Issue 1, Volume 1

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VOLUME 1 > Issue 1 Winter 2016

BY AND FOR THE YOUTH OF LOUISVILLE

TEEN REFUGEES SPEAK OUT [p. 24] POLICIES AFFECT TRANSGENDER KENTUCKY TEENS • DACA GIVES OPPORTUNITIES TO LOUISVILLE STUDENTS • BEHIND LOUISVILLE’S INDIE MUSIC SCENE

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WINTER 2016 Contents 4

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Bravery at Any Age A tragic situation helps a high school senior find purpose.

Birds of Another Feather The journey of a refugee — from Burma to Thailand to home.

Misidentified National and state policies affect the school lives of Kentucky’s transgender teens.

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River Town Sound

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Now Walk it Out

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Food for Thought

A Little Piece of the Dream DACA helps youth access education and employment.

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My New Kentucky Home

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Developments

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Election News for the Confused

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From the Fringe

How Louisville’s indie music history continues to influence us.

Tobijah Hughley finds a place on U of L’s football team as a walk-on.

Asian-born teens adopted into white families can feel disconnected with their place of birth.

Mayor Greg Fischer welcomes Syrian refugees at November’s rally.

An illustrated breakdown of the candidates for the 2016 election.

Analyzing the youth support for Trump and Sanders.

Study, hang out, and grab a bite at these affordable Louisville restaurants.

FROM THE

LETTER EDITORS Dear Readers,

Unrepresented. Underappreciated. Under-reported.

We, the youth of Louisville, live in a society where decisions are often made for us and not directly by us. Rarely will you hear our voices and ideas broadcast on the same level as the adults who control news media. Walk into your local coffee shop and note the lack of journalistic publications representing the youth culture and population in our community. While professional media strive to cover all ages, there is a visible lack of youth perspective and youth voice.

We decided to change this pattern by creating a publication that would speak up for the unheard youth voices — a publication that would serve as a news outlet not only for the youth, but also for everyone in our community. We envision a publication that aims to compete with the professional publications in story quality, gives youth the information that directly impacts our lives, and provides a platform for youth to speak out when other media won’t on our behalf.

While not all youth have the ability to vote, the votes that adults make directly affect our lives presently and for the years to come. We deserve to hear about the news that is related to us. We are journalists, and we want to bring issues to the forefront. We want to produce stories that bring change to our community, especially to the youth.

This is why we created On the Record, a newsmagazine created for youth, by youth. Our transition from a school newspaper to a locally distributed magazine was not an easy decision.

However, we felt that we had the writers, photographers, and designers to take on the task of filling this void in local journalism. This task has proved challenging during the process of creating our first issue. Our writers have tackled difficult issues such as gender identity in schools, refugees in our community, and how adoption has affected local youth.

Our copy editor Harper Carlton spent a number of weekends and weeknights attending Crescent Hill Baptist Church and immersing herself in the congregation and the youth group, learning about the refugees who call it home. Our writers Chris Roussell and Olivia Millar used their music knowledge and connections to secure interviews from some of the biggest names in Louisville indie music. With these features and others, we are learning the art of long form journalism because we don’t believe that youth only want simplified, bite-sized information all the time.

This first issue was not just a one-person job. The staff worked as a team to produce a magazine that would shed light on youth issues in our community. With a staff of 30 seniors, juniors and sophomores at duPont Manual High School, it took time for us to get on our feet with our new magazine format. Now we hope to publish quarterly as we keep improving our writing, photography, and design.

Sincerely, Josh and Erin

On the Record is published by the students of the Journalism & Communication Magnet at

duPont Manual High School, 120 W. Lee St., Louisville, KY 40208. Visit us at ontherecordmag.com.

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES See our rates at ontherecordmag.com/ads or email us at ontherecord@manualjc.com.

CONTRIBUTIONS To submit writing, art or photography, see our guide at ontherecordmag.com/contribute.

SUBSCRIPTIONS INFORMATION See page 41 for subscription directions or go to ontherecordmag.com/subscribe.

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STAFF EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Josh Jean-Marie • Erin Woggon

MANAGING EDITOR Breya Jones

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Avalon Gupta VerWiebe

COPY EDITOR Harper Carlton

WRITERS Zakeya Baker • Cameron Daniel Alice Deters • Sylvia Goodman Jordan Gould • Meghan Jewell Will Lake • Kim Le Karac Medley • Olivia Millar Chris Roussell • Melissa Scianimanico Sarah Sullivan • Lizzie Ward

SPORTS EDITOR Will Kuhn

PHOTO EDITOR Sam Sims

PHOTOGRAPHERS Chris Collina • Sarah Schmidt Jordyn Stumpf

DESIGN EDITOR Sam Weible

DESIGNERS Nyah Mattison • Ella Mays Maddy Williams

MARKETING DIRECTORS Emily Cieminski •Alice Harris

CONTRIBUTING ARTIST Dillon Pinholster

ADVISER Liz Palmer

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Kaden Runner (17, St. Francis) found it difficult to be a transgender student while engaging in his favorite activities, such as bowling, as a result of Kentucky High School Athletic Association policies.

New policies affect Kentucky transgender teens

Words by Olivia Millar and Melissa Scianimanico | Photos by Chris Collina and Josh Jean-Marie

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In this article, the pronouns he/him, she/her, and they/them are used at the person’s request.

he morning meeting had just ended at St. Francis High School of Louisville. Kaden Runner, a junior at the time, was walking up the stairs when his athletic director pulled him to the side of the stairwell and told him something he never expected to hear: because of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s (KHSAA) policies, he would no longer be able to compete with the bowling team unless he played with the girls.

Runner was not only irritated, but disappointed. It was the first time since eighth grade that his Osgood-Schlatter disease, a condition that forced Runner to wear a knee brace, was subdued enough to allow him to participate in one of his favorite pastimes, sports.

“I got really upset later in the year, probably mid‐to late January,” Runner said.

Runner had the skill and had the drive, but he still couldn’t play for one reason — the KHSAA policy.

Runner is a female-to-male (FTM) transgender teen. Due to this aspect of his identity, and the 2014-2015 KHSAA Transgender Participation Policy, he was not allowed to compete with the team corresponding to his gender. The eligibility code for students participating in interscholastic athletics has many specific prerequisites in order for transgender students to play, most of them requiring certain amounts of physical transition.

The KHSAA policy states that in order to be associated with and participate on the team that matches Runner’s gender, he would either need sex reassignment surgery before puberty (which is often not possible for a person of that age), or he would need recent surgery and ongoing hormonal treatment.

This policy makes it difficult for transgender student athletes to participate in sports programs. Runner says it’s inadequate because it suggests that there is only one way to transition, and it assumes that everyone has the money, time, and permission from a doctor to have surgeries.

Policies concerning discrimination against transgender students have been a hot topic nationally.

Harper Tobin, a ‘99 Atherton High School graduate, serves as the Director of Policy at the National Center for Transgender Equality in Washington, DC. “This is an issue that schools have been tackling more and more,” Tobin said, “not because transgender students weren’t there before, but because with the increase of visibility and acceptance of transgender people in society, young people are more able to come out at a younger age to stay true to who they are, and their parents are more likely to understand what they’re saying and support them.”

The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) works with Congress and organizations to advocate for and improve the lives of transgender people in school, work, housing, health care, documentation, and even the criminal justice system. They work with a variety of organizations on

both a federal and local level to help provide guidance and support on behalf of all transgender people.

One goal of advocacy organiztions like the NCTE is to introduce policies that provide support and learning opportunities for school staff, students, and parents. These policies would allow transgender students to freely express themselves and be identified according to their gender identity. In addition, those students would have the liberty to choose how private they want to be about their identity, while also being able to be identified by their chosen name without the fear of bullying.

According to “Injustice at Every Turn,” a national transgender discrimination report released in 2011 by the National LGBTQ Task Force, students who expressed themselves as transgender or gender nonconforming from kindergarten through twelfth grade reported immense incidents of harassment. Seventy eight percent of surveyed students reported general harassment. In addition, 35 percent reported physical assault while 12 percent reported cases of sexual violence. As a result, about 15 percent of survey participants left school.

While there is room for new laws and policies to be put into effect, the federal law Title IX provides a base upon which to expand. Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in any educational program or activity receiving federal assistance. On April 29, 2014, the U.S. Department of Education issued clarification that the discrimination and bullying of transgender people is prohibited under Title IX. Locally in JCPS, transgender students’ bathroom usage is a controversial issue that has been covered considerably by local media. The struggles of local transgender students made headlines when the School-Based Decision Making Council of Atherton High School decided to allow its transgender students to use the bathroom and locker room of their gender identity. However, this decision was not binding with other Jefferson County Public Schools or Louisville’s private schools.

However, the Jefferson County Board of Education did address the plight of transgender students when it voted 6-1 to change the wording of JCPS’s anti-discrimination policy on Aug. 24, updating the policy to protect harassment based on gender identity and gender expression. Superintendent Donna Hargens explained that under the new bill, transgender students or staff members who feel threatened would report the issue in the same manner as a student who was discriminated against for their race or religion would: by going to administrators and filing a complaint.

Valerie Pfister is a 24-year-old genderqueer grad student at University of Louisville and mentor at the Louisville Youth Group, a group that aims to provide a safe and encouraging skjdvhkjshdfgsHDGKSJDHFHJSHDKFHSHKJAHSDAAAhfgffff community for LGBTQIA youth ages 14 through 20. Pfister is hopeful that this addition to the policy will spread tolerance.

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TRANSGENDER

Someone who Identifies as a different Gender Than they were assigned at birth

NON-BINARY

While listening to their president, Oberon Coverdale (17) describe a game, duPont Manual High School’s Gay, Straight, Transgender Alliance gather for their weekly meeting on Sept. 14. Photo credit: Haeli Spears

umbrella term for all genders other than female/ male or woman/man

Genderqueer

people who do not identify within the gender binary

“I think it will spark acceptance in the district if the appropriate training and support is given to the staff who have to uphold the new policy,” Pfister said.

JCPS Board member Lisa Willner agreed. “Now that we’ve passed this policy, we have a responsibility to make sure training is available,” said Willner.

As recognition of the issue expands, Pfister and Willner expect JCPS administration and staff to develop into a more considerate and open-minded community. They also predict that the implementation of the new policy throughout JCPS will grant students the opportunity to understand that gender identity and gender expression are not something people have control over, much like other protected characteristics such as race and sex. Also, JCPS has added an LGBT Task Force, the goal of which is to “create concrete policy for how to support LGBTQ students so they

may succeed in JCPS,” according to Clare Gervasi, a member of the task force.

However, some are worried about the effectiveness and implementation of this policy change.

“I think it could be a helpful bill, but at the same time I’m a little afraid of what this will bring on trans students,” said Rowan Little, a non-binary junior at duPont Manual. “A lot of people attribute equality and acceptance in school to political correctness and being oversensitive.”

In some cases, policies like these have even been overturned.

Gavin Grimm and the American Civil Liberties Union asked a Virginia school board to allow him to use a bathroom that correlated with his gender. After parents complained and the case was reviewed, the district court ruled that Grimm would no longer be able to use his bathroom of choice.

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The Louisville Youth Group gathers during their annual leadership camp in October, which is offered at no charge for all the youth that attend.

Photo courtesy of the Louisville Youth Group

Isabel Sleczkowski (16) and Jordan Conley-Endicott (16) reflect on the highlights of their week during the weekly meeting of Atherton High School’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance on Dec. 11.

Some schools are working with in-school programs to help prevent or mediate these conflicts.

The Gay, Straight, Transgender Alliance (GSTA), referred to as GSA nationally, was created in part to help and guide schools in the creation and implementation of policies and help them succeed. It is a club for students to support each other, to discuss issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity, and to work to empower and inform students on how to end homophobia and transphobia.

For example, some GSAs work towards LGBTQ visibility, reducing violence, fighting slurs in school, fighting for LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum, and making schools an overall safer place for transgender and gender nonconforming youth. duPont Manual’s GSTA president, senior Oberon Coverdale, listed some

of the accomplishments the club has had, including “...the way bathrooms are gendered, putting gender neutral bathrooms in the VA ( Visual Arts) annex and near the other side of the school...sensitivity training to all the faculty and staff of Manual...the way homecoming was done...and the organization of caps and gowns for graduation to be more inclusive instead of gendered.”

Recently, Runner was allowed to change the gender marker on his passport. With this change, St. Francis submitted his new passport and physician letter to the KHSAA. In October, Runner heard from his athletic director that the KHSAA had approved the change, and he would be allowed to play on the boys’ team.

“I just hope we are given equal opportunities and if we’re not, given reasons that aren’t ignorant,

LGBT SUPPORT RESOURCES Louisville Youth Group (LYG): Organization to support LGBTQIA youth.

LYG meets at First Lutheran Church on Wednesdays and Fridays. For more details, visit louisvilleyouthgroup.com or email Valerie Pfister at lygexdir@gmail.com.

TSTAR: Organization focused on increasing awareness of and appreciation for gender diversity in the south. For information on how to get involved, visit tstarlab.com or email Clare Gervasi at gervasi@tstarlab.com.

GSA Network: Organization that empowers youth activists to challenge homophobia and transphobia in schools through Gay-Straight Alliance clubs. For more information, visit gsanetwork.org.

uneducated, or make me feel like my community has been glazed over,” Runner said. “It feels nice to be recognized and acknowledged, and that’s what I hope for.” •

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After moving to America at age 7, Jesenia Avila-Ugalde (20, JCTC) gained legal status as a result of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy. “Waiting for the documents to come back was the worst part because it was such a long and hard process, and we had waited for so long to have more of a status here,� Avila-Ugalde said.

A LITTLE PIECE of the

DREAM THE CREATION OF DACA three years ago HAS GIVEN STUDENTS A CHANCE TO PURSUE the American dream Words by Meghan Jewell and Sarah Sullivan Photo by Meghan Jewell

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ive-year-old Isai Sanchez sat down at the kitchen table, a pencil and form in his hands. It was something he had done countless times before because he was the only English-speaking member of his household. This time, he came across a box he had never seen before with nine blank spots.

In confusion, Sanchez asked his mother, “What is a Social Security number?”

She looked at her son and told him the truth: their family didn’t have Social Security numbers.

Sanchez had always been proud of his Mexican heritage. He grew up speaking Spanish with his family, and he still keeps in contact with relatives in Mexico. But not

being able to fill out the Social Security box made him question himself; this was the first time he could remember feeling like he had no idea who he was.

“Am I an American or just a ‘stupid Mexican immigrant’?” Sanchez said. “I always struggled with identity issues. I felt like an American with a Mexican background, but since I wasn’t an ‘official American,’ it was hard really for me to know who I was. As I grew up, that’s when I started looking into ways to change my status, and maybe my family’s too.”

Once Sanchez learned more about his status and understood his family’s situation better, he wanted to do everything he could to fill in those nine blank spots. Even though he and his family were struggling

financially and still figuring out how to fit in with the American community, they had the hope that the government would do something that would help them to become legal residents.

In 2001, it looked like Sanchez’s dreams might come true when U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) proposed the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act). But the same year it was proposed, the Senate shot the act down, and Sanchez lost hope of obtaining legal status. The DREAM Act would have created an easier and more accessible path to citizenship for people residing illegally in the United States, and without it there wasn’t anything in place to help.

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Sanchez and others continued to hope for some sort of action that would allow them to be in the United States legally. Eleven years later, some federal changes began to occur.

On June 15, 2012, President Barack Obama announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. DACA provides a way for the applicants to stay in the United States legally in two-year increments.

It also allows them to legally obtain a Social Security number, a driver’s license, and an ability to apply for jobs lawfully.

In order to qualify for this action, applicants must have been in the United States before the age of 16, lived in the United States continuously since 2007, been in the United States when Obama announced the action, be currently enrolled in school or the military, and have no criminal record.

DACA allows people who fulfill these requirements to find lawful employment and contribute to the economy legally and without the fear of being deported. Although DACA is not the same path to citizenship that the DREAM Act would have been, it has eased some fear of deportation.

Jesenia Avila-Ugalde was seven years old when she and her family made their journey to the United States. Her father, who had left for America two years earlier, returned to Mexico to bring Avila-Ugalde, her mother, and her younger brother back to America with him. Avila-Ugalde’s mother was fearful and reluctant to leave their home, family, friends, and their life. Eventually the promise of a better education for her children changed her mind.

In the first couple years, her family’s undocumented status did not cause many problems. But eventually, Avila-Ugalde and her family realized that they had a lot of reasons to worry.

“Because my dad owns his own mechanic shop, nobody even guessed we were undocumented,” Avila-Ugalde said. “We never shared our status with anyone for fear of judgement and deportation, but when DACA was announced, we all had hope. It also allowed us to be much more open about our status.”

For Avila-Ugalde, DACA was an enormous relief.

“My parents were always worried about me or my brother being deported back to Mexico, but with DACA, it eased their fears.

It also gave them hope for us to continue our education,” said Avila-Ugalde, now 20 and attending Jefferson Community and Technical College. “Because of DACA, I’m now in college and studying multimedia. If DACA wasn’t in place, it would be almost impossible.”

The process isn’t simple. In order to qualify for the action, applicants need nine different forms to prove that they are eligible.

If everything is not in order, the application will not be accepted. After the DACA applicants mail in the forms and documents, there is an average of four to nine months until the work permit is issued.

“Waiting for the documents to come back was the worst part because it was such a long and hard process, and we had waited for so long to have more of a status here,” Avila-Ugalde said.

When the day came, Avila-Ugalde trembled as she opened the letter. Her family anxiously stood around her. After months of waiting, she couldn’t believe her card might actually be in her hands. She says when she slipped the papers out of the envelope, she could barely see because tears of joy and relief were streaming down her face. She had finally received her card — all of her hard work had paid off.

While the action provided temporary relief, doubts and potential consequences also followed.

“Because DACA is an executive decision, the next president could come along and decide not to continue with the action,” said Kate Miller, a spokesperson for the Louisville branch of the American Civil Liberties Union. “This caused concern for many undocumented immigrants because their names would all be on a spreadsheet, so to speak. And if the next president decided to take these names and have them deported, they could.”

The amount of doubt and worry that accompanied putting their status out in the open caused some immigrants to not apply for DACA. But for Avila-Ugalde and Sanchez, the choice was clear.

"

We never shared our status with anyone for fear of judgement and deportation. " -Jesenia Avila-Ugalde

When Obama announced DACA, Sanchez’s mother took him to a lawyer and applied for the action right away. Because he was one of the first to apply, he got his DACA status back within two weeks.

“I definitely had that fear that many other immigrants had about what someone could do with my personal information,” Sanchez said. “But because I grew up struggling with identity issues, I knew I wanted to be part of the United States more officially. I am an American; I grew up here even though I wasn’t born here, and DACA was just a way to step into my future.”

Avila-Ugalde and Sanchez are not the only people who benefitted from DACA. In Kentucky, approximately 2,000 people without legal status have been accepted, according to Miller.

DACA has not just affected the lives of these immigrants, but it has also allowed them to contribute to the economy and their local community. In 2012, before DACA, people with undocumented status contributed $38,801,000 to state and local taxes for Kentucky. After Obama’s executive action, their contribution increased by $16,506,000, according to a report by the Institution on Taxation and Economic Policy in April 2015.

Sanchez and many like him will be among those contributors soon. Now a 17-year-old senior at Central High School, Sanchez comes home with college applications in hand. Sitting at his kitchen table, he confidently fills out blank after blank with ease. When he reaches those nine empty boxes, he doesn’t miss a beat. •

Each year, thousands of Asian children are adopted into families with different culture, SOME struggle to CONNECT W ITH THEIR ORIGINS Jill Gries (second from left) stands with her father Jim, her mother Linda, and her sister Gina in front of their home. The Gries adopted Jill (15, duPont Manual) at the age of 10 months from China.

Words by Cameron Daniel and Lizzie Ward Photos by Chris Collina and Erin Woggon

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Drawing a still life in her Visual Arts class, Emma Vogelsburg (17, duPont Manual) enagages in her art passion. “I have been mistaken many times for being ‘fully’ Asian, and also the flip side where my Asian friends don’t consider me to be ‘fully’ Asian,” Vogelsburg said.

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ine-year-old Jill Gries knelt on the floor with her parents and a group of strangers. There were no stairs in the home and no chairs around the low table in the front room, so they squatted on plush cushions instead. The neighborhood around them was incredibly quiet, even tranquil, yet she wrung her fingers and furrowed her brow in confusion — the faraway American city that she knew so well was never quiet.

The only sounds she heard came from inside this tiny house. They spoke rapidly in a language she did not understand.

Jill’s eyes darted between corners of the house, questioning the strange furniture as the homeowner discussed the area’s culture with the Gries family through a

translator. His bed was right across the room on the far side of the living area, upfront and awkward.

Gries was native to this country, yet she felt out of place in the unfamiliar atmosphere that was so different from that of her own home in Louisville. Her family visited China to conclude the adoption process of her soon-to-be younger sister, Gina. Jill was also adopted from China when she was 10 months old and has lived in Louisville ever since.

According to the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Jill was one of the approximately 5,058 children adopted by American families from China in the year 2000. Like many of the other young children adopted from Asian countries, Jill — now 15 and a

sophomore at duPont Manual — has little knowledge of her home country.

Jill says she does not find her Chinese heritage to be an integral aspect of her identity. Sitting on the bleachers in her high school gymnasium, the pounding of basketballs in the background, she shrugged, explaining that she does not talk about Chinese culture very often with her parents, who are white. It is simply not a thought that crosses her mind.

That fact is true for many other crossculturally adopted children, including 15-year-old Amber Ritschel, a sophomore at Kentucky Country Day. Amber was adopted from Hunan, China, when she was two years old. Her mother, Raquel Ritschel, read an article in

the Chicago Sun-Times about young Chinese girls who desperately needed a home.

“I remember thinking to myself that I had a home and a preschool that I owned and operated. Why not?” Raquel said. “I called an international adoption agency the very next day and started the adoption of my first little girl.”

Throughout her daughter’s childhood, Raquel would bring up tidbits about the country, such as which Chinese year it was or the fact that the Chinese lucky number is seven. Coincidently, seven was the number she and her little sister, Sophie, chose as their field hockey numbers. The sisters used to receive small red envelopes from their mother with five to 10 dollars inside, which is a Chinese custom.

However, Amber said that she doesn’t really feel a strong connection with China. Other than a jade Buddha and some clothes from her earliest months, Amber says she does not collect physical artifacts of her home country, nor does she have a strong interest in returning to China in the near future.

“My mom wants to take Sophie and us back to China to visit Chongqing, which is Sophie’s province, to see the country in general so we know what it’s like,” Amber said, “but Sophie and I aren’t exactly enthusiastic about it.”

“I don’t feel a strong connection with China,” Amber said. “I haven’t felt a strong need to see where I was born, since it wasn’t a big part of my life.”

Louisville therapist Judith Button has dealt with cross-culturally adopted children and has spoken about how some parents could incorporate culture into their adopted child’s life.

“These days adoptive parents are usually encouraged to celebrate the native culture of their children,” Button said. “Some take their child to visit their birth country when they are older and in other ways expose them to their native culture.”

Button believes this to be beneficial because it gives children the opportunity to develop a sort of dual identity with both cultures.

Amber said that this dual identity is somewhat of a struggle for her.

“Being adopted into a different culture makes finding my identity a bit harder, as I feel like I am a mix,” Amber said.

Seventeen-year-old Emma Vogelsberg, a senior at duPont Manual High School, also struggles with her identity. She was adopted from Guangzhou, China, when she was 11 months old.

“I have been mistaken many times for being ‘fully’ Asian, and also the flip side where my Asian friends don’t consider me to be ‘fully’ Asian,” Vogelsberg said. She says she has faced the typical Asian stereotypes, such as being a genius at math, despite the fact that she has spent the majority of her life in America.

When asked what ethnicity she considers herself to be, she said simply: “I haven’t been able to figure that out myself.”

However, unlike Amber Ritschel, Vogelsberg has a strong desire to revisit her birthplace.

“I really want to be more connected,” Vogelsberg said. She recently befriended a girl from Hong Kong with whom she regularly discusses Chinese culture.

“I really think she helps me connect a bit more, and I still find the cultural differences interesting, even if Hong Kong is not exactly where I’m from,” Vogelsberg said. “I get to learn from a reliable source with no stereotypes attached.”

Gries also currently wants to return to her birthplace. She remembered her visit to meet her adopted sister with great clarity, and she is excited to travel back to Ningyang.

“That’s one of my goals, going back,” Gries said. “If I had any information on my birth parents now I would definitely try and contact them, but sadly I don’t.”

And when it comes to learning more about her cultural background, Vogelsberg said, “I wish I was more involved in Chinese culture. More than anything, I really want to be able to understand where I am from and the true culture that comes with it.” •

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Resources For families

The Asia Institute Crane House • Organization that works to preserve Asian cultures in Louisville and Southern Indiana.

• Uses performances, lectures, educational programs and business programs to embrace Asian customs.

• Reaches over 50,000 children and adults yearly.

• Has resources in Asian countries such as China and Vietnam.

• Church groups and religious organizations often provide support groups and activities to aid families in all stages of the adoption process • For more information, go to cranehouse.org, call 502.635.2240, or visit the Crane House at 1244 S. 3rd St., Louisville, KY 40203

Families with Children from China (FWCC) • Works with families and holds activites for parents who have adopted Chinese children • For more information, visit www.fwcc.org

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DEVELOPMENTs

Adam Khayat (18)

Freshman at University of Louisville of Syrian-Palestinian HERITAGE

"I feel as though the event was successful and accomplished what it had sought out to do: strengthen the diverse community that resides in Louisville and promote peace, love, and unity in face of the Paris tragedy. However, a mere rally is not sufficient in combatting the sad trend that has diffused throughout the nation. If we hope to rectify the dissemination of bigotry, ignorance, and xenophobia that persists in the United States, we must accomplish it through education, peace, and love."

LOUISVILLE'S SYRIAN REFUGEE RALLY

Photo by Erin Woggon

On Nov. 24, citizens of Louisville gathered in Jefferson Park as part of a rally organized by the Compassionate Louisville campaign and Pakistani Americans for Education and Compassion. Participants rallied in support of welcoming Syrian refugees into the city. Speakers included Mayor Greg Fischer, Rep. John Yarmuth, and JCPS Board Chair David Jones Jr.

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ELECTION NEWS

Research by Alice Deters, Sylvia Goodman, and Kim Le

for the

WORDS to KNOW

CONFUSED

Common Core: the federal government’s effort to establish consistent curriculum requirements for each grade in schools nationwide.

School Choice: the idea that students should be able to attend any schools, especially private or charter schools, and have their education at least partially paid for with tax dollars.

Amnesty: A pardon for people who entered into or currently reside in the United States illegally. Many candidates don’t support full amnesty, but do support programs that would eventually lead to some kind of legal status for most undocumented immigrants.

With so many candidates appearing in the polls and news stories, the 2016 presidential race can seem more than a bit confusing. Issues such as marriage equality, immigration, and education directly affect youth across America, and many politicians have already taken sides. It’s time to talk policy.

DONALD TRUMP (R)

*Percentages represent RealClearPolitics.com’s average of all available polling data on December 11. *All information involving the candidates’ stances on education, immigration, and marriage equality is courtesy of ontheissues.org/education, ontheissues.org/immigration, and ballotpedia.org, respectively.

30.4%

TED CRUZ (R)

15.6 %

Education Policy: for school choice and against Common Core. He wants to defund education and eliminate unions.

Education Policy: for school choice and against Common Core.

Immigration Policy: wants to secure the border, limit legal immigration, prohibit immigration by Muslims, and build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Immigration Policy: supports Kate’s Law and says that the path to citizenship is profoundly unfair to legal immigrants. He wants to overturn Obama’s executive actions on immigration.

Marriage Policy: for traditional marriage, but recognizes marriage equality as law.

Marriage Policy: opposes marriage equality and criticized Tom Leppert (R) for marching in Dallas’s gay pride parade.

MARCO RUBIO (R)

13.6 %

Education Policy: against Common Core, supports school choice and No Child Left Behind. He voted for more scholarships in private schools and supports vocational education.

Immigration Policy: opposes amnesty and supports full implementation of current border security laws. He wants green cards after 10 years, a secure border, and e-Verify.

Marriage Policy: disagrees with marriage equality, but says that we live in a republic and must live by the law.

JEB BUSH (R)

3.6 %

Education Policy: approves of Common Core and is for school choice. He also doesn’t think new teachers should get tenure. He believes the U.S. shouldn’t restrict or require creationism.

Immigration Policy: wants to eliminate sanctuary cities and focus more on enforcement. He wants earned legal status, not amnesty.

Marriage Policy: against marriage equality as federal law.

HILLARY CLINTON (D)

55.4 %

Education Policy: for school choice in public schools, but not in private or parochial.

Immigration Policy: wants to introduce a path to citizenship in the first 100 days of her presidency and deploy technology and personnel instead of a full border fence.

Marriage Policy: endorsed Equality Act on July 23 and criticized Republicans for rejecting marriage equality.

BEN CARSON (R)

13.6 %

Education Policy: thinks school choice increases competition in education and is against Common Core.

Immigration Policy: thinks that deportation is a moral low road and wants to create guest worker program.

Marriage Policy: disappointed that marriage equality is now legal in all 50 states, but acknowledges the law.

CARLY FIORINA (R)

2.2 %

Education Policy: supports No Child Left Behind, more localized standards of education, and public school vouchers.

Immigration Policy: wants to pass immigration reform in a series of bills. She opposes both continued funding of sanctuary cities and granting amnesty to illegal immigrants.

Marriage Policy: believes that the Supreme Court overstepped its boundaries by legalizing marriage equality in all 50 states.

BERNIE SANDERS (D)

30.8 %

Education Policy: favors free tuition at state colleges and preschools.

Immigration Policy: supports path to citizenship and wants to waive deportation of DREAMers.

Marriage Policy: has been supporting marriage equality since the 1970s.

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OPINION

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FRINGE Outsiders Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have Stirred up this Election Cycle Words by Will Lake

A

s a high school student, I can attest that many teenagers are pretty apathetic about politics. A conventional politician, like Jeb Bush, just isn’t going to light up my demographic. Maybe that’s unfortunate, but it’s also true. Every now and then, though, there’s an exception. A candidate comes along who’s so outlandish, whose ideas are so radical, that even young people are forced to pay attention.

When Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president this past June, I, like a lot of people, rolled my eyes. Sure, Trump has flirted with running in the past, but that always seemed like a publicity stunt to build his brand and drum up more viewers for whichever reality TV show he was hosting at the time. While the Republican field was relatively weak, Trump’s chances, if he were even serious, seemed slim.

Then, a few of quotes about immigration from Trump’s announcement speech went viral. Fast forward several months and Trump now has found himself dominating the polls in a chaotic race for the Republican nomination.

On the left, Hillary Clinton began the election season as a seemingly invincible juggernaut. This sentiment was reflected by Harry Enten of FiveThirtyEight — the data analysis driven website created

by Nate Silver — back in April, who described Hillary’s campaign as “the most dominant for a non-incumbent president” ever. She seemed poised to steamroll a weak opposition composed of Martin O’Malley and Lincoln Chafee. Almost quietly, the real-life socialist Vermont senator,

Bernie Sanders, tossed his hat in the ring. Again, I found myself rolling my eyes. A socialist running for president? In America? Good luck. But then Clinton stumbled. Her campaign struggled early as it fought against scandals. Voters began to lose trust in her. Bernie seized his opportunity and managed to separate himself from the rest of the Democratic field.

While Clinton still holds a lead in the polls, Sanders has established himself as her primary challenger.

As Trump and Sanders have gained momentum, it’s become clear to me that their campaigns have piqued young people’s interests.

Whether it’s because Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign pumps out borderline satirical content everyday, or because they’re actually interested in the ideas Sanders is selling, my peers are showing an interest in the cycle that’s usually reserved until at least after the two parties have nominated their candidates.

With this newfound interest come new questions for many in my generation. How far can Sanders and Trump go? Are they really viable candidates? What if this wild ride didn’t end with the primary season?

What if Trump or Sanders or both actually won the nomination from their parties? For the next several months, the country could watch Donald drop bombshells and listen to Bernie as he tries to explain to the American public what a socialist actually is. To quote University of Louisville political science professor Laurie Rhodebeck, it would be “wild. Just wild.”

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But what would all that wildness actually entail?

What does a Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders campaign look like once they’ve won the nomination?

According to Professor Rhodebeck, each candidate would probably stick to “their distinctive brands” if they won the primary. For Bernie Sanders, that would mean issues close to home.

“His ‘bread and butter’ are the economic issues. Wages, wage equality,” Rhodebeck said.

Those are the issues, along with a few others like climate change and student debt, that appeal directly to Sanders’ constituency. Sanders’ followers, Rhodebeck said, are drawn primarily from exHillary supporters.

As the Clinton campaign has been forced to contain the scandal that unfolded with her use of a private email server during her time as Secretary of State, voters have become unhappy and have even begun to lose trust in her.

According to a poll by Quinnipiac University on June 17, roughly 50 percent of voters in the key swing states of Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio don’t believe that Hillary is trustworthy, opposing the roughly 40 percent who do. These results in key electoral college states appear to back up what a CNN/ ORC poll found earlier on June 2, which showed that only 42 percent of Americans believe Clinton is honest and trustworthy, compared to 57 percent that do not.

“I definitely think a part of his appeal is honesty,” Rhodebeck said. “There is a faction of the Democratic party that does not like Clinton ...

Bernie Sanders was instantly appealing to those to the left of Hillary Clinton.”

While Sanders is capitalizing on opportunities to capture groups on the left unhappy with Clinton, he may

*Illustrations courtesy of Dillon Pinholster

struggle once he gets out of the primaries, particularly with persuading moderates. Rhodebeck said one key issue will be the term “socialist.” The American public often treats socialism as a dirty word, associating it with Soviet death camps, rather than a set of political beliefs. Sanders must do a better job in the future of explaining his brand of “democratic socialism” if he hopes to win in the middle. In an attempt to address the issue, Sanders delivered a speech at Georgetown University on November 19 in staunch defense of the socialist label. However, the label is sure to remain relevant as the primaries draw closer.

But if the “bread and butter” of a Sanders campaign is mostly geared towards economic equality, what’s the equivalent for a Trump drive at the candidacy? What are the cornerstones of his “Make America Great Again” campaign?

Immigration, for starters, Rhodebeck said.

Immigration has been a key issue since day one for Trump, when he exploded onto the GOP scene, making highly controversial statements about the issue in his campaign announcement speech.

“When do we beat Mexico at the border?” Trump said in his speech. “They’re laughing at us, at our stupidity. And now they are beating us economically.

They are not our friend, believe me… When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best…

They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime.

They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

While many people were offended by Trump’s broad assertions, his words took hold with others.

Immigration has since become a heated issue, as Trump was quick to point out in the first Republican debate.

“If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be talking about illegal immigration,” Trump told Fox News’ Chris Wallace during the first Republican debate. “This was not a subject that was on anybody’s mind until I brought it up at my announcement.”

One key element of Trump’s immigration strategy is the construction of a wall that would span the entire length of the border between America and Mexico — roughly 2,000 miles. While the other staple of Trump’s plan to address immigration, deporting the roughly 12 million illegal immigrants residing in the U.S., might be far more impactful, Rhodebeck warns to not underestimate the power behind the idea of a wall.

“It’s got huge symbolic appeal,” Rhodebeck said.

“It’s tangible. You can think about it as a physical barrier.”

Leonardo Salinas Chacón is Secretary of the Latin American and Hispanic Student Organization at the University of Louisville. Leo’s family is from El Salvador, and he has followed Trump’s campaign and comments since Trump’s initial announcement.

“I think he is an ignorant racist, for one thing,” Salinas Chacón said, “There is a difference between

being ignorant and taking a stance.” Chacón went on to say that he was fine disagreeing with actual politicians who have have spent time formulating their ideas, but Trump’s position was simply born from prejudice. But what about the idea of building a wall?

“A very bad one,” Chacón said.

While his comments about Hispanic immigration drew the ire of many, it has been his comments about Islamic refugees that have been the most polarizing.

In the wake of the San Bernardino shootings, Trump’s campaign released a statement saying, “Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.” That statement was released shortly after Trump said that he supported a nationwide database meant to track Muslim Americans.

Now let me set up a little hypothetical. The general election has come and gone. It’s January 20, 2017 — Inauguration Day. Sanders and his unofficial campaign motto “Feel the Bern” took the country by storm and Sanders is just moments away from being sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

What happens next?

Smooth sailing may not be ahead for President Sanders, if you believe Professor Rhodebeck. While the Democrats have a shot at recapturing the Senate in 2016, it appears highly unlikely that they could retake the House of Representatives, where the Republicans currently hold a supermajority — two thirds of available seats.

“He’s not likely to be able to accomplish very much,” Rhodebeck said. “Any proposals he comes up with are somehow going to have to accommodate the Republicans he has to work with.” This could be a fatal blow for much of the legislation Sanders hopes to pass.

An even greater concern facing Sanders is the gargantuan cost attached to all of his projected legislation.

“He’s got wonderful-sounding programs,” Rhodebeck said, “But if you added up all the things he has proposed to do, it would triple the government debt.”

Now, flip the script. It’s President Donald Trump who is being sworn in. America has taken the first step towards making itself great again. What’s the roadmap for President Trump?

While he’ll benefit from a Congress somewhat more aligned with his goals, he still faces challenges, according to Rhodebeck. The biggest of which, she said, might be his own ego. Trump, she explained, has shown to be thin-skinned so far, with a tendency to hold grudges. That can be a dangerous game to play in politics, especially for someone who hasn’t

exactly endeared himself to the establishment of his party after calling them “stupid” and “idiotic” and a dozen other verbal jabs on several occasions throughout his campaign.

While Trump may hold an edge now in the polls, most experts are still picking an establishment candidate to win the nomination, though many now disagree on which establishment candidate will be the one. Likewise with Sanders, he may have support now, but Clinton is still the favorite, especially now that she seems to have cleared another hurdle after performing well during the Senate hearing on Benghazi.

Between Trump and Sanders, Trump has a better shot at being nominated, but after several strong debate showings, my money’s now on Marco Rubio. However, there are still a couple of months until Super Tuesday — the day on which most states hold their primaries — so anything’s possible.

My advice to teenagers? Enjoy the entertainment now, because you never know when that well-funded Jeb Bush campaign might roar to life. •

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Ben Howell (17, duPont Manual) holds an old photo of himself, his brother Kimbel Howell (17, Fern Creek), and his mother. Ben was 12 when he learned of his mother’s breast cancer diagnosis, news that rocked his world. “It didn’t really hit me in that moment when she told me. It kind of hit me later; it was a delayed reaction in a sense, but when it hit me, it hit me hard,” he said.

BRA

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In the midst of DIFFICULT circumstances, ONE TEEN becomeS an inspiration to others.

Words by William Kuhn Photos by Sam Sims and Jordyn Stumpf

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en Howell crunched through a blanket of leaves as he made his way back home. After playing basketball at one of his regular courts, he was ready to eat. For the afternoon, Ben had been an ordinary teenager with ordinary problems, thinking about how well he played in the game, what homework he had to do, and what he was going to have for dinner. But when he gripped the doorknob and stepped into his house, Ben left his teenage comfort zone and ventured into the adult world.

As soon as Ben closed the door, the smell of his mom’s homemade pasta overwhelmed him, persuading his feet to follow his growling stomach into the kitchen. Ben’s mom, Sherry Howell, stood in the kitchen draped in a flour-stained apron. She switched between the stove, sink, and table with ease.

Sherry fixed a plate for Ben, dousing the noodles with tomato sauce, just the way he liked it. She took one step toward her son, and a clump of brunette hair floated down into a sea of red sauce. When Sherry looked down at the plate, her eyes grew wide. She dropped the plate and let out a scream.

Sherry would never cry in front of her two boys, Ben and Kimbel. It wasn’t until later that night, after Sherry put her boys to bed, that she said she went into her room, closed the door, and collapsed to the ground, sobbing.

That was the last time she made pasta for Ben. Sherry, 53, was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2010.

“I was protecting them because at that point I knew how bad it was,” Sherry said.

Up until that night, Ben was able to pretend like everything was normal. Facing the truth was too terrifying to accept, so he acted like nothing was wrong.

“I realized that this was something much bigger than I could’ve imagined,” Ben said. “This is going to affect much more of me, and take a lot more out of me than I could’ve fathomed at that time.”

At the age of 12, Ben was dealt a burden that still lies heavily on his heart. He was sitting in his grandparents’ house across from his mother when she told him.

“Benji, I have cancer,” Sherry said.

“It didn’t really hit me in that moment when she told me,” Ben said. “It kind of hit later, it was a delayed reaction in a sense, but when it hit me, it hit me hard.”

According to the American Cancer Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing awareness to breast cancer, one in eight U.S. women will develop breast cancer over the course of their lifetime. In 2015, 231,840 cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed, and of those women, 40,290 are expected to die.

Breast cancer took a physical and emotional toll on Sherry, forcing her to make sacrifices.

Before breast cancer, she would wake up, make the kids breakfast, take them to school, go to work, and come home. When she wasn’t working, she would make Ben dinner and take him to the gym to play basketball. Almost every weekend, Sherry would take Ben out to eat and see a movie.

Sherry used to wake up Ben the same way she said goodnight to him, with soft hands and a soothing voice. Now he wakes up the same way he falls asleep: alone. His mother, too weakened by cocktails of cancer medications, sleeps much of the day and isn’t able to see him out the door in the morning.

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“The physical part is what’s so hard, because it physically deteriorated me,” Sherry said. “I would be active for a day and then in bed for three.”

Sherry can’t devote the same amount of attention and energy to Ben, simply because she just doesn’t have it to give. It doesn’t stop her from trying. Even though she’s not supposed to be doing chores like lifting laundry, vacuuming, or cleaning the dishes, she ignores her immense pain and does them anyway. Sherry goes to bed early and sleeps in late because of the energy she puts into housekeeping.

“She wants to be independent. She doesn’t like others having to sacrifice for her,” Ben said.

“She still wants to be our mom.”

Sherry is extremely protective of her children. Not only does she not want them to have to make sacrifices for her, she doesn’t want them to see their mother going through chemotherapy.

“Because of the chemo, I couldn’t even be around Benji and Kimbel, I didn’t want them to see me so sick,” Sherry said.

She stayed with her best friend while going through the painful process of chemotherapy and had Ben and Kimbel stay with their grandfather.

Much like Sherry, Ben struggled to find his own independence. By witnessing Sherry’s fight, Ben was able to draw inspiration to escape his troubled past.

“When mom got sick, I started using drugs, sex, and alcohol as outlets for stress,” Ben said.

“Dealing with the situation was very scary, and I was putting on a bluff. I didn’t want to accept it so I turned my attention to these bad habits to keep my mind off the situation.”

Ben’s perspective on what was important in life changed when he found himself in a neardeath situation on a July night in 2012.

Four light poles illuminated the basketball courts at Charlie Vettiner park. A warm breeze welcomed Ben as he walked across the courts with two friends by his side, heading toward their usual spot — a picnic table that the court lights didn’t quite reach. As they sat down, one of Ben’s friends started packing marijuana into a joint.

Seconds later, a group of four teenagers arrived at the scene. The leader, cloaked in a black hooded sweatshirt, stood in front. Both crews gathered around the table and started smoking — except for Ben, who had recently stopped using drugs for good.

A third group of people that Ben didn’t recognize approached the table, having been drawn by the scent of smoke. The newest arrivals demanded that the marijuana be given to them. As arguing broke out between the two parties, Ben became wary of the escalating situation.

Punches were thrown by both sides and the fight spiraled out of control. Ben was frantically looking for his two friends when someone shoved him and cocked his fist. Ben punched the attacker in the jaw, causing him to stumble backwards.

Ben scanned the area, trying to find the safest way out, when he saw the hooded gang leader pull out a gun, aim, and fire.

“All I could think about in that moment was staying alive,” Ben said.

That night was a tipping point for Ben. For the first time, he realized that drugs were not the most important thing in his life.

“This dude shot at a 16-year-old kid and missed by an inch. He almost took a life over a couple grams of weed,” Ben said. “How is something so temporary and so minute in the grand scheme of your life worth dying for?”

Using drugs and alcohol to avoid dealing with his life pushed Ben so close to the edge that he could no longer ignore his problems. He decided he needed to make a change.

“I was devoting my time and energy where there wasn’t any substance and that made me feel all right for a little bit,” Ben said. “But it wasn’t getting me anywhere, and I needed something more in my life. I needed something to make me feel whole and to make me feel satisfied with who I was as a person.”

The drive to become a better person led Ben to finding his faith. Religion didn’t have a place in his life before Sherry was diagnosed with cancer, but it became one of the most important parts of his life by replacing his old ways with church and family and inspiring others to do the same. He has made it his goal to help teenagers and children who have lives similar to his.

“I was able to turn my bad decisions into something good,” Ben said. “I am able to relate to people who are in the same boat as me, and really help them as well.”

His mother said she knew Ben had been hiding his problems from her and was relieved when she noticed signs of change — which she attributed to his own desire to become a better person.

“He’s the type of person who will always give you the shirt off his back; he is very caring and giving,” Sherry said. “Ben gets more out of giving to others and helping those less fortunate than he does helping himself.”

Ben’s desire to change led to him mentoring kids who have also dealt with adversity. One kid in particular, Gabriel Brian, an eighth grader at Farnsley Middle School, has meant a lot to Ben. “I remember the first day I met him, he came into the youth group I was leading,” Ben said. “He started talking a bunch of smack, and that’s when

I decided he was going to be my special project.

He’s grown on me ever since.”

“I probably would be getting into trouble at school if it weren’t for Ben,” Brian said. “He has been through a lot of bad situations, and instead of letting someone go through their problem alone, he goes through it with them.”

Ben says he sees a lot of himself in Brian, which is why their relationship is so strong.

“He is the person that I feel that I can give all of my trust to, and when I need help I know that Ben will have my back no matter what,” Brian said.

“We both have that big brother-little brother love for each other.”

In addition to mentoring kids and being involved in youth group meetings, Ben is currently

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winter 2016 "He's the type of person who will always give you the shirt off his back; he is very caring and giving," Sherry said. "Ben gets more out of giving to others and helping those less fortunate than he does helping himself."

- Sherry Howell, Ben's mother

Sherry Howell speaks to her son in their Jeffersontown home while she pets Ben’s newly rescued cat, Hercules. Sherry has been protective of how much Ben sees of her disease. “Because of the chemo, I couldn’t even be around Benji and Kimbell; I didn’t want them to see me so sick,” Sherry said.

a youth pastor at his church and is planning on majoring in theology with an emphasis on youth ministry.

“I think being a pastor, a high school pastor specifically, is how I can help people who need it most,” Ben said. “I want to spend the rest of my life doing something that has an impact on the people around me, something that is everlasting and eternal.”

Finding his faith and helping others has changed the way Ben approaches his mother’s disease. Ben is aware that breast cancer has limited Sherry from doing all the typical mom responsibilities she loves doing.

“Mom wasn’t mom in the physical or emotional sense and I couldn’t change that.

However I found my respect in the fight,” Ben said. “What I mean by that is my respect doesn’t lie in the fact that I’m not coming home to a freshly cooked meal anymore, or that I’m not going to be tucked in every night.”

Realizing the sacrifices Sherry makes for Ben and seeing the pain she deals with every day has changed Ben’s perspective on respect.

“My respect came from the reality that my mama was struggling and fighting for her life,” Ben said. “Everyday my mom was putting all of her effort in making sure that the time she spent with me mattered, because it could’ve been the last. My respect is found in the love, the struggle, and in the fight mom has for me.” •

"My respect doesn't lie in the fact that I'm not coming home to a freshly cooked meal anymore, or that I'm not going to be tucked in every night. My respect came from the reality that my MAMA was struggling and fighting for her life." - Ben Howell, 17

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Sitting on the porch of her home in St. Matthews on Oct. 24, Eh Ywa (19), a freshman at Spalding University, calls Louisville home after 10 years of living in a refugee camp. “I’ve known since I was seven that this was my future home, my future dream,” Eh Ywa said.

BIRDS OF ANOTHER FEATHER Burmese refugees find their place in the Louisville community Words by Harper Carlton PHOTOS by Sam sims

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leven-year-old Eh Ywa sat crying in a bathroom stall at Westport Middle School.

Like many students starting sixth grade, she felt scared and lonely, like no one understood.

But in her case, it was much more literal — no one could understand her native language.

Eh Ywa is part of an ethnic minority from Burma called the Karen (pronounced KAH-ren).

Burma, the former name of the country now officially known as the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, is located in Southeast Asia and bordered by the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea to the west, Thailand to the south, and China to the east.

A junta, a type of government in which the power is shared between military leaders, has been in power since 1962, when it overthrew the postcolonial democracy. In the late ‘80s, a series of prodemocracy demonstrations resulted in less freedom from an insecure and violent regime. The same ruling party officially changed the country’s name in 1989 from Burma to Myanmar. However, because the name change occurred under an unofficially elected government, many parties including the United States, the United Kingdom, and minorities, like the Karen, still use the name Burma.

To some, it might seem strange that after waiting for 10 years in a Thai refugee camp for American citizenship, Eh Ywa chose to cry at that moment. While she may not have had many belongings, the skeletal bamboo structures of her refugee camp could offer something that America could not: a sense of belonging.

Ywa is not alone. According to Kentucky Refugee Ministries (KRM), in 2014 there were 2,177 refugees in Jefferson County, and 574 of those were children under 18. Approximately 7.5 percent of new arrivals to Kentucky are Karen who have been forced to flee Burma because of ethnic cleansing. While things in America might be more stable, they aren’t necessarily easier. But with the help of churches, schools, and communities of refugees, things are looking up.

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Karen members of Crescent Hill Baptist Church enjoy a special performance of a Karen singer, Blue, on Oct. 11.

he Tham Hin Refugee Camp located in Thailand sits approximately six miles from the border of Burma. Eh Ywa said Thai military and security guards surround the perimeter of the camp, armed with assorted weaponry. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 9,000 people — 95 percent of them Karen — live within the 0.02 square mile area that makes up the camp. With more than 2,000 bamboo structures, there is little individual space.

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“In the summer, it’ll be really hot, but the houses have little holes in them from bamboo, so you can feel the air,” said Ywa, who is now a freshman at Spalding University.

“We do have doors and locks, but you can see the others in another house, and you can hear people from another room.”

In 1997, when Ywa was barely a year old, her family — which at the time included her father, mother, and two older brothers — was forced to flee from their rural village due to the violence. It took her family at least two months of running through the jungle until they reached some form of safety at the Thai

border. They had only what they could carry, with Burmese soldiers close enough behind that the villagers couldn’t build fires at night for fear of being discovered. They had no medicine to treat illnesses, the most common being malaria and tuberculosis.

Eh Ywa’s cousin, Eh Nay Thaw, who is a boy the same age, said that days after the villagers escaped, the Burmese military came in to finish what they had begun.

“They burnt down all the houses and killed the animals that were left,” Thaw said. “All the villagers, my mom said over a hundred, fled together, including small

children like me. Elderly, pregnant women, sick people, and breastfeeding mothers.”

From the time Ywa and Thaw arrived at Tham Hin until they came to America about 10 years later, they could never leave the camp. Anyone who leaves the camp, even in search of a job, is considered an undocumented person, which in Thailand is a crime punishable by prison time. Therefore, the refugees must find work within the camp, which more often than not comes with low wages. This means that there are limited funds to feed entire families.

Ywa said that Thai people surrounding the camp are sometimes allowed to enter in

order to set up what she described as “a little Kroger.” There the merchants sell produce and fish that is old and cannot be sold to Thai people who have more resources. The vegetables and fruits have been in trucks for weeks and the fish have been exposed to harmful chemicals which can make the refugees sick.

Outside groups like the United Nations provide some rations to refugees inside the camp; unfortunately, the rations are often not enough to sustain each person. One of the luxuries of the Tham Hin refugee camp is the river that flows through it, but that luxury comes at a high price, Ywa said. Because the river is used for anything and everything, the water is not sanitary. The refugees fish and drink out of the same river that is used for bathing, washing clothes, and traveling, which leads to disease.

For basic health care needs, Ywa said residents usually go to pop-up clinics, sponsored by organizations like the UN. Additionally, there is a small hospital where suffering residents receive care only for serious health concerns. One of the most dangerous illnesses found within the camp is malaria, which is often fatal. While the Thai government has taken measures toward eliminating the disease, it remains most prevalent near the border with Burma, making nearby Tham Hin particularly vulnerable.

Malaria is a disease that Ywa knows well.

In 2006, one year before she came to the United States, it killed her father.

“When I was in the camp my father got malaria, not because of the food, but because of the climate and stuff like that,” Ywa said.

“I was only nine years old, and I didn’t know what was going on. I’d never heard of malaria but I hated to see my father like that, just laying down all day.”

Climate alone does not cause malaria; nevertheless, regions like Thailand that are hot, wet, and humid are ideal for the parasitic mosquitoes that spread the disease.

Thaw said life inside a refugee camp is like being a bird bound by a cage. In Thaw’s simile, refugee-birds are regularly fed by their UN “owners” within the camp, but they are not allowed to fly. When the owners finally come to release them, they don’t know what to do. They’ve forgotten how to fly after years of not practicing or learning. Sometimes, he said, they don’t even know what flying means.

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LIFE INSIDE A REFUGEE CAMP IS LIKE BEING A BIRD BOUND

BY A CAGE.

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- EH NAY THAW (19) ays of sunlight filtered through the lifted shades of the youth room in the basement of Crescent Hill Baptist Church on a warm August Sunday. A bag of powdered Hostess Donettes was passed from person to person, leaving everyone’s fingers covered in white, sticky sugar. With machine-like monotony, each person passed a stack of Bibles down the U-shaped table, taking one before he or she passed the stack on.

A blonde woman draped in pastoral robes and stoles cleared her throat at the front of the table, commanding attention.

“What are possessions, and what did Jesus think about them?” asked Youth Minister Brittani Bair.

The question seemed overly simplistic to some, garnering looks of confusion and exasperated “whaaaats?” Then a cacophony of indistinct, rushed answers overwhelmed the room.

The group of students was diverse, ranging from sixth to twelfth grade and hailing from different areas of the city. On either side of the U, each gender congregated — boys on one side, girls on the other.

While the group attempted to reach a consensus, a quartet of girls who appeared to be middle school age whispered and giggled toward the corner of the room. They had similar features: long, shiny, ebony braids, skin the color of iced coffee, and round cheeks.

“Jesus wants us to give away our things, but sometimes that’s hard because it’s our stuff and we don’t want to,” one of them called aloud.

Paw Lah Eh Thaw, the bubbly, outspoken sister of Eh Nay Thaw, is in eleventh grade at Doss High School. She, Eh Nay Thaw, and the seven other members of their family had few possessions when they came to the United States in December 2007.

“The first thing I saw when I got to America was the snow,” Paw Lah Eh Thaw said. “It was really tall, and I remember it

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was freezing cold and wet, soaking our shoes and pants. I’d never seen or felt something like that.”

Paw Lah Eh Thaw was born inside the walls of Tham Hin refugee camp in 1999 at a time when simply being born in Thailand did not grant babies citizenship.

Because of this law, Paw Lah Eh Thaw was both without a country and without a home.

Her lack of status changed after the United States approved the Thaws as citizens when she was six years old.

On Dec. 18, 2007, after an approximately 20 hour flight, the Thaws arrived in Louisville. The only belongings they had were several sets of clothes; however, during the journey somewhere, two of their bags were lost.

The Thaws were taken from the airport to an apartment provided by Catholic Charities. When they arrived, the apartment was outfitted with a couch, three twin beds, a refrigerator, a table and chairs.

“I remember very vividly my whole family was provided with a gallon of milk, American rice — which was not rice to us — cabbage in the fridge, water, and salt,” Eh Nay Thaw said.

For a few weeks the Thaws had to go to their relatives’ house to eat because they did not have any utensils to cook with. Not having pots, pans, ladles, and a rice cooker proved difficult. They needed help for the most simple tasks, like buying groceries, which required transportation from Catholic Charities.

To many refugees, acculturation is a laborious task and it is hard to learn how to adapt when they are teaching themselves. However, the Karen community in Louisville has found a place where they can learn and adjust: Crescent Hill Baptist Church (CHBC).

In 2001, several people from Crescent Hill Baptist went to Thailand on a mission trip, where they first found out about the Karen. None of the Karen that the congregation met go to Crescent Hill Baptist now, but it sparked an interest that developed into something much greater.

Steve Clark and Annette Ellard, a married couple who were on the 2001

trip, went back to the Thai refugee camps several times, alone. They gained a knowledge of the conditions and culture which they brought back to Louisville and their church.

“When the refugees first started coming to Louisville, KRM was looking for a Karen interpreter and Steve and Annette knew someone through their trips,” said Bair. “That interpreter was the one who told them that Steve and Annette were at this church and that they were welcome to come.”

Initially, Clark and Ellard were giving the refugees rides from their apartments in the south Louisville to CHBC. Now there are so many Karen in the congregation that CHBC has multiple vans to transport them.

“I definitely think that having church support was really critical when they first came,” Bair said. “Not just government people, but actual people who are going to tell you what and where things are. I think a lot of the families now are doing better — they’re more financially stable, some own their own houses — but things can always come up that they’re not prepared to deal with.”

The Thaws and Ywa were raised Baptist within the walls of Tham Hin, so having something familiar during their transition was helpful.

“The big community church was a big part of the refugee camp,” Ywa said. “They were really welcoming, not judgmental.”

She found a similar welcome at Crescent Hill Baptist Church. n the corner of 41st and West Market Streets sits a building that looks like an ordinary school. The outside is brick, the walls are white, and orange lockers line the tiled hallways. While the school might not look unusual, the voices that emit from the decorated classrooms are certainly atypical of most Jefferson County schools.

When child migrants arrive in the United States, they are given an English proficiency test to gauge their level of language comprehension that serves as a basis for educational placement. ESL

Reading aloud to the whole youth group, Paw Lah Eh Thaw (16, Doss) shows leadership among her peers by volunteering for the task on Oct. 6 at Crescent Hill Baptist Church.

Strumming his guitar using a soda tab as a makeshift pick, Ha Mang (17, Doss) leads the youth group in the song “Alleluia” on Oct. 6 at Crescent Hill Baptist Church.

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While listening to Youth Minister Brittani Bair speak on Oct. 6 at Crescent Hill Baptist Church, Hser Eh Say Ku (12, Olmstead South) braids Washti Min’s (14, Doss) hair and Jenny Kpaw (12, Olmstead South) looks on.

Newcomer Academy is a public middle and high school for the students who do not score high enough on the test to go to a regular school with only a few English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. More than 15 languages and 20 countries are represented by students from the ages of 11 to 19 who have been in the country for a short time. Every January students are given an English proficiency test scaled from one to six; a score above a two and a half signals that the student has mastered English basics and is ready to move on to a regular school.

“To be a teenager is tumultuous at best,” said Jenni Garmon, a counselor at Newcomer.

“Life is changing, more expectations, more pressure. There are physiological changes that cause coping skills to be less than their prime.

So your average teenager struggles somewhat at this time. Then you add on top of that coming to a new country. Everything looks, feels, smells, and tastes different. Everything.”

Schools like Newcomer Academy are created to provide a safe environment for immigrants to acclimate to America — culturally, linguistically, and socially.

Observing the Crescent Hill Baptist Church youth group playing elbow tag, four of the youth gather on a wall and laugh.

Led by Youth Minister Brittani Bair on Oct. 6, the Crescent Hill Baptist Church youth group engages in prayer at the end of the Wednesday night Bible study.

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SOMETIMES THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO FLY.

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- EH NAY THAW (19) While ESL programs are available at almost every school in Jefferson County, one or two classes are often not enough for students to master the language.

When Ywa came to the United States in fifth grade, it was a tremendous struggle to handle all the information coming at her. Not only did she have to learn a new language, she had to learn how to function in a school environment, how to interact with American children, and cultural norms. Not to mention, American education is much more comprehensive and difficult than what she had received at her refugee camp.

“I lived in outdoor buildings and houses, but here it’s really completely different,” Ywa said. “So here, whenever I’m in school, I feel like I’m in a cage.”

Eh Nay Thaw was in seventh grade when he came to the United States. Because he didn’t speak any English at first, he went to an ESL school at Shawnee, which later evolved into Newcomer Academy.

“You can’t even really compare the education system here to Thailand because here it’s so much better. I don’t consider what I got in Thailand education,” Eh Nay Thaw said.

Even after refugee children learn English and adjust to their school systems, problems can still exist. One issue that many children face is being more adapted to their new environment than their parents.

“I think they’re forced to grow up a lot faster too because they become their parents’ caretaker often,” said Jane Evans, Mental Health Specialist at KRM. “They learn to speak English a lot faster so then there’s a power dynamic struggle. You find family problems more than emotional problems.”

Garmon said that when this shift in the dynamic occurs, guardians often feel like they can no longer suitably parent. Parents get easily frustrated because not only are they

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I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, IF I LIVE HERE IN THE REFUGEE CAMP FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE, I WOULD END UP NOWHERE BUT THE CAGE I’M IN. - EH NAY THAW (19)

Listening to their pastor, the Karen members of Crescent Hill Baptist Church participate in a Sunday service in their native language on Oct. 11.

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overwhelmed by the new American culture, but also overwhelmed by the fact that they’ve lost their power.

“The school system sees their role as telling the parents that they can still parent in this country,” Garmon said.

Paw Lah Eh Thaw noticed that when she began to start speaking English at home with her friends and siblings, her parents appeared to be hurt.

“My parents get kind of mad when I speak too much English because they’re afraid I’m gonna forget where I come from,” she said. “My parents are scared I’m losing my culture because I talk to my sister in English, and we don’t wear the traditional clothes anymore.”

That being said, Bair noticed that, overall, Karen parents are much more hands-off than their American counterparts.

She said that the parents don’t necessarily have explicitly stated rules, they just expect their children to do whatever the family needs. Even so, she said the Karen children are still more loyal to their parents than American children, doing all that they can to help them.

People of authority, primarily the police, also present a noticeable cultural difference.

Bair said that a few years ago, some of the first Karen children who came to CHBC were detained by the police and the church had to be brought in to explain the situation.

“They come from a place where the police are not good, they’re not there to help you,” Bair said. “So they’re scared, but there’s also a language barrier that prevented them from talking to the police. Eye contact and body language signals that someone from

our culture might read as suspicious are respectful in other cultures.”

Eh Nay Thaw, who was not involved in that situation, said that learning the differences in body language is an arduous process. He said that in Thailand, eye contact is considered a challenge or dare, but in the United States, it is customary. He had to practice and teach himself how to look people in the eyes — not something he could have learned in school.

While not every refugee is as educationally successful as Ywa and the Thaw siblings, most have learned English and do relatively well in school. In fact, on Wednesdays before youth group, anyone who needs assistance with schoolwork is encouraged to come and bring a friend to receive homework help.

On a Wednesday, students gathered around that same U-shaped table used for Sunday school. The students hung

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to the floor, aimed and shot a ball right past her opponents, scoring for her team. ven though they have faced many challenges while adapting to American culture, education standards, and English, the Thaws and Ywa said they are grateful to have escaped the cage that once held them captive.

“I missed my freedom. Everyone missed their freedom — their rights to act, speak, or even think as one wants without restraint,” Eh Nay Thaw said. “I thought to myself, if I live here in this refugee camp for the rest of my life, I would end up nowhere but the cage I’m in.”

Now a freshman at Centre College, Eh Nay Thaw is ready to fully exercise his newfound freedom. While he doesn’t yet know what he wants to study, he is proud that he’s made it this far in his education and in overcoming language and cultural barriers.

Ywa, who is now taking general education classes as a freshman at Sullivan with hopes to eventually enter the dental or cosmetic fields, didn’t cry at school after sixth grade. She said it was sometimes hard, because at first she was alone and felt unwelcome. Later that year, though, her teachers introduced her to two American students, Bridget and Nicolle, with whom she is friends with to this day.

“Both of those girls made me feel really happy,” Ywa said. “I don’t remember crying any more.” •

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out, listening to music on their iPhones, occasionally taking a break from geometry worksheets to text back their friends from school. Once they finished their homework, they went upstairs to the church’s recreational center.

The pervasive and unmistakable odor of rubber balls and teenage sweat drifted down the stairwell. Upon entering the mid-size gym, a ball barely missed Paw Lah Eh Thaw’s head.

“Watch out!” she cried to no one in particular.

Rag-tag volleyball, soccer and basketball teams crowded the room, and avoiding getting hit in the head was nearly impossible.

Paw Lah Eh Thaw walked toward her normal spot in front of the standard volleyball net and lined up her serve. As she leaned into the shot, boys and girls from across the net engaged her in friendly yet competitive banter. She squinted her eyes, squatted close

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RIVER TOWN

SOUND At the Louisville Outskirts Festival on Oct. 9, the Louisville band killi killi, with Salena Filichia on bass and Forrest Kuhn on drums, are the first act to perform.

Outskirts is a non-profit annual independent music festival that highlights music made by women and educates up-and-coming musicians.

Part one of a series exploring ROOTS OF Louisville's evolving music culture.

Words by Olivia Millar and Chris Roussell Photos by Sarah Schmidt Note from the writers: Other genres and eras of Louisville music history will be covered in later parts of this series.

It was a Saturday night at Spinelli’s and the venue was stirring with anticipation: the first band on the bill was about to begin. The small, dimly lit basement restaurant was filled to capacity. No one sitting seemed to notice the band comprised of three college kids crammed in the corner tuning and finishing their sound check. Suddenly, a man approached the microphone. He quickly introduced the trio as the Ego Trippers, with Zac Anderson on lead guitar and vocals, Izak Cirillo on bass, and Donnie Haines on drums. After promoting the venue and the headlining band, he stepped out of the way.

To break the pre-show tension, Anderson stepped up to the mic and gave a faint hello. Then, out of nowhere, Anderson screamed, sending the band into their first song. As Anderson’s feet flew across the guitar pedals to recover from the distortion in the beginning of the song and Cirillo and Haines locked in time, listeners experienced the drive and ambiance of Louisville indie rock.

Louisville is known around the country for the Kentucky Derby, bourbon, and bluegrass music, but in the last few decades Louisville has greatly impacted the national and international punk and indie rock culture. Because of several local musicians and groups breaking out nationally, Louisville has made a name for itself as a city with influences that reach across generations.

An early example of one of these bands was the Babylon Dance Band of the late-‘70s, formed by Tara Key, Sean Mulhall, Tim Harris and Chip Nold.

“That was one of Louisville’s first early punk bands having influence beyond the city,” Elizabeth Reilly said. Reilly works with the Louisville Underground Music Archive (LUMA) project at the University of Louisville Library, which documents Louisville’s independent music from the ‘70s to the present.

The Babylon Dance Band was one of Louisville’s first independent bands to receive national attention. In the ‘80s they were reviewed in the Village Voice and received a spot in the New York Rocker’s readers’ poll of favorite bands yet to release an album.

Babylon Dance Band would set the precedent for generations of Louisville punk bands to come.

“They were ground zero for punk in Louisville,” said Jeffrey Lee Puckett, a music writer for the Courier-Journal.

Babylon Dance Band and another group called No Fun were among the first in Louisville to embrace the up-and-coming punk movement. In order to build a new movement of musicians, they collaborated in places like 1069 Bardstown Road.

In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, 1069 Bardstown Road was Louisville’s first “punk house.” Musicians and bands would gather at the house to hang out, rehearse, and jam with one another, improving their skills while simultaneously networking with other individuals in the music scene.

“Young people from the South End came to visit and became the next wave of punk bands,” Puckett said. These bands included Malignant Growth and Kinghorse.

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1069 Bardstown Road “was a catalyst for a lot of people who sort of didn’t feel like they fit into corporate rock,” Puckett said. “They found a place where they could feel home.”

Now, if one were to try to visit 1069 Bardstown Road, all they would find is a Taco Bell.

Despite the house’s destruction, its legacy lives on through the music of a few kids who used it as inspiration to create their own home within music history.

In the late ‘80s, teenagers Ethan Buckler, David Pajo, Brian McMahan, and Britt Walford decided to start a band that would later come to shape the country’s post-rock scene: Slint.

After releasing their first album, “Tweez,” and receiving little attention, Slint released their second album, “Spiderland,” with a success story that eventually gave the band — and Louisville — a international reputation for independent music.

But because of their initial poor album sales, a band breakup, and consequently no tour or marketing behind the album, “Spiderland” did not have an immediate impact. Years later, the underground scene started noticing the album and people soon began to namedrop Slint.

Puckett said the publicity started with musicians from Chicago who would come to Louisville and cite Slint as one of their major influences. Then, young local musicians would pick up the album and use it as a template for what they wanted to do.

Paul Curry, writer of Burt the Cat, a ‘90s zine that documented and reviewed Louisville music, said, “The influence of Slint’s ‘Spiderland’ can’t be overstated on an international level.”

Because “Spiderland” became what critics say was one of the most influential albums of the ‘90s, Slint is now known around the world for helping to define what is known as “math rock” or post-rock/hardcore — a calculated, rhythmic, and experimental type of indie rock.

Additionally, the band is credited with inspiring

a whole new wave of local, national, and international bands.

Along with bringing national attention to Louisville’s music scene, Slint created an identity for Louisvillians.

“There were so many people who would refer to Slint, and by extension Louisville, as being the scene where you could find something different,” Puckett said. “That became our identity for some time: ‘There’s something weird going on in Louisville.’”

Two Slint members, McMahan and Pajo, eventually began to work with a new band: Palace Flophouse, which morphed into other bands using the Palace moniker. But the most impactful member of the Palace legacy was Will Oldham.

Oldham, better known by his stage name, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, is one of Louisville’s staple artists.

Under the name Palace Brothers, Oldham released an album that Puckett described as being reminiscent of early Appalachian mountain ballads. And, although Puckett thought the album was “eccentric and really weird,” locally, people connected to it because of its strange folk roots.

The punk scene also connected to Oldham’s work ethic. Even though he was playing his own version of folk, he could not let go of his “do it yourself ” punk attitude. While on tour, Oldham was basically a one man corporation, booking and promoting his own shows himself. And, in the end, “he turned out to be one of the most prolific musicians ever to come out of Louisville,” Puckett said.

“I’ve definitely heard a lot of singers writing songs that are in the style of Will Oldham,” Puckett said. “But, I think it might be more that he brought back the idea of acoustic music being something that can be really vital and part of the current scene.”

Oldham’s legacy is supported by accolades such as MOJO Magazine’s Ultimate Music

Collection, featuring two of his solo albums, and Pitchfork’s 100 Top Albums of the ‘90s, which included one of his albums.

Carrie Neumayer is the co-founder of the Louisville Outskirts Festival, which is a “notfor-profit, volunteer-run festival that seeks to encourage, support, inspire, and highlight the music made by women of Louisville’s independent music scene as well as showcase influential and inspiring musicians selected from other parts of the country and world.”

Neumayer, who was also active in the ‘90s music scene, said that era had more younger generations involved.

“In 1993, Louisville’s underground scene had been alive and well for a long time, but between 1993 and ‘98, shows would have hundreds of kids who would show up,” Neumayer said. “Everything was very youth-driven and there was a storm of energy. Shows were mostly organized and performed by people under 20.”

It was in this era of high attendance at local shows that a band called My Morning Jacket (MMJ) formed.

Founded in 1998 by local musicians Jim James, Johnny Quaid, Tom Blankenship, and J. Glenn, MMJ has since evolved into one of the most popular bands to come out of Louisville.

MMJ was also named the tenth best live acts in 2013 by Rolling Stone.

“It was just one of those shows where you get chill bumps, and you think to yourself, ‘Oh man, there is something amazing going on here.’

Then the thing is, they just kept getting better,” Puckett said of the first time he saw MMJ. The band still features local front man and guitarist James and bassist Blankenship, but the current lineup has evolved to include local drummer Patrick Hallahan, guitarist Carl Broemel, and keyboardist Bo Koster. The new members’ versatility and skill boosted the band’s recordings and live performances at the perfect time.

1980: Babylon Dance Band makes the

cover of the Village Voice, bringing national attention to the local music scene.

1986: Post-rock band Slint is founded by Ethan Buckler, David Pajo, Brian McMahan, and Britt Walford. Later, Todd Brashear would replace Buckler on the influential “Spiderland” album. Photo credit: Will Oldham

“When they hit the Headliners stage of their career ... that version of the band was at its peak, and those shows were just out of control, they were so good,” Puckett said.

While MMJ has brought national and international attention to Louisville through its diverse albums and electrifying live shows, perhaps their biggest contribution to Louisville is how they conduct themselves within the community.

Instead of “making it” and setting off for music hubs such as Nashville, Los Angeles, and New York, members of MMJ continue to actively support Louisville, specifically Hallahan and James.

Both men still live in Louisville and continually talk about how much Louisville’s scene meant to them growing up and now.

These mentions keep the local, national, and international media and public engaged in the happenings of Louisville’s scene.

“People see that they aren’t just giving lip service; they really do like Louisville and they like giving back, which makes a big difference, I think,” Puckett said.

And this is no accident. For James, it is a conscious decision to support Louisville outright.

“It is very important that artists support each other and keep a dialogue going in their hometown community,” James said. “Anyone that gets up in the morning and spends time on their craft deeply impacts the music scene in Louisville, or Earth, or in realms beyond our wildest dreams.”

In order to foster this change, James and MMJ collaborate with local acts such as the Louisville Leopard Percussionists and the Louisville Orchestra. This draws awareness and pays homage to local institutions and acts that are making a difference.

“If you love it, you always get love in return,” James said. “So, if we know we are all in this together, we can be of support to each other, spread the word about each other’s music, and go see each other play and also play together ... it’s all so good.”

Also making recent waves in the national indie rock scene is the local band White Reaper.

The band consists of singer and guitarist Tony Esposito, keyboardist Ryan Hater, bassist Sam Wilkerson, and drummer Nick Wilkerson, and has quickly risen to fame because of their praised debut album “White Reaper Does it Again.”

Puckett attributes the band’s surge up the social ladder to their unique sound and song structures.

“Their whole style is basically late ‘70s power-pop and pop-punk, and there is a little bit of late-‘70s, early-‘80s new wave, but they do it with just balls-out energy that makes it seem super fresh,” Puckett said.

Puckett said White Reaper has used the same three chords over the release of an EP and an album, which he found impressive.

“Because they aren’t working with a huge palette, they have this real locked-in style that they’re coming up with new ways to exploit,” Puckett said.

The influence of these local bands with national recognition, such as White Reaper and MMJ, has resonated throughout Louisville music scene — such as with young artists like Zac Anderson.

Anderson, who is the frontman and guitarist for the band the Ego Trippers, studies jazz guitar at the University of Louisville. Back when he first started guitar in the sixth grade, Anderson would only listen to bands such as AC/DC; however, now that he has broadened his listening range, he said that local legends have impacted him more.

“When I think of My Morning Jacket and White Reaper, I think of one thing: energy,” Anderson said.

After attending six White Reaper concerts and a couple of MMJ concerts, Anderson said the biggest thing about these bands is how the atmosphere of the shows makes him feel, including the people in the audience.

“Punk music is about the environment in which you listen to it, and at White Reaper’s

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Forecastle gig, the audience was blind to them,” Anderson said.

Anderson attributes the audience’s “blindness” to their unfamiliarity with White Reaper.

“Nowadays, people aren’t forcing themselves out and about, and out of their shells,” Anderson said.

That said, there still exists a haven that allows for artists to get their chance to play live, along with attracting and motivating younger generations to get involved. Chris Lenhart organizes events for the Spinelli’s Pizzeria downtown, a venue known around Louisville for their diverse, all-ages shows.

“We’ve provided an all-ages space that isn’t influenced by bar sales, and the whole company is run by people who grew up going to shows,” Lenhart said. “As a makeshift restaurant and venue, it’s a space that can remain DIY yet not be hassled by cops or noise ordinances.”

Spinelli’s as a venue was created this way based off of Lenhart’s own experience in the music scene when he was first starting to play music.

“DIY punk/hardcore community ethics was more prominent and kids seemed more aware of social issues,” Lenhart said. “People were still really excited about buying music. A lot of people who weren’t in bands still participated in what was going on.”

Throughout the last few decades, Louisville’s local musicians have given kids, teens, and adults the inspiration to be themselves and the courage to find what they can call home.

“It was very tough growing up in the Louisville music ‘scene’ back then because we felt like we did not fit in and that the largely popular scene was very snobby,” James said. But through the underground scene, James says he was able to flourish and find himself.

“Music gave me a sense of purpose,” he said.

“It made life feel like it made sense, at least in some small way, because life can be so confusing.

1996: Bardstown Road venue Tewligans closes after 15 years of hosting local and national acts, including Squirrel Bait, Slint and Kinghorse. Right: Kinghorse performs at Tewligans circa 1988. Photo credit: James Miller

1998: Jim James, Johnny Quaid, Tom

Blankenship, and J. Glenn form My Morning Jacket, often described as experimental and psychedelic. Photo credit: Ryan Kindelan

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After drumming in numerous bands, including Slint and Squirrel Bait, Britt Walford is a legend within Louisville’s music scene. “For me, Louisville feels special in the pleasantness, accommodation and beauty of its environment,” Walford said.

1999: Will Oldham adopts the

pseudonym Bonnie “Prince” Billy and releases “I See a Darkness.” Photo credit: Rich Anderson

2014: “Spiderland” is

reissued, and Lance Bangs’ Slint documentary “Breadcrumb Trail” is released. Photo credit: Liz Palmer

Music was one thing I at least thought I partially understood.”

And given the challenge of succeeding within the music industry, local breakout artists bring clarity to what young musicians, such as Anderson, consider their purpose.

“It makes everything seem tangible,” Anderson said, “like it’s not some impossible feat to make it.”

In an era of pop culture and music, where the Internet and radio reign supreme in deciding who is seen and unseen, the spark given to Anderson by local bands may just be what keeps Louisville’s punk scene alive.

The music scene from the ‘70s to the ‘90s was extremely narrow and fertile, and there were only a handful of live venues where people could play; therefore, Louisville was unable to compete with other cities for major artists, which Puckett said was both a blessing and a curse.

But what Louisville lacked in popular touring artists, it made up for locally.

“It wasn’t like we were being inundated with outside musicians,” Puckett said. “All of the musicians in Louisville were on their own. They would hear some records and think, ‘Oh, that sounds pretty cool, but I think I’ll do it this way.’”

According to Puckett, because the Louisville music culture was free from outside influences, many musicians in the ‘90s developed an attitude of innovation rather than imitation, which created a sense of identity as a local musician and a reason for people to seek Louisville for music: it’s different from anything else.

“For me, Louisville feels special in the pleasantness, accommodation, and beauty of its environment,” said Britt Walford, Slint’s drummer.

Fast forward to Louisville’s music scene today.

Louisville still has few adequate live venues where small bands can play, and although the city has added some venues, many are more focused on attracting

2014: Louisville Outskirts Festival is founded

by Carrie Neumayer and Stephanie Gary. Left: Louisville band Juanita plays the festival in 2014.

Photo credit: Sierra Tamalonis

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“Music was made to heal and spread love, and I believe that eventually it will — even if it takes some time.” - JIm James mainstream artists. And, even though there seem to be just as many bands in Louisville today as there were in the punk era, Puckett said the bands today are more niche and less likely to impact nationally.

“I think there are more people now who just like making music and they don’t necessarily look at it like, ‘I’m going to do this and go out and be a star,’” Puckett said. “They just like having bands.

And in that sense, Louisville’s scene is probably as artistically fertile as ever.”

James agrees and attributes this fertility to the new attitude within the local music scene.

“It has grown a lot more accepting,” James said.

“Anyone with half a heart knows that playing music can be tough and that we should all support each other and cheer each other on.”

And James has one simple reason as to why: “Music was made to heal and spread love, and I believe that eventually it will — even if it takes some time.”

It’s an optimism that can still be felt on the stages of Louisville’s indie rock venues among the newest generation of musicians, including Zac Anderson and his band.

For the grand finale, the Ego Trippers ended their set the way they started: with distortion. Anderson took off his guitar, gently placed it on the ground, and repeatedly stepped on the neck, creating a cacophony of noise. As he continued to step on the guitar, he stared out into the crowd.

“Is this edgy enough?” he said to the crowd, to which they replied with screams of adoration — yes, it was edgy enough.•

2015: My Morning Jacket

and White Reaper perform at Forecastle Festival.

2015: White Reaper released their

acclaimed “White Reaper Does It Again” album. Photo credit: Michael Powel

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From walk-on to his first start, Tobijah Hughley's journey to the top was aN ATYPICAL one.

Words by Jordan Gould Photo by Jordyn Stumpf

M

onths of brutal preparation and training led to this moment. The University of Louisville was ready for their season opener as the Miami Hurricanes stormed into town.

Reporters and photographers surrounded the field, and the bright lights reflected against the green turf. After crowding tightly together in the team’s inflatable tunnel, the Cardinals soared out and ran to their sideline.

Tobijah Hughley looked around, smiled, and savored the feeling. After all of the struggles and adversity that came along with being a walk-on, none of it mattered anymore. He was about to make the first start of his career playing center as a Cardinal.

“A lot of people didn’t believe in me, saying I wouldn’t be starting,” Hughley said. “Just the feeling after that game was huge, I was jubilant.”

Louisville defeated Miami 31-13.

“I always look up in the stands and see my mom and dad and family,” Hughley said. “The moment being with my parents after that game was a great feeling and just indescribable.”

That being said, Hughley’s road to Louisville football wasn’t smooth at first.

His journey all started when he was seven years old, playing for a youth football team called the Douglas Bearcats in Lexington.

“My dad introduced me to it, told me we were going to football practice one day, and it turned out I was pretty good at it,” Hughley said.

Hughley played baseball and football in middle school, and when he became a freshman at Lafayette High School in Lexington, it was time to hang up his glove and bat for good.

He decided to stick with football.

“In high school, you start to get recruited around your sophomore or junior year,” Hughley said. “I was getting attention from some smaller schools around Kentucky, like Eastern Kentucky and Georgetown.”

While this attention flattered Hughley, he was attracted to larger in-state schools.

“Up until my sophomore year, I thought I would go to Kentucky,” Hughley said. “But they wouldn’t offer me a scholarship or show me any attention, so that turned me off.”

One of Hughley’s high school coaches, Eric Shaw, knew that he was having a hard time making a decision on where he wanted to play at the college level.

“I remember going through the recruiting process with him and talking about options, and he had some that were offering him scholarships,” Shaw said. “He was humbled by them, but he said to me, ‘I want to go where I want.’”

After a long and strenuous process, Hughley committed with Georgetown College. Although he lived in Lexington, he was born in Georgetown; Hughley wouldn’t have to uproot himself or settle somewhere far, and his family would always be minutes away.

However, the summer before his freshman year in college, his entire thought process changed.

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winter 2016 While pushing a weighted bag on Oct. 18, Tobijah Hugley demonstrates the skillls that gained him a starting spot on the University of Louisville’s football team as a walk on.

Now Walk It Out

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“I always thought it would be good to expand my boundaries, and go off and try something bigger and better, so I decided to walk-on to Louisville,” Hughley said.

Walk-ons are players that have to go through tryouts in hope that they can earn a spot on the roster. They can gain scholarships similar to those of a scouted player. Before the start of the 2014-15 season, Hughley earned an academic scholarship which, for him, confirmed that his risk had already begun to pay off.

“Once a player gets to campus, the opportunities are the same for each, whether they’re a walk-on or scholarship athlete,” said Chris Klenakis, Louisville’s offensive line coach.

“It is what they make of the opportunity which will determine their success, and Tobijah has made the most of his opportunity.”

Hughley chose Louisville not only because he wanted to explore areas outside of his hometown, but also because he was a big supporter of Charlie Strong. Strong, the head coach at Louisville from

deciding he was willing to do the work required to get to the top.

“I was never scared of the scholarship players, never intimidated,” Hughley said. “I took being a walk-on as fuel. I had a chip on my shoulder.”

This “chip on my shoulder” mindset has stuck with Hughley ever since he arrived at Louisville, both on and off the field.

“The hardest part for me coming out of high school was realizing that it takes more than what I did then to play at a high level.

Some people in high school can show up and be the best on the team. Some guys don’t weightlift, some don’t have to watch film,” Hughley said. “If you want to separate yourself and be the best at your position in college, it takes that extra work, it takes that extra hour of film, it takes that extra hour in the weight room to really separate yourself.”

Hughley kept his head up, confident that his time would come.

“Tobijah has worked extremely hard to get to the position of a starter,” Klenakis said.

"If you want to separate yourself and be “As a center you have to have a great work ethic the best at your position in college, it and think quickly, and takes that extra work, it takes that extra Tobijah has developed those traits.” hour of film, it takes that extra hour in From scout team the weight room ." - Tobijah Hughley to redshirting to being inches away from getting his first field 2010 to 2013, led the Cardinals to a 37-15 record, action, there were constant reminders that he was topping it off with a victory in the 2013 Sugar Bowl still only a walk-on. against Florida. In 2014 Bobby Petrino replaced “They got to eat, and I didn’t,” Hughley Strong as Louisville’s head coach; Strong is now said. “After practice, when everybody goes to the the head coach at the University of Texas. training table where people go eat, the walk-ons When Hughley arrived on Louisville’s campus couldn’t eat.” in the fall of 2012, there were older and more After practice, Hughley left and either picked experienced players on the roster. He was assigned to up food on the way home or ate alone at his scout team, where less experienced players analyzed kitchen table. the schemes that opposing teams use.

However, a rule was passed in April 2014 by “I spent my first two years at Louisville on the Division I Legislative Council that now allows the scout team where I was in charge of giving every player, whether a walk-on or a scholarship the defense looks at the other team that we were player, to have food provided to them. about to play,” Hughley said.

Scholarship players also receive financial During his first season on the team, Hughley benefits that are not given to every player on redshirted, which is when a player sits out for a the team. full season while still on the roster. By redshirting, “The guys who were on scholarship received a player can gain a year of athletic eligibility. A $300-$390 a month,” Hughley said. “When you student-athlete could be a sophomore in the look at the grand scheme, it’s nothing, but now classroom, but a first-year player on the football we get a ‘cost of living expense’ every month, and field at the same time. it is getting better.”

There were around 115-120 different This “cost of living expense” is formally players competing for a starting spot this called the “cost of attendance stipend,” which was season, and only about 15 of those players were passed by a nearly unanimous 79-1 vote at the walk-ons. Hughley embraced the challenge, NCAA Convention in January 2015 and considered

to be something like a paycheck. Along with free tuition, this stipend is used to recruit top high school athletes around the nation.

The $5300 stipend that the Louisville scholarship athletes receive is one of the highest in Division 1 and the country as a whole.

Even though Tobijah plays as a starter now, the nature of playing center doesn’t make things easy.

“It wears down on your body for sure,” Hughley said. “It’s more of a mental thing. The physicality is tough, but you work on that in the offseason when it comes to conditioning and weightlifting.”

Hughley has had to adjust to several quarterbacks over this past season, with true freshman Lamar Jackson and Kyle Bolin playing more of late.

“For me, I didn’t think it was that hard. The coaches do a good job making sure all of the quarterbacks get reps in practice, so I can just feel how they are feeling every time in our exchange,” Hughley said. “To me, it isn’t that big of a deal, and I’m familiar with all them.”

Like Hughley, teammate Khalil Hunter is a walk-on. He praised Hughley as a role model.

“Tobijah is a great guy on and off the field ever since I’ve gotten to Louisville,” said Hunter, an offensive tackle for Louisville. “He’s always been a leader to me and the team, and I can honestly say he’s my best friend here.”

Life after football is a big question mark for any student-athlete at both the high school and collegiate level. According to the NCAA, there are over 460,000 student-athletes around the United States, and the probability of making it to the professional level or getting drafted is small. Over one million high school students played football this past season, and under 7% of those players will play college football. After college, the chances get thinner, as under 2% of college athletes play professionally.

“We work too hard to not want to go to the NFL, but if that doesn’t work out, it’ll be all right,” Hughley said. “I’ve made it a lot further than anyone expected. Who would’ve thought a former Georgetown College signee would be starting at the University of Louisville?”

Hughley is a redshirt junior this season and an academic senior, graduating in December.

He plans to pursue a master’s degree in either business or education.

“I just want to be remembered as a hard worker, someone who valued their education and came to Louisville to get his degree first,” Hughley said. “I want to be known as someone that loved playing football, and finally, someone that values God, their family, and their friends.” •

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El Camino is a trendy Bardstown Road hangout that offers Mexican fusion cuisine. The Baja taco ($3.50) is a catfish taco topped with fresh vegetables, crema, and a Mexican original sauce.

FOOD for thoughT Photo credit: Meghan Jewell

l at e n i g h t . s t u d y r i g h t . q u i c k b i t e . e x p l o r i n g f u n , t e e n - f r i e n d l y re s t a u r a n t s i n t h e 5 0 2

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EL CAMINO

El Camino is not a one menu establishment; it also offers a brunch menu on the weekends.

The Sticky Bun ($3) is a large pastry covered in syrup and crunchy pecans.

Words by Melissa Scianimanico Photo by Erin Woggon

U

pon entering El Camino on Bardstown Road, the trendy space, high tempo music and brightly colored decor completely elevated my mood. Energy buzzes throughout the restaurant, creating a Cali-Mexican vibe. The space is filled with vibrant murals and decor; skulls and skeletons adorn the bar and lights dangle from the ceiling. The outside patio is functional and fun, ideal for a lively night with friends.

Its perimeter is enhanced by bright tiki lights that illuminate the space, making El Camino the perfect place for a late night bite. Diners can eat, talk and enjoy until midnight every night of the week. They can also indulge in free roasted pig tacos on Monday nights after 10 p.m.

The cuisine — a fusion of Californian surf and traditional Mexican fare — is cooked by chef Brian Enyart and his kitchen crew.

An evening meal off El Camino’s dinner menu can start with tasty appetizers, which include chips paired with guacamole and a variety of tangy salsas ($4). Then there are the handmade corn tortilla tacos, ranging from $3 to $4, perfectly sized to allow guests to try more than one. One of El Camino’s most talked-about entrees, the Baja taco, came topped with a crispy piece of battered Pacifico catfish, sprinkled with crunchy cabbage slaw, and accented with the zippy crema and arbol salsa ($3.50). The fish was well seasoned and fresh due to El Camino’s insistence on local, hormone-free, sustainable meats and fish.

The perfect way to end a night filled with artful dishes and tacos was to try one of El Camino’s homemade desserts. The flan was unforgettably delightful. While flan can often be too jelly-like, El Camino delivered a perfect balance between dense and creamy. The dish was drizzled in caramel and surrounded by plump, raw raspberries.

In addition to the delicious food, El Camino hosts an amazing staff. Servers are pleasant and welcoming, seating you immediately and offering a menu. Service was quick with food being served about 10 minutes after the order was taken, allowing patrons to make it to a late night movie or party on time. It’s a hot spot you’ve just got to check out. •

Type of cuisine Cali-Mexican

Price range

Under $10 for the late night menu

Wifi Yes

TARC route 17 / 23

Parking Street

Hours

Monday-Thursday 5 p.m.-midnight, a.m.- 5 p.m., Dinner 5 p.m.-midnight

Friday-Sunday Brunch 10 Address

1314 Bardstown Rd, Louisville KY 40204

Phone Number 502.454.5417

Website

Elfreakingcamino.com

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The smoked salmon bagel ($10). This quirky coffee shop is located on East Market street right by the Louisville Extreme Park and is an enjoyable place to go eat a bagel, get a coffee, and study for school.

Type of cuisine Café

Price range Under $10

Wifi Yes

TARC route 15 / 31

Parking Street

Hours

Monday - Saturday 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Sunday 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Address 800 E Market St, Louisville, KY 40206

Phone Number 502.553.0113

Website

www.pleaseandthankyoulouisville.com

please and thank you Words by Cameron Daniel | Photo by Jordyn Stumpf

W

alking into Please and Thank You, a coffee shop in NuLu, is comforting to say the least. The scent of coffee grounds and everything bagels greets customers at the door. Farther back into the store, there’s a small record shop with mismatched rugs and walls covered in old rock albums. It’s cut off from the main part of the store, quieter, and much more private — the perfect spot to sit down with a hot coffee to study.

They serve the usual lattes, cappuccinos, and teas, but there are are a couple of unusual items. Mexican hot chocolate and an espresso fizz (espresso, sparkling water, ice) are some of the more interesting items on the menu. The café also serves a variety of bagels, baked goods, and, most importantly, their famous “City’s Best” chocolate chip cookie.

The dough can also be purchased in bake-it-yourself form, so customers can enjoy

these chocolatey sweets in their own homes.

With a 16 oz. hot coffee at $2.50, the prices are comparable to other local coffee shops like Heine Brothers (16 oz. coffee is $2.50) and Quills (16 oz. coffee is $2.35). The sandwiches can be a bit pricey, with a lox bagel (smoked salmon, cream cheese, romas, red onion, and capers) at $9.50.

An egg and cheese bagel, which costs $6, may sound boring; however, this one was full of flavor. It’s served on an every seed bagel, which packs a punch with onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Sharp white cheddar cheese bit back when my teeth sunk in, and a mildly seasoned egg keeps the whole sandwich from being too strong.

The ganache latte was intensely rich.

Espresso and dark chocolate pair to make a hot, heavy drink that is great for a brisk fall day. At $4.10 for a small drink, this drink is one of the

more expensive ones on the menu, but if rich flavors and marshmallows intrigue you, it is worth the cash.

The service was not particularly fast for a coffee shop: I waited eight minutes for a latte and even longer for the sandwiches. However, the staff members are attentive and conversational, offering small talk and smiles. If you are in a rush, this might not be the best place for you, but if you’re lounging, maybe catching up on homework, then the service is easygoing and enjoyable.

Overall, Please and Thank You has great food and offers an even better atmosphere.

The vinyl-adorned walls and little succulent plants on each table characterize the place, making it artistic and inviting (not to mention, Insta-worthy). Friendly staff members create a comfortable environment, which makes studying here a little more enjoyable. •

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for goodness crepes Words by Emily Cieminski | Photo by Meghan Jewell

T

he smell of warm bread and sweet treats floats out the door of For Goodness Crepes on Baxter Avenue. While the restaurant is tucked into a row of other local businesses, it still manages to stand out.

A simple chalkboard with crepe puns scrawled on it sits outside on the sidewalk next to a few scattered outdoor dining sets. The trees that border the road and pathway are covered in green and blue streamers.

Walking inside gives way to more decor. The walls are dressed like a Pinterest board, full of lovingly crafted DIYs and kitschy decoration. The booths, chairs, and tables all boast unique patterns and are placed in random configurations. The restaurant is the perfect blend of the eclectic charm and cheerful atmosphere.

The store is owned and operated by Carrie Ramsey and Abby Peak who were inspired to create their business after visiting another crepe eatery on a girls’ trip to Cincinnati.

The current menu features breakfast, lunch, and dessert crepes. Each category has over 10 different crepes to choose from. Breakfast crepes can range from spicy to fruity. The Southwest breakfast crepe, for instance, is packed with zippy jalapenos, red peppers, eggs, and tomatoes for a spicier start to the day.

Meanwhile, the lunch menu provides several savory selections. The meal crepes are much thicker, filled

For Goodness Crepes offers a wide variety of crepes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert; one of which includes the Ironman Paul Clark ($5.19), a peanut butter, chocolate, and banana dessert with cinnamon on top.

with sauces and hearty meats. Finally, and arguably the best, are the dessert crepes. Most are filled with sweet sauces of peanut butter, cream cheese, or chocolate. My favorite is Elvis with a Kick, stuffed with sweet peanut sauce and fresh bananas. If the preselected fixings are undesirable, customers are welcome to create their own crepe. All the crepes fall under $10 and are perfect to eat alone or share. My recommendation would be to eat your own lunch or breakfast crepe and then share a dessert treat with a partner.

The restaurant is a flexible space that can be transformed to fit customers’ needs. For Goodness Crepes can be a great place to study, a quick stop for a snack, or a cozy cranny to relax in. From the welcoming atmosphere to the mellow rock playing through the speakers, it’s comfortable and welcoming.

If a quick bite is what you desire, the crepes come out fast; however, there are only three crepe making machines, so you may have to be patient if there are large crowds. Usually the crepes come out steaming on a plate, but they can be packed in a to go box or scarfed down quickly. If a longer stay is what you desire, Peak and Ramsey invite customers to sit down and stay for a while. Besides if you stay a little longer, you would be able to eat another crepe or two. •

Type of cuisine Creperies

Price range Under $10

Wifi No

TARC route 17 /40

Parking Street

Hours

Tues. – Fri. 8 a.m. - 9 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m 9 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Address

619 Baxter Ave Louisville, KY 40204

Phone Number 502.690.7441

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Fitness center.

Aquatic therapy.

Beauty salon.

Massage suite.

Fine dining.

A wealth of activities.

A continuum of care.

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Call (502) 589-3211 or go to treytonoaktowers.com.

211 West Oak, Louisville | (502) 589-3211 treytonoaktowers.com A not for profit, 501(c)(3) organization