” Smith
LAE BAES: Senior Inya Waller (left) and sophomore Skylar Brightwell (right) are featured posing with hair from Xavier Wymb’s business HairLae. Waller is wearing a lace frontal wig, and Brightwell is wearing a frontal wave wig. “As one of Zae’s brand ambassadors I have to make sure that my hair is always up to par,” Waller said. Photo
said. Because Afro-textured hair takes more effort to maintain and is prone to break age in its natural state, protective styling is a more popular choice.
“I feel more confident in a protective style like braids not just because it looks cute but because I know my natural hair is being kept safe and growing,” Smith said. “It also takes a way shorter time to get ready in the morning so that’s a big plus.”
Hairstyles like braids, wigs and twists are known for preserving hair health by tucking away natural hair from damaging factors like extreme temperatures and over-manipulation.
This reality was one of the driving fac tors behind junior Xavier (Zae) Wymb’s hair vendor business “Hair Lae.” He sells closures, bundles, wigs and
“My support system is full of girls and women, so I thought why
a business to cater to them and their hair?” Wymbs said.
Wymbs found inspiration for his busi ness in a marketing class he took in the spring of 2020 when he was assigned the task of designing a business.
“That’s when I came up with the idea for ‘Hair Lae.’ When I presented my idea to my classmates I received a lot of great feedback from the African American girls and my teacher Ms. (Michelle) Paterick,” Wymbs said.
On July 22, Wymbs turned his classroom assignment into a profitable endeavor and launched his business.
“I’m not even a month in and I’ve got ten over 10 sales and have over 150 girls signed up to be LaeBaes, which is what I call the customers on the mailing list,” Wymbs said.
He credits the attention HairLae has received to his large social media presence, having business accounts on Instagram, Pinterest, Tiktok and Twitter.
-Can also be referred -A style of braiding hair close to the scalp in di erent lines or designs
“I’m everywhere because I want to get my business out there any way that I can,” Wymbs said.
In addition to showcasing the hair he offers and customer reviews, Wymbs utilizes trending jokes and themes with the posts he creates.
“ “
“I make sure that all of my posts generate customer engagement. One example was a post I made that had a reference to the movie ‘Mean Girls.’ The post stated ‘On Fridays we wear frontals,’” Wymbs said.
Sophomore Skylar Brightwell was one of the first few HairLae customers. What caught her attention when purchasing was the price of the hair.
“I purchased a frontal wave wig from
Zae and the hair was soft, there was no shedding and it was so thick,” Bright well said. “I really expected it to cost way more because with this type of hair anywhere else it definitely would.”
HairLae prices range from $150 to $510. Products can be purchased through Hairlae.com.
“I put myself in other people’s shoes when I was making my price list. I asked myself how much would I want my mother or sister to pay? And the result was prices that were affordable. Not cheap, but affordable for great quality hair,” Wymbs said.
For senior Ramyia Adams, braiding hair was a skill that came naturally.
“I started doing my own hair around sixth grade, then in ninth grade I started doing the hair of my family members and friends that asked me,” Adams said.
It wasn’t until Adams felt she displayed the necessary expertise that she decided to create an actual business.
“After a while when I saw that I was getting better I thought ‘okay, I can actually make some money from this,’” Adams said.
Her prices range from $90 to $130 and she offers hairstyles with or without hair extensions.
“I can do twists, locs, braids, and I do re-twists as well. It’s really fun for me to try new styles,” Adams said.
Cedar Shoals graduate Deshauna Foote Is one of Adams’ customers.
by Zaya Roberson“She did some faux locs on me and I loved the finished result,” Foote said.
-“Bundle of hair”
-Small amount of the hair extensions needed for a style such as a sew in
Infographic by Ikeoluwa Ojo Art by Ava Maddox
“Ramyia is just an encouraging and sweet person overall, she kept me laughing throughout the whole process.”
-“Bundle of hair”
-Can be curly, wavy straight etc.
-Small amount of the hair extensions needed for a style such as a sew in
-Can be curly, wavy straight etc.
-Attaches to a lace base that resembles the scalp
-Attaches to a lace base that resembles the scalp
-Can be added to a wig or sew-in -Can change the parting -2x6, 4x4, 6x6, 13x6
-Can be added to a wig or sew-in -Can change the parting -2x6, 4x4, 6x6, 13x6
As a home-based stylist Adams finds time for her clients in her busy schedule.
-Can have lace front -Human hair or synthetic -Can be glued down on top of wig cap or just sat on the head
-Can have lace front -Human hair or synthetic -Can be glued down on top of wig cap or just sat on the head
“Over the summer I was averaging five clients a week, but now with volleyball and school it’s more like one or two or whenever I can make time,” Adams says.
Clients book Adams’ services through her Instagram account @creationsbyram where she also showcases her work.
-“Bundle of hair”
-Strip hair extension that goes ear to ear -Lace base
-Can be sewn onto bundles -Can be made into a wig
-Strip hair extension that goes ear to ear -Lace base -Can be sewn onto bundles -Can be made into a wig
-Small amount of the hair extensions needed for a style such as a sew in
SO MANY STYLES TO CHOOSE FROM: A graphic showing eight different pop ular hairstyles and types. Junior Xavier Wymbs sells each of these hair types through his busi ness HairLae. Senior Ramyia Adams does these four styles in addition to many others. Infographic by Ikeoluwa Ojo. Art by Ava Maddox.
As she makes plans for college, Adams also plans for the future of her business.
“I plan on owning my own salon in the future. I’m going to college for a busi ness degree and then I’m going to take cosmetology classes,” Adams said.
-Can have lace front -Human hair or synthetic
-Can be glued down on top of wig cap or
I love seeing the great reactions of my clients after they see my finished work.
- Ramyia Adams, seniorPhoto by Zaya Roberson
My support system is full of girls and women, so I thought why not create a business to cater to them and their hair?
- Xavier Wymbs, junior
“ “Photo
The BluePrints literary arts magazine is a temporary section that will eventually be curated into its own volume titled “The Little Blue Book.” The goal of this project is to gather Cedar Shoals students’ creative works and showcase them to the community in a separate published volume. The two selections “My mother’s purse” and “Thursday night dinners” are fictional short stories.
So who are we?
Senior Ava Maddox is the Art Director for BluePrints Mag azine. She is passionate about writing and art and hopes to make “The Little Blue Book” a bigger outlet for all writers and artists at Cedar Shoals who want their work published.
Senior Mallory Huntsman is a staff writer for BluePrints Maga zine. Huntsman plays softball and is passionate about pursuing a career through either English or journalism. She hopes to leave the literary magazine in good hands and inspire students to create more volumes in upcoming years.
y mother’s purse, a treasure trove of the Dickensian feminine that underlined her. There were gawking objects that were inside of it:
Half eaten spearmint Mentos, opened like a small mouse, she would occasionally pop a few. Guerlain kiss-kiss red lip cream, no.327 red strass, the same kind that Marilyn Monroe would use. Her wallet — wartorn from its constant opening. Keys that opened many doors, who knows where? She constantly lost her house keys, as the varnished chain was slightly broken which in turn was a torment. And hiding amongst the large pile of year-old receipts, the small clumps of gum debris, the living biotic creatures of the purse, was a collection of off-brand acetaminophen.
By Ava Maddox (she/her)
MyPURSE mother and I were not close. As she was a continuous case of despoliation for the pharmacists over on Hopkins Street, I was rather a havoc in the small niche movement of teenage communist readers. I was crazy when I was younger, the abundance of stress pimples were always sprawled asymmetrically across my face, creating Rorschach tests for observers to figure out.
Which admittedly was not possible. As for my mother, she was always ill growing up. Surprisingly she never wished to get better. I’d sponge bathe her in lavender soaped water, dry her hair with the already damp towel and help her into her clothes and eventually into bed where I’d tuck the pink quilt she inherited from her dead aunt around her skeletal body.
It was strange to see how she chose to stay that way — purposely. I’d walk into the room to check on her, quietly, not to wake her, and see the proper medication I’d given her had not been eaten or even touched. It was like she set herself up for a life of disappointment, only because she hated herself — which was her last cry for attention.
I never told anyone this, but she was a freak of unloading her sadness onto me, a freak of greed. Her faked kindness shown through each sob, and left her audience’s reactions always interpreting her guilt trip as their own sympathy. We cried over her — our families did, as she whittled away to her last breath. She had refused a job, a doctor’s appoint ment, a therapist … the list would go on. She had refused it all to sit and wallow in the puddle of her own sulk.
My mother. I had grown to despise her as she aged each day, and each complaint about her sagged and dying skin. And every time my sympathy grew bored — she got angry with me, throwing things, particu larly bottles of soured whiskey.
She was a heavy drinker, a Venetian wine enthusi ast and pool playing alcoholic. When I was seven she would make me go to the liquor store for her — to steal her a week’s supply of vodka that would surely only last a few days.
But alas, my mother was sick. My poor mother, how could I ever help her heal from her pain? My poor mother, how could I ever carry on knowing my mother is bedridden?
Presently, her purse was held to her chest when she finally walked into the damp corridors of a doctor’s office. With each step came a small winded blow from her red strass flavored lips. The white silk purse, with small strings dangling from its dirtied zipper. Flowers made of cream and pink colored beads were specially sewn on the outside, and its wrinkles rustled with my mother’s tight squeeze. The debris of her mascara’d eyelashes prickled from her batted lids as she twisted and twirled the spearmint flavored gum in her mouth. Eventually after an eternity of stares and small whispers of conversation from the other patients, the doctor came and got us. When he called her name, she let go of the purse, and firmly handed it to me. She didn’t know she would be diagnosed that day, but at this point I had given up my attention to her, I didn’t know she would be diagnosed either.
She would take them. One after breakfast, one after lunch, one after dinner.y mom and I used to inhabit the same pub on the corner of our street every Thursday for as long as my mind can recall. No unexpected dilemma or later time could stop us from ordering the same platter of soggy boneless wings with fries. The food was not good, it never was, but it was close and time efficient so we visited every week. It was a symbol of love for us: the love we shared for each other and the love that would later be lost.
Our week wouldn’t be too hectic. Involved in a pandemic and staying home most of the time, we didn’t have much to catch up on. We already knew every thing. But, being at the restaurant was like a small vacation, a way for us to make fun of such a drowsy, mundane time. My mom was miserable, the world quite literally took her by storm. She got consumed by the frantic way of life, the politics, and the fear of possibly never being able to experience normal again. Staying home constantly — seeing the same people, doing the same things — takes a toll on a person, and watching someone crumble in such a way was difficult. My mom has always been a bull of a woman, someone who could never be broken down. A tear? Never to be seen trickling down her face. But, somehow, I watched her eyes become even more lifeless. You count on your parents for reassurance and love during scary and unknowing times; my mom was never good at comfort in the first place, but she declined even more. Nonetheless, the pub was the highlight of our week. When I was little, my parents separated: quick, easy, done. Although my mom saw her now husband and my grandmother all the time, she didn’t get to see me as much. It was much easier for us to get along with each other when we could experience time away. We shared different opinions on how we viewed the world and the people around us, butting heads constantly. I never wanted to end up the way she did, and maybe it’s wrong for me to say such a thing, but I still deeply admired her passion for things she cared about. I always admired my mom. Long brown hair, practically black. A hollowed wrinkled face containing tar black piercing eyes. An infectious smile, a small mole on the side of her cheek, and dimples noticeable from miles away. She was a pretty woman whose small imperfections made her gorgeousness undeniable. Growing up I considered her my role model. In my mind, no one topped her, nor could anyone amount to the love and respect I had for her, but life goes on. People change and love is lost.
So this particular night at the pub was our last and truthfully I don’t think I’ll ever know why. A cold, brisk December night hit my face hard as the loud squeaky garage door slowly opened. My mom ran back inside to grab my grandmother’s keys, neither of us wanting to waste our own gas tanks to make the two mile trip. I decided to stand outside to wait impatiently.
My grandmother was almost ninety years old, mentally rotting in her individual room inside our house. Mom took her in when she felt Gran couldn’t take care of herself anymore. Sometimes through my grandmother’s mannerisms I wondered if she really wanted this. Ever since my grandfather died, she loved living in her own world, never missing her bridge club meetings. She was healthy for her age, still driving and grocery shopping. We used to visit her small apartment right across from my high school every Friday to have dinner or help her bring her groceries in. She enjoyed the small things, but my mom was an overbearing person. She didn’t quite enjoy her own mother’s company and tended to criticize my grandmother for normal things she enjoyed. Their opinions differed in almost every aspect of life, and my mom believed she was always right. So, yes, I did wonder why Gran wanted to be here everyday and live through the same torment, but then I always reached the same conclusion: she probably didn’t have a choice. My mom exited the side door to the garage looking unkempt. The smell of patchouli was reeking from her clothes and the clicking of her high-heeled thrift ed shoes echoed through the concrete room. The once impatient feeling in my stomach quickly drifted away and a word was not sputtered between us as we both jumped in the car. We were so used to the same routine that it felt as though words didn’t need to be exchanged anymore. This quiet feeling became familiar as the infamous Thursday nights continued. So, the drive was quiet and freezing.
It was raining and as I looked at the raindrops trickling down the window, I believed they were racing, creating a distraction for my mind as the drive concluded. The parking lot was practically empty, only a truck and a beat up Honda Accord occupied the front two spots. My mom slowly pulled in before backing out once more and correcting her parking.
The restaurant was empty as we dragged our shoes over the carpet, cleaning the rain off. The hostess looked drowsy and tired. I would be too at 8 p.m. on
a Thursday night. The usual live music that played was gone as everyone packed up to leave. The hostess led us to a small booth in the corner of the room next to a glass window that covered the entirety of the right side of the restaurant. Looking out, I could tell the rain storm was slowly fading away. The leather was colder than the outside air as I slid in to sit at the end of the booth. My mom motioned that she was headed to the bathroom, and while silently nodding to her, I distracted myself with my phone.
Creeping into the seat across from me, my mom gave me a quick glance and grabbed the menu. We always got the same thing, but my mom tended to always ask about what we were going to get, knowing that it annoyed me. My mom has always been a naturally funny person, we shared the same sense of humor for as long as I could remember. She could make anyone laugh, but her humor slowly declined with her mental state. She still managed to point out the funny moments in life, making me feel a little lighter. The joke she attempted to make a second ago did not make me feel very light, but she knew it wouldn’t.
Tonight felt different, more awkward, more forced. The pandemic’s control on our lives was coming to a close, and my first day of in-person school was next Monday. I thought my mom might miss me. I mean, I’d still see her at home and we’d exchange a couple how are you’s, but I would be more occupied and focused on other things rather than just being home doing nothing. I secretly knew I would miss her, and I would miss the bond we shared. But, I also thought this would be beneficial for our relationship, that we needed this period of time without each other. That would not be the case. The night flowed fairly normal despite my earlier doubts. We enjoyed the food, cracked jokes and made small talk as usual. My mom complained about her job while I complained about online school. Noticing that the restaurant was completely empty and we were the last two left, we exited the booth giving a faint wave goodbye to our waitress. The drive home felt almost as silent as the drive there had accomplished. The rain completely gave out and all that was left on the road was a light gray mist. I looked over at my mom who looked like she was in her own world probably stressing over thousands of problems. But, somehow, in that moment she looked the prettiest I’ve ever seen her be. Never did I think walking out of that car that day would be the last time the Thursday dinners happened. But it was, and after the garage door shut, the dinners stopped. I liked to believe that it was just our busy schedules that tore us away from each other, but in reality it was our minds. Oh how much they differed.
Now, I look at her with sorrow. Over the course of the pandemic, our opinions could not be further from each other. Our time that we used to spend to gether doesn’t happen anymore, our occasional small talk completely diminished. Maybe my love isn’t fully lost, how could it be? She’s my mother after all, the woman who brought me in this world. But being neglected and hurt by someone who’s supposed to love you hurts worse than anything. No matter how much the world could go back to being normal again, it would never be the same as it was. Not just my mom but everyone changed, the world changed drastically, the way of life changed. And that whole dynamic took my mom with it, took me with it, took my friends with it. I want to believe that everyone was the same person that they were before the pandemic, that nothing had changed. But to my dismay, everything had changed.
