The Vista Issue 4 2018-19

The Vista

NOTRE DAME ACADEMY*3535 W. SYLVANIA AVE.*TOLEDO, OH 43623*VOL 68 ISSUE 4*DATE HERE

In This Issue: MLK at UT (p. 1)

Government Shutdown coverage (p. 3)

ED: Why women in politics must be “likeable” (p. 5)

Mr. NDA Profile (p.6) RR: Were You up late last night and why? (p. 7)

Cover Photo By: Chloe Kozal

The Vista

Page 1 News

Vista Reporter’s Personal Experience

NDA Girls Join Toledo’s Day of Unity Aniah Bell-Langster Recently, I had the honor of being a part of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Day celebration that takes place annually on January 21 at The University of Toledo Savage Arena.

I am glad that fellow NDA senior Ada Ogbanna and I were given an opportunity to speak about racial injustice that still occurs to this day and relay hope to others. The message of my piece was simply that we all need to put in effort to create a world of which Dr. King would be proud.

Savage Arena was full of people from all around Toledo and surrounding areas, and it was great to see the room bustling with people waiting to witness a great event with an even greater message.

I am so grateful that I was able to see the hard work that accompanies such a great program. Since my mother was on the committee, I was able to attend meetings in which The University of Toledo and the City of Toledo collaborated and eventually brought their ideas to life.

Ada and I arrived at the arena early in the morning so that we could get a feel of the space and practice our speech even more. Our pieces were closer to the end of the program, so we were able

Aniah Bell-Langster speaks at UT to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Photo taken by Malaika Bell

to see all of the other amazing young people perform.

The performances were definitely the highlight of the celebration. We began with a beautiful rendition of the national anthem, sung by a traveling musician, and continued with the University’s Tribe Dance Group, Toledo Gospel Choir and other inspiring performers.

I began to feel nervous before it was my turn to speak. Despite the cold weather conditions outside, there was a great turnout and hundreds of people filled the room. It felt even more full when I was behind the podium. Lucki-

ly, I was able to complete my spoken word almost seamlessly. I believe I was able to do so well because of the support of everyone around me.

The community’s ability to rally together for a cause all of us believe in is truly inspiring. The experience made me think about how lucky I am to be offered opportunities to speak my mind.

The event certainly deserves its name.

It was a wonderful representation of all of the talent and pursuance of equality that sometimes can be hard to see on a regular day.

My piece was titled “We Have Work To Do” and explained the struggles of fighting institutionalized racism in modern day America. I wanted to bring attention to the things and ideas that must be present in our communities to truly accomplish the dream that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of. His vision included the eradication of this racism that, unfortunately, is still prevalent.

Hopefully in the future we are all able to dismantle the systems that do not allow this vision to become a reality. I believe that this celebration of civil rights action will spark a conversation about what needs to be done to promote true equality, and I am glad the University of Toledo and the City of Toledo had hope as well.

Program Helps Teens Find P.E.A.C.E. Chloe Kozal The P.E.A.C.E. Project stands for: Protecting Every Abused Child Everywhere Project. The P.E.A.C.E. Project is a mentoring and anti-bullying program that began in Toledo, but it is now is nationwide.

The P.E.A.C.E. Project began in 2007 with 12 students from Northview and Southview and a man named Mr. William Geha, who works in Sylvania Schools as a Prevention and Intervention Coordinator.

In an exclusive Vista interview, Mr. Geha said, “I asked [the 12 students] if they wanted to change this world. We discussed the bullying and disrespect that was evident everywhere. All 12 were very excited, and today we have 1400 members! We have two national awards, and these amazing kids have

saved lives!”

It’s especially noteworthy that the program has grown.

“I have over 900 letters from kids they have touched around the world.

Every day members are mentoring kids that struggle fitting in, have been abused, or whose parents are struggling with addiction. The amazing girls at NDA will carry on [this] legacy,” Mr. Geha said.

The P.E.A.C.E. Project has created workshops such as Project Hope, which is a day long workshop hosted by high school or college student mentors.

Another workshop is ‘Beautiful,’ aimed at young women and discussing “the importance of respecting ourselves and other women regardless of race, religion or physical features.”

Another part of the program shows the young women that “real men respect women just the way they are.”

The P.E.A.C.E. Project currently is in process of becoming an official Notre Dame Academy Club.

Freshman Fizza Khan participates in the P.E.A.C.E. Project.

“The P.E.A.C.E. Project is all about helping kids find their voice and letting them know that they are never alone.

We help kids who are bullied or kids who are simply struggling to fit in. We let them know they can always be themselves, and it’s a beautiful thing.

We change lives!” she said.

All Notre Dame students are invited to participate. If you become a member at NDA, you also get an official P.E.A.C.E. Project t-shirt.

The Vista

Page 2 News

2nd Government Shutdown Avoided; President Declares National Emergency Ada Ogbonna After an impasse between President Donald Trump and Congress over a border wall, large portions of the government lost funding last month and had to close.

The partial-shutdown lasted 35 days.

With President Trump wanting a wall and Congress divided about funding a wall, it seemed as if the government was torn apart, stuck between what should be done and what they want to get done.

This wall was a long-standing promise of the Trump administration with his campaign relying on the fact that immigration will be cracked down on through the creation of a border wall. This wall would help regulate the amount of people entering and leaving the U.S. and help keep dangerous, illegal immigrants out of the country. “Build the Wall” was a favorite chant at then-candidate Donald Trump’s campaign rallies and continues at rallies the president holds even now.

The whole campaign heavily advocated for the building of a wall, but the funding has led to a lot of controversy as to who will be paying and where the money will be coming from.

At the start of the campaign it was stated that the Mexican government would be paying for the wall, but after that plan failed, the Trump administration had to find another source of funding for the wall, which led to the shutdown the country experienced last month.

A split vote on whether or not the wall should be built tore this country apart, leading to the longest running government shutdown in American history which caused numerous government jobs to be put on hold as they waited for government funding for projects and pay.

A TSA employee posted on HuffPost Facebook page, “Most of us live paycheck to paycheck and cannot afford to be unpaid and still go to work for long. It is not fair.”

This was the sentiment of numerous government employees as they struggled to make ends meet for 35 days as the government proceeded to argue back and forth.

The shutdown led to numerous em-

ployees trying to find a way to survive and when they were forced to go back to work without pay the anger rose as they realized that they would be working without pay indefinitely.

Senior Katie Tolson said, “The government hurt a lot of people with their argument over the wall, and I am saddened to see so many families suffer as they work without pay.”

Eventually, the two sides agreed to temporarily open the government until Feb. 15 to ease the burden of the shutdown while working on a compromise. Congress did send a funding bill to President Trump on Thursday, Feb. 14.

Editor’s Note: On Friday, Feb. 15, President Trump signed the funding bill from Congress; however, he also declared a national emergency on the border situation, giving him the right to pull money from other areas to fully fund the wall.

On Tuesday, Feb. 19, a group of 16 states filed a lawsuit in a federal court against the declaration of emergency, calling the move unconstitutional.

Staying Safe in an Increasingly Technological World Reagan Bertke In an increasingly technological world, social media is relevant in almost everyone’s life. People spend countless hours every day searching the web or scrolling through social media feeds. However, most people hardly consider how the information they provide to sites online is actually stored and used.

In recent years, companies and sites have been accumulating much more data than they ever have before, which is valuable to them in a variety of ways.

According to Forbes, sites can produce a more intelligent and personalized news feed for users through the collection of user data such as engagement history.

This information is utilized to keep users interested and coming back to the site.

Additionally, search engines such as Google or social media sites like Facebook keep track of users’ search history in attempt to entice them with ads based on recent searches.

Tips To Protect Your Privacy

1. Check your privacy se ngs 2. Be cau ous of fun quizzes on social media—they take you to unsecure sites 3. Use strong passwords or pass phrases special to you 4. Lock your phone with a PIN or pa ern so that if you lose it, others cannot open it

* Tips from www.getcybersafe.gc.ca This is done through a process called website profiling which monitors a user's online activity through the use of cookies.

Assistant Director of Technology Mr.

Nick Ball points out that although the data collected is not necessarily personal information, it can easily be spun into a privacy concern. Social media sites are also collecting data for new and innovative purposes.

According to allaboutcookies.org, Facebook uses cookies to gather information about their users even when users are logged out of their accounts. However, Facebook claims these cookies are used to improve and personalize the site while protecting users. They deny selling any information to outside parties. This still raises the question, are privacy laws really strict enough?

To completely avoid being tracked, students should block all cookies and prevent cross-site tracking on their mobile devices.

Mr. Ball also advises students to periodically delete temporary history on their phones or computers.

The Vista

Page 3 OP-ED

School Hours: Balancing Student Needs Crosstalk

Late Start

Early Dismissal Reagan Bertke

Chloe Kozal Sleep loss can negatively impact your academic performance, increase tardiness and being absent and decrease motivation to learn. Schools need later start times because as students we naturally go to bed or start to feel sleepy around 11 o'clock, only allowing us to get 7 hours instead of the 8-9 hours we need.

In teenage sleep patterns and school studies, many have found that students do not go to bed later but still have a longer sleep time. Schools that do not accommodate to student’s needs can cause health and educational problems.

The optimal sleep time for a teenager is from 11 to 8 o clock. While our 8:30 class start time may seem late, we still have TCB before first period. Our TCB begins at 8:15, which means that we cannot have enough sleep at our current start time.

If we started TCB at 8:30, we would add about a fifteen minutes to an hour onto the student’s schedules. While this does not add a drastic amount of sleep time, it would still make a difference.

If the school got let out earlier, students who leave school on a bus would have an even longer wait time before they got the chance to leave school. Faculty or staff members would also have to stay longer to supervise the students.

We as a student body need sleep in order to create a better educational atmosphere. Later start times can help us achieve this and lower sleep deprivation, tardiness, and school absences. Early let out times, unlike late start times, would not give us this opportunity.

There is also nothing wrong with being able to hit the snooze button in the morning!

By the time 2pm rolls around, the girls at NDA are walking through the motions for the last hour of the school day. In the winter, students are anxious to get out and enjoy the last few hours of daylight. In the warm spring months, students look forward to outdoor activities in the sunshine.

Although many students would love the idea of school starting later, most would also not want to stay that extra hour in class at the end of the day.

Today’s high school students often find themselves running from one activity to the next. An extra hour of time would be very beneficial to Notre Dame Academy students. Schedules are demanding as there is an immense pressure on students to be involved to form a well-rounded resume. Girls often feel stressed as it seems there is not enough time in the day for everything to get done.

For students who are involved in many extracurricular activities, whether it be a sport, musical, or club, an extra hour allows time for students to balance their out of school activities with homework, even providing much needed down time.

An extra hour also provides time for students who have jobs to complete some of their homework before their shift begins.

NDA students would put an extra hour of time to good use with their ambitious mentalities.

Additionally, students need an occasional break to relax from their busy schedule and to enjoy the company of those around them. Oftentimes it is hard for families to find time to spend together. By getting out early, students can get their homework done and then spend time with family or friends.

There is also nothing wrong with an occasional after school nap!

The Vista Staff Volume 69 Issue 4 The Vista is a publication of Notre Dame Academy by the students of Journalism II and III. The office is located in room 113 of the school.

Unsigned editorials represent a majority vote of the newspaper staff.

Editor in Chief: kendall rejent Adviser: Mrs. Julie Sells Second Year Reporter: Ada Ogbonna First Year Reporters: Aniah Bell-langster Reagan Bertke Chloe kozal

Editor’s Corner First Issue of the year!

There are many exciting things happening at the beginning of 2019 for the NDA community.

With our newly crowned Mr. NDA, Date Dance fun, and spirit week approaching there is a lot for our girls to be excited for in the midst of a new semester starting.

Happy Black History Month! Make sure to check out Aniah’s personal narrative of Unity Day at UT on page 1! ~ Kendall

The Vista

Page 4 OP-ED

Just President, No Madame With the presidential election of 2020 in view, constituents are surely assessing the possible candidates and in doing so should be balancing, with fair representation, both men and women on their lists.

Unfortunately history proves that no matter the excitement or passion behind a new type of leader, somewhere behind the curtain, a voter shows their true colors.

From Christine Quinn to Hillary Clinton to Elizabeth Warren, women are being deemed unfit to do a man's job based on something of as minor importance as likability.

This mindset has intelligent and capable women reeling in their powerful presence and putting out inauthentic versions of themselves, a less aggressive, less loud, less in the people’s face version, all in the hopes of gaining this likability first so that maybe they will be heard on the things they are saying that are of greater importance.

Why is it then that when men put on their game face and act with intensity, they're seen as get-

ting work done, but when women try to just be taken seriously, we are erratic, shrill, bossy, even difficult?

Speculation of Elizabeth Warren’s potential candidacy for the election of 2020 in no surprising manner has sparked conversation most directly concerned with whether or not she will face similar scrutiny as Hillary Clinton did.

This is not surprising given the main focus of her alleged candidacy is once again centered around her likability and gender and not on whether or not she is qualified to do the job.

The problem lies in the ignorance between oneself and bias.

Voters do not recognize their own bias when they discredit a woman politician without any tangible evidence to support why they do not care for her. Usually met with vague answers such as “I just don't like her” and “a woman President sure, just not her,” voters are blindly exercising their bias in giving these incomplete answers that have nothing to do with qualification, but everything to do with likability.

Presidential Facts James Madison (4th) was arrested for taking a carriage ride on Sunday in Vermont, along with Thomas Jefferson (3rd), because it was illegal at the time.

Martin Van Buren (8th) wrote an autobiography after his time as president, but he never mentioned his wife in the book.

Harry S. Truman (33rd) did not have a middle name.

George W. Bush (43rd) was head cheerleader at his high school. *Facts from Degrees Digital Magazine (Issue 9) pearsoned.com

Short Spirit Week Not Short on Spirit Ada Ogbonna As a senior Eagle, I can only feel sadness as I realize that the days leading up to graduation are creeping up really fast.

As the days of roaming NDA’s halls slowly come to a close, I can't help but wish that my time with my favorite people are as fun exciting and vibrant as possible. I am excited to be experiencing my very last Spirit Week, but I’m also sad that my very last Spirit Week won't be a week.

Since I was a freshman, I've always found Spirit Week to be the pinnacle of NDA culture and spirit.

It's the only time to see girls truly express themselves and show how much they truly love NDA. From going all out for each theme to cheering loud for the awesome events of the variety show, NDA always finds a way to include everybody and truly come together as a family.

This year though this bonding experience is cut short as the Spirit Week turns into 3 spirit days. Now I know two less days is not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but I can't help but feel sad for those two days that we are missing because I know that every single year I treasure each and every single day of Spirit Week.

Each theme means something to me and each event makes me feel closer to my friends, so to even have one day gone feels like I am missing out on an experience to be having fun with my sisters, especially for seniors who love every minute of Spirit Week and just want to experience one more all school activity before they wish NDA farewell and head their separate ways.

Spirit week is a special time at NDA to show up and show out but most of all to have fun and express ourselves in an open and safe environment.

Of course, not all things can be planned and sometimes circumstances are out of our control which is nobody’s fault, which is what happened this year, but all the same I’m still saddened to see Spirit Week cut short, but at the same time, I’m glad I can still experience it with my friends!

The Vista

Page 5 Feature

Sid Fernandes Claims the Mr. NDA Crown Kendall rejent The 13th annual Mr. NDA show took place Saturday, January 5, 2019 and was a classic night to boogie and freak out.

All of the elaborate dance numbers and heartfelt moments at the mic were done for a sold out audience.

The show featured 12 young men, 6 from St. John’s Jesuit and 6 from St. Francis DeSales High School. Senior Sid Fernandes was crowned Mr. NDA 2019 and was celebrated by the crowd.

As the show has grown each year so has its media outlets. The show’s Instagram page was filled with contestant videos to introduce the guys on morning announcements and posted on Instagram for parents and students at other schools to get a sample of who they’d maybe like to vote for.

It also featured candid photos of contestants and their escorts learning the steps to the dances and having fun at Sunday practices. You could even purchase your ticket for the show by clicking the link in the page’s bio.

Sid is currently a senior at St. Francis

Sid Fernandes is crowned Mr. NDA. Photo provided by Lifetouch and is involved in the cross country team, student council, campus ministry, musical, men’s chorus, and is the vice president of the National Honors Society.

He encourages other guys to do the show.

“It’s a step out of your comfort zone, but you are able to challenge and learn from yourself, your accomplishments, and your mistakes,” he said.

He also appreciates the friends he has made through the show.

“I’ve also gotten to know some really great guys from being contestants together. They're literally my brothers, and we mutually support one another. I was actually not going to do the show because I can be shy. However, my amazing escort Suneina Badoni convinced me to do it, so I did it, and she helped with every step of the way.

Without her I wouldn’t have had such a great experience,” he said. “Truly this was one of my most favorite memories of my high school years.”

Of course none of the show would be possible without the coaches, directors, and core team members.

“I loved it so much from Mrs. Brookover and Mrs. Parks to the core team and the escorts. I am honestly speechless and so grateful,” Sid added.

2019 March For Life Picture Gallery Playing cards during down time at the Church

Kendall rejent \

Gathering for a group shot during the March

Enjoying some music during Mass

Sight-seeing the monuments downtown!

The Vista

Page 6 Backtalk

A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words Chloe Kozal English teacher Mrs. Kelly Wood’s room has something new in the works - a full scale mural on her wall. The leaders for this project is senior Raven BegellLong and alumnae Ava Werner (’18).

“It was Ava who started the idea, and I helped her for our CAS project for full diploma. Mrs. Wood wanted the mural in her classroom, and she gave us the resources that we needed, so we basically took what she wanted on the wall from a list of books she provided,” Raven said.

Since August, the mural has been in the drawing stage, but the mural began with researching and choosing books from Mrs.Wood’s list.

The books on the mural are: I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai, Hidden Figures

by Margot Lee Shetterly, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and Loaves and Fishes by Dorothy Day. Mrs.Wood said, “I tried to choose a variety of books that would represent a wide range of academic disciplines and points of view.”

The birds on the right side of the mural are Hedwig the snowy owl from Harry Potter and a macaw from Love in the Time of Cholera to continue with the literary theme.

“On the left side, the birds were chosen more for color and meaning to the school.

Sophomore Rachel Miller adds her artistic touch to the mural in Mrs. Wood’s room.

Photo by Chloe Kozal

Why Were You Up Late Last Night and Why? Reagan Bertke “I was up late watching a new TV show.”

- Senior Gioia Pacella “Yes, I was on Snapchat with my friends.” - Sophomore Gretchen Gmitter

The bluebird and cardinal are more there for their colorful aspect, the eagle is for Notre Dame Academy, and the raven is more of a personal signature,” Raven said.

After planning and researching, sketches were made on long strips of tracing paper. National Art Honors Society members took the tracing paper and transferred the designs onto the walls.

“I love the project! I can't wait until it's finished,” Mrs. Wood said. “I'm hoping the end result is colorful and bold.”

“I think when it is done it will be more collaborative, it will have more different styles and mixture of realistic and simplistic because all NAHS members will be involved,” Raven said.

Corny Conversation Hearts Aniah Bell-Langster

Roving Reporter

Make your friends smile with these cheesy conversation hearts just in time for Valentine’s Day!

“Yes, I had volleyball practice until late then came home, showered, and finished homework.” - Sophomore Ally Sosko “Yes, because I have three children.”

- Latin Teacher Mrs. Amanda Mutgi “I was up throughout the night with a stuffy nose!” - Senior Paige Griffith “Yes, I was up late because I had volleyball until 10 and didn’t get home until 10:30.” - Freshman Maddie Mergen “I was up late studying for an IB Bio test!” - Junior Sage Gibson “Yes, I had work until 10, then homework.” - Senior Jenna Reichert “On Saturday night I was up until 2am hanging out with my friends.” - Senior Alexis Dixon “I was up late because I went to see a movie with my family and then spent time with my sister who left for college this morning.” - Senior Anna Haudrich “I was up late because my friend’s car broke down on the way home from Indiana!” - Sophomore Madi Bell “I was up late chatting with my roommates and eating dark chocolate m&m’s.” - history teacher Ms. Ulrich “Yes, I was up late working on homework.” - Freshman Marielle Smith

You get a 3 pt. demerit!...for being too cool

Unlike that Math test, loving is easy!

“I was not up late because I knew I had to get up early for a volleyball tournament, and I wanted to make sure I had enough energy to play well.” - Senior Grace Dynda “Yes, I was up until 1am studying for a test, but it went well!” - Junior Kathryn Riddle “No, I got all my homework done and went to bed early.” - Senior Cassidy Scheuer

The Vista

The Vista ###