2022 - Odyssey Favorites

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THE ODYSSEY Vol.XLIV

How do ya’ like them ‘taters?

“Mashed”

“Mashed”

“Sweet baked”

“Fries”

~Donovan Varney

~Jolie Helt

~Sophie Rentschler

~Erin Mayle

Westerville North High School

Sharing our #AllN Odyssey love

COVER PHOTO “Skins”

“French fries”

“Sweet potato fries”

“Waffle fries”

~Tyra Crumrine

~Carli Godorhazy

~Zachary Knight

~Ellie Bernard

“WAFFLE fries”

“Sweet potato fries”

~Kai Dages

~Emily Widman

“Gotta be loaded “Baked & loaded” skins” ~Sophie Bordron ~Brittany Abston

APRIL 2022

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2022 Projects

April 2022

Rockin’ with Grace Burke (podcast)

Introducing our new Warriorthon Dodgeball Say YES to the Couch broadcast and (podcast) Tourney (broadcast) podcast, hosted by Sophie Rentschler.

Watch on YouTube & listen on Podcast-o-matic

Zumba to Prom to Destination Day!

Follow us on social media!

How many Odyses can you spot in this issue?

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METAVERSE continued from page 8

The Odyssey takes on Zumba (broadcast)

Warrior InSTALLments: The brainchild of Cori Bohan, posted in bathroom stalls around school, has caught the attention of students & teachers alike.

Features

@WNHSOdyssey Visit our website for additional content: wnhsodyssey.com

Differentiating the collecting and trading of NFTs along with investing in these technologies is a vital part of dodging difficulty in the digital endeavor. Investing in NFTs indicates that an individual has an expectation of change in value of the image, this is referred to as a security.

“A security is a contract that says ‘you own a piece of something and you can expect there is going to be an increased value of that thing that you own,’” Barkeloo said.

Labeling NFTs as securities, legally, creates potential for these digital tokens to get ugly.

“The legal jeopardy, the legal framework is so intense. It’s almost impossible for anyone that’s not [part of] a big company to play,” Barkeloo said.

Zach Buss (12) sees the risk of NFTs, and he advises collectors to start old school. “ [NFTs] are handled with too much money and can be unpredictable in nature. If students want to start investing early, it may be better to do something more traditional to start safe,” Buss said.

Terminology and educating oneself is a large part of playing the game.

“If you use that word, invest, with an NFT that is a security. If you’re going to invest in NFTs, make sure you don’t run a foul. If you’re collecting them and trading them, as entertainment, with no expectation of future gain, then it’s not a security. Knock yourself out,” Barkeloo said.

For business people like Mark Zuckerberg, Chief Executive Officer of Facebook, NFTs are seen as a pathway to a digital world—The metaverse. According to The Vergecast interview with Zuckerberg, “...you can think about the metaverse as an embodied internet, where instead of just viewing content—you are in it,” Zuckerberg said.

“NFTs encourage the metaverse, since your NFT is an early step into that world,” Buss said.

The resources to collect and even create NFTs are abundant to everyone, but young people and their technological knowledge will serve as an advantage against older investors.

“NFTs can be valuable to everyone, but students usually have an advantage because of their knowledge of the internet. All it takes is a little bit of research, and you could possibly make a couple bucks,” Verduga said.

Minting an NFT, creating, and publicizing it to the blockchain can be easy. The seamlessness of collecting and trading NFTs has been done thanks to technological advancements made by business giants like Zuckerberg.

“In your room, this evening, you can mint an NFT,” Barkeloo said.

At the end of the day, NFTs are seen as a facet of an internet learning experience.

“There are ways to do NFTs besides this idea of taking a picture and trying to make $1 million dollars. You can make [NFTs] a learning tool,” Barkeloo said.

Editor-in-Chief Assistant Editor News Editor

Donovan Varney Jolie Helt Sophie Bordron

Sports Editor

Erin Mayle & Kai Dages Cori Bohan

Social Media Editor

Ellie Bernard

Feature Editors

Photo Editor

Brittany Abston

Brittany Abston Erin Mayle Ellie Bernard Sophia Rentschler Cori Bohan Donovan Varney Sophie Bordron Emily Widman Tyra Crumrine With contributions from: Kai Dages Idil Hasan Carli Godorhazy Alexandre Hedrick Jolie Helt Hailey Tessman Zachary Knight

ADVISER Rebecca Gaffney

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Feature

April 2022

A collection of period products often used by high school students.

Products pictured would average around $30.

Photographer: Erin Mayle

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Knocking down no-knocks

PERIOD PRODUCTS continued from page 4

“People [should] equate them with toilet paper. Nobody would ever think you needed to bring your own toilet paper,” Baumann said.

While tampons and pads are supplied in some teachers' classrooms, it's not always a comfortable or convenient environment when in need of a period product.

“While some teachers provide [period products], it's a lot to assume students would feel comfortable going up to the front of the classroom to grab these products. A lot of the time, people are already in the bathroom when they realize they got their period,” Cooper said.

“It's something easy to become accessible. It should be provided by the school. It's healthcare, it's a standard,” Cooper said.

“To feel comfortable enough to put themselves in a position where they could be embarrassed or awkward trying to get one from a teacher, especially if they're in a position where they don't have access to these resources anywhere else. That was definitely a bigger motivator [to start getting period products in school bathrooms],” Lynch said.

Overall, the project to get period products at Westerville North is one for both students and administration to look out for.

“Seeing the administration [put period products in the bathrooms] would make students proud to go to North. They’re showing that they care about their students,” Lynch said.

News

Photographer: Erin Mayle Workers at Westerville North’s new cafe in the Cardinal & Gold Student Union prepare an order. Many coffee lovers are excited about this addition to North.

CAFFEINE continued from page 9

“I didn’t get started on caffeine until a friend of mine got me hooked on it… It really helps my anxiety,” Rowell said.

It’s important to note that …quitting your caffeine consumption does not have the same amount of painful effects that others may assume. The worst symptoms you can experience when you decide to stop drinking caffeine are headaches, trouble concentrating and feeling more fatigued than usual. The more caffeine you consume, the harder it is to stop your intake.

“I’ve always had a little caffeine here and there… [usually] you’ll just see me with a bottle of Coke,” Fleming said.

Caffeine effects can last 4-6 hours but are most prominent in the first hour of consumption. Caffeine stimulates the adrenal glands which are where the jitters and spike in someone’s heartbeat can come

from. When someone consumes a large amount of caffeine, it is common for their heart rate to pick up because of its connection to the nervous system.

“Kids who do sports need that energy boost after school to make sure they can do their best for their sport That way they’re not sluggish… and get in trouble with their coaches. I can one hundred percent understand that” Rowell said.

There are pros and cons to caffeine usage. Reactions to caffeine differentiate depending on an individual’s health and body chemistry. Staying in the safe range of one to four cups of coffee a day is the healthiest way to consume caffeine responsibly.

Sophie Bordron, News Editor Issue 4 Two years after the death of Breonna Taylor another life has been taken as a result of a no-knock warrant. A no-knock warrant is an order given by a judge that permits law enforcement officials to enter a location without announcing their presence.

Amir Locke was shot at least three times and killed by a SWAT officer of the Minneapolis Police Department on Feb. 2, 2022.

The officers were permitted into the home following the orders of a no-knock warrant of a homicide case. Similar to Taylor, Locke was not a person of interest for the case the judge issued the no-knock warrant for. Locke was not even named on the warrant nor was he a resident of the apartment that was entered.

Released body camera footage shows Locke on a couch wrapped up in a blanket. As the officers came into the room the footage shows that Locke held a gun in his hand just before the officer shot and killed Locke.

Ohio criminal defense attorney Gloria L. Smith has been practicing law for almost 30 years.

“The [legal] justification [for the officer shooting Locke] is the no-knock warrant. But I think they are so unnecessary, there’s better ways to arrest someone,” Smith said.

Locke was 22 years old, which is four years younger than Taylor when she was killed. His death has rekindled the flames of the public demanding action against no-knock warrants.

A collage of protests following the deaths of Breonna Taylor and Amir Locke overlayed by an image of a SWAT officer who uses a battering ram to open a door. Taylor and Locke were both killed by police following no-knock warrants.

Dr. Heidi Ballard is an associate professor of sociology and affiliate faculty of the public health program at Otterbein University.

“I see that moment as it connects to the evolution of the militarization of policing in this country and also the progressive erosion of our civil rights” Ballard said, “to play Devil’s advocate one could argue that we live in a dangerous world and we need to be secure and these laws are in place to keep us secure.”

Ballard has been a professor since 1996 and she teaches courses that include: Intro to Sociology, Global Social Change, Integrated Studies and Race and Ethnicity at Otterbein University.

“Arguable the drug war really kicked this militarization of policing into high gear but also 9/11 and the 2001 Anti-Terrorism Act that allows people to be surveilled,” Ballard said.

No-knock warrants have been around since the 1970s and were issued under President Richard Nixon’s administration, during the war on drugs. This increased the use of no-knock warrants to prevent recreational drug use.

“The judge has to perceive that there is grave danger to law enforcement and possibly the community [to issue a no-knock

warrant],” Ballard said.

Ilham Ahmed (12), John Ndive (12), and Success Oguntuyi (12) attend Westerville North High School.

“With no knock warrants you think someone is robbing you, you don’t think it’s the police you think it’s someone robbing you,” Ahmed said.

“In order to get a warrant an officer has to give a statement under oath and the judge or the magistre is supposed to review the affidavit,” Smith said, “I have seen judges not even read [the affidavit] “…I was in the courtroom [once] and I saw law enforcement come in and they handed the warrant and [the judge] just signed it.”

No-knock warrants are predominantly used in situations where it is in the best favor of the police and safety of another person to not announce their presence.

“I think the judge was an error of this case,” Ballard said, “There wasn’t enough information, it was an error. There hadn’t been enough due diligence that the judge should have followed to make that decision.”

Between 2010-2016, 94 people were killed as a result of no-knock warrants. Although some departments have kept records of no-knock warrants, no exact data has been collected.

Data taken by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety from Sept. 1, 2021 to Feb. 2, 2022 showed that in Minnesota, of the 94 people who were subjects of no-knock warrants, an See NO-KNOCKS on page 18

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Period products at WNHS are here to stay Emily Widman, Reporter Issue 4 In any stressful situation, all anyone wants to feel is supported. High school is notoriously one of the most high stress periods of anyone's life, so when an inconvenience gets added to an already stressed student's plate, such as their period, they need the proper resources to continue to balance the multitude of other responsibilities they are faced with. But when their school does not supply them with the proper resources necessary for their health, where do they go?

This isn't a new controversy at Westerville North High School (WNHS). Multiple times throughout the years, both students and administration have tried to have period products become a district funded resource accessible for students, but the effort repeatedly does not stick around. Whether it be due to destruction of the tampon dispensers or the issue not being a top priority of those in power, the project has been put on hold for years.

However, with a new wave of inspired students with a plan, period products might have their long awaited time to shine in the WNHS bathrooms. Amanda Cooper (11) and Colleen Lynch (11) have voiced their concern with the lack of resources they have available to them. With the help of teacher Leslie Baumann, Cooper and Lynch have a plan up their sleeves.

“Because I am involved in the school, I get to see more of what the administrators are doing, so I have more of a drive to change things because I have more of an idea of what exactly is wrong,” Lynch said. “Right now we are working on an application to present why we need pads and tampons in the bathrooms, how much it would cost, and how we would achieve it.”

The effort to restart what seemed to be a lost cause was inspired by others in the community making change.

“It's cool to see others make a difference in the school. It inspires you to make a difference,” Cooper said.

Baumann, who has already been a part of this effort multiple times prior to its most recent attempt with earlier WNHS graduates, has faith that this time, period products are here to stay.

“I think the school was behind with their thinking. We didn't really push it in the past, but now, the administrative people I've talked to, are on board. I think even in the past couple of years, public opinion has changed,” Baumann said.

The team involved in this project is doing everything they can to make period product dispensers a lasting resource for students, both current and future.

“Efforts like this in the past, where you are providing resources to students, have trickled out when the instigators graduate. It’s important to make things a continual effort; make it ‘the norm’ at North,” Lynch said.

North’s nurse, Valerie Thompson, also recalls past restrictions and stigmas surrounding period products in the district. “There is always red tape with everything. Everyone is just trying to figure out district policies and guidelines [on] how to make this happen,” Thompson said.

Even though there have been restrictions preventing the dispensers from being put in WNHS, the students hope that they will prevent period products from being removed from the school again.

“I feel like having a permanent installation would make it easier to continue the effort,” Lynch said.

Baumann emphasizes that having a resource that always has period products not in the bathrooms doesn’t make sense.

“The end goal is to have them in the bathrooms. If someone is having an emergency, they’ll want to have them right there, in the bathrooms,” Baumann said.

See PERIOD PRODUCTS on page 22

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EDUCATE continued from page 5 …every day. Alumaya says that menstruation does affect education for girls, but it doesn’t have to hold them back completely.

“Menstruation can hold girls back. But they can still go to school like their male counterparts who don’t have biological barriers” Alumaya said.

Alumaya adds that it is a big deal for girls to go to school in Uganda.

“My dad has a saying, ‘If you educate a girl, you educate a nation’,” Alumaya said.

For Alumaya, this saying came true. Alumaya began working alongside Diane Ross in her exploration to help women's education.

After Alumaya finished schooling in Uganda, Ross brought her back to Otterbein, where her success story blossomed further and led her to ultimately receive a degree that could change a nation.

“When I look at [Doreen] everything I’ve done for 10 years is reflected back. She is the result.

One young woman who is getting educated to go back and make a difference in her country,” Ross said.

While Alumaya’s educational journey resulted in a beautiful promise to change lives in Uganda, stories like hers are few and far between. So what can we do in a place like Westerville, Ohio, so far from Uganda, that would make a positive impact on women’s education?

Brandon Allen, the Global Scholars advisor for Westerville North, says it is immensely important to have a global perspective and Global Scholars does just that. Global Scholars is a program designed through online modules to allow students to gain knowledge of the world from their own home.

“Knowing as much as you can about different cultures, different perspectives, different social norms, and different cultural norms is immensely important and powerful as it will prepare you for both your personal and professional life,” Allen said.

Ross and Alumaya say something similar. To them, while it would help, it’s not so much about giving money and resources to schools, rather it’s about learning people’s stories.

“First we need to educate ourselves. We need to have a global education for ourselves and not look at it from a perspective of let's go save them. Instead, how can we learn from each other?” Alumaya said.

“Their stories are ones that change people. Having those stories, reading those stories, getting the messages out - all these girls want is to be known. They love the fact that people in Ohio know about their life and that they are not invisible,” Ross said.

ADVICE continued from page 13 Dance, even if you have nowhere Keep your old love letters. Throw to do it but your living room. away your old bank statements.

Read the directions, even if you Stretch. don't follow them.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know Do not read beauty magazines. what you want to do with your life. They will only make you feel ugly.

The most interesting people I know Get to know your parents. You didn't know at 22 what they wanted to never know when they'll be gone do with their lives. Some of the most for good. Be nice to your siblings. interesting 40-year-olds I know still They're your best link to your past don't. and the people most likely to stick Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to with you in the future. your knees. You'll miss them when Understand that friends come and they're gone. go, but with a precious few you Maybe you'll marry, maybe you should hold on. Work hard to won't. Maybe you'll have children, bridge the gaps in geography and maybe you won't. Maybe you'll lifestyle, because the older you get, divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the the more you need the people who funky chicken on your 75th wedding knew you when you were young. anniversary. Whatever you do, don't Live in New York City once, but congratulate yourself too much, or leave before it makes you hard. berate yourself either. Your choices Live in Northern California once, are half chance. So are everybody but leave before it makes you soft. else's.

Travel.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way Accept certain inalienable truths: you can. Don't be afraid of it or of Prices will rise. Politicians will what other people think of it. It's the philander. You, too, will get old. greatest instrument you'll ever own

And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

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WOMEN’S RIGHTS continued from page 17

“Being mindful of gender norms by not forcing him into a box that just because he’s a boy he doesn’t have to play with trucks and he doesn’t have to be tough. Little boys can have feelings and emotions too. The Women’s Fund has been really key in helping me with all of those different components.” Whaling said.

The Young Feminist Club of Westerville North High School helps promote the expression of femininity among individuals. Started up this past fall, the club meets monthly to discuss issues and is advised by Beth Henman. A member of the club, Safia Raki (10), plays an important role in the creation of the club’s projects.

“Young Feminist Club plays a big part in allowing everyone to be who they are without judgment. We spend a portion of our meetings going over highs and lows associated with women on social media in which we emphasize the rights and wrongs of the forms of criticism directed to women everywhere. The accomplishments that come up with discussions like these further emphasize my security in my femininity,” Raki said.

The extreme emphasis that both groups stress is that longing for and pushing gender equality and smashing gender norms is not just a “girly” issue. Equality is for everyone and advocates don’t have to remain just female.

“The Women’s Fund and caring about gender equality is not just a women’s issue. I think it’s also just as important that men care about these issues. It’s not good for anyone to be put in a box or anyone be mistreated unequally or unfairly,” Whaling said.

YOUNG FEMINIST continued from page 19

"I have two daughters of my own and I see some of the things they tackle and grapple with as they’ve been becoming young adults, so that personally is a big impact for me," Henman said.

Members emphasize that Young Feminist Club is a safe space and encourage both students and staff alike to be a part of something that is bigger than themselves.

“Feminists can be any gender (cis or trans), any sexuality, any religion, and any race. Inclusion is the basis of feminism, and YFC welcomes all,” Kauh said.

“I believe students will feel empowered by this group to be their true and authentic selves without fear,” Baum said.

Westerville North's Young Feminists Club wants to see new members and work on big issues that will make our community a more accepting and inclusive place to live and learn together.

Photographer: Rebecca Gaffney Young Feminist Club sponsored and designed the lobby showcase for March. The exhibit features traditional phrases often heard by women handwritten on foil and fluttering by string as well as more empowering typed, structured phrases.

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If you educate a girl, you educate a nation Cori Bohan, Sports Editor Issue 4 menstruation. Ross’s team at FOYA Uganda brings Since the COVID-19 pandemic arose in 2020, washable pads to the girls so that they can continue going schools in Uganda were shut down for more to school as opposed to staying at home because of the than two years. Lacking the technology that insufficiency of feminine products needed to stay in allows other countries to stay afloat during this school. difficult time, every student in Uganda was sent With the help of Ross’s team and their partnership with home for 28 months. However, when schools other non-profit organizations and people on the ground were finally allowed in Uganda, the group has to reopen, one-third of figured out a way to keep students - predominantly girls in school as well as young girls - weren’t able keep menstruation discreet. to return to continue their Menstruation isn’t the only academic endeavors. The issue that keeps girls from problem is rooted in attending school, especially menstruation, hygiene, in the wake of the pandemic. and issues surrounding Ross explains how Uganda the time a girl hits is a patriarchal society and puberty. For a multitude how a lack of money can of reasons, this lead to girls being sold to underlying issue is one become brides. unique to Uganda.

Girls and boys alike attend school in Uganda. They are “The country is a Diane Ross, a alongside Diane Ross and other members of FOYA patriarchy, so that means the professor at Otterbein Uganda. man rules the family and has University, has taught multiple wives… There is a middle childhood education and multicultural bride price in Uganda. So a man pays for a woman, and education for 21 years. Apart from teaching, they pay for [a bride] often in cows, or goats, or sheep…

Ross has paved a path of change through her A daughter is often sold to a man so the family can unique experiences and relationships with sustain feeding the kids at home,” Ross said. people across the world from all walks of life.

Another layer on top of the already difficult Her journey began when she first started circumstances is the issue of whether girls who are teaching at a Peace Institute in Switzerland, pregnant should be able to return to school.

Austria, and Turkey helping students from all “The Catholic Church, which is a strong entity in over the globe get their masters in Peace and Uganda, believes that girls who get pregnant should never Social Justice. One of those students was a be allowed back in school,” Ross said. young man from Uganda whose thesis was on This is a familiar idea in Uganda, and many women and Gender Equity in Uganda, and it was this girls are taught to believe that they will be nothing more connection that led Ross to create the non-profit than that of a bride. However, Doreen Alumaya defied the called FOYA Uganda (Forum for Youth odds.

Advocacy).

Doreen Alumaya is a current student at University “[FOYA Uganda] does not come from some of North Carolina at the Gillings School of Public Health, desire to help Africans, I’m not like we have to the second best public health school in America. Alumaya go fix Africa because it’s broken. [FOYA grew up in the West Nile Region of Uganda and was Uganda] came out of a desire of how to create, raised by her dad and step-mother. Alumaya was told she how to encourage teachers to be more socially would never be more than a prostitute in Uganda, yet she just,” Ross said. knew she always wanted a career that would help people A large aspect of FOYA Uganda is centered and change the world we live in. This is why she around women’s education and creating avenues continually made the two-mile trek to school each and…

See EDUCATE on page 21 for girls to learn despite the stigma behind

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Feature

Feature

The Odyssey

Running for a Purpose

Young Feminists Club Takes Flight

Kai Dages, Feature Editor Issue 1 Starting Saturday, Oct. 16 at 9:00 a.m. in Jim McCann Stadium, Kevin Ford began a 24 hour run and wouldn’t be done running until the following day at 9:00 a.m. Ford is not just running 24 hours for the challenge of it but also to raise awareness and money for Hope Squad.

Hope squad is new to Westerville North this year. It is a student-led group that educates and empowers students to look out for fellow students in distress and prevent teen suicide.

“I want to pay it forward in some way to my community, and this is my way to do it, to raise funds for Westerville Education Challenge [WEC]. Their mission this fall is Hope Squad,” Ford said.

Ford graduated from North in 2011, where he ran both Cross Country and Track. Sadly, in 2010 when Ford was a senior his father, Mark Ford, passed away due to suicide. Mark Ford was in a terrible car accident leaving him with the inability to walk and several mental health problems, all leading to his suicide.

Kevin Ford continued to run in college and well after where he found his love for long endurance runs. Having run in 18 official endurance races including Burning River 50, Tuscazor 50, and Wood splitter Summer Solstice 15-hour endurance run, Kevin Ford was well immersed in endurance runs but this would be his first attempt at running 24 hours.

His training for the 24 hours run began in Jan. of this year, where Kevin Ford first had to recover from a pressure ulcer on the bottom of his left foot which lasted until May. After his recovery, Kevin Ford ran 50 to 60 miles a week with endurance races sprinkled in.

“I’m going into the event prepared and confident. I have a plan and I’m going to stick to it.” Ford said before the 24-hour run.

Kevin planned to run four miles than walk a half-mile, stretching and switching directions every hour to prevent injury to his hip. He planned to eat and rehydrate every 15 to 30 minutes.

“Hundreds of people over the course of 24 hours came out to the track [for] support,” Ford said. One of the hundreds who came to support Ford was Zach Rogers, a member of Hope Squad and a Cross Country and Track runner.

“Since I’m on the Cross Country team I managed to run a mile or two with him, and I stayed about an hour or two after just to watch him and give him encouraging thoughts. For Hope Squad we tried to get as many people to come as possible to support him,” Rogers said.

A lot of people in the community did come, since during the same time that he was running, there was a food truck festival held in North’s parking lot starting at 4 p.m. The food trucks were not organized by WEC, but were organized separately by Westerville Parent Council as a fundraiser for them.

North librarian and Hope Squad advisor Beth Baryon, was appreciative that the food truck festival happened at the same time as the fundraiser of Hope Squad.

“The fact that they were happening at the same time was a nice thing though, because it drew people out to support both groups financially,” Baryon said.

However, as the food trucks left and it started to turn to night, Ford began to feel the pain of running for 24 hours. Firstly, he hadn’t stuck to the plan as closely as he should have. There were times during his run where he would forget to eat during the 15 to 30-minute intervals, and because he was constantly burning off energy his body was in a caloric deficit. This affected him by seeing lines on the track swerve Photographer Zachary Knight (12) when they should have been straight. Secondly, he was running in a fresh pair of Altra Torin 5s, which is a pair of shoes that were not Runner Kevin Ford passes the 50 mile mark meant to be run in for 24 hours nor were fresh after 14 hours of during his 24 hour run. running in.

See RUNNING on page 7

Erin Mayle, Features Editor Issue 1 The Young Feminist Club at Westerville North has just recently started up again with its first meeting of the year on Monday, Sept. 27. There was a large turnout of both students and staff, all hopeful for a future with fewer inequalities and gender discrimination not just at North, but in our community as a whole.

North teacher, Beth Henman is the new advisor for the Young Feminist club this year.

"I think it’s necessary because I think all groups should be valued, especially any group that represents a minority. There have been different incidents in our community and around our school, so I think it gives an outlet for those voices," Henman said.

First-year teacher Michaela Baum attends the group’s meetings and is passionate about its message.

“I decided to attend the first meeting of the Young Feminists Club because I wanted to see all the bright minds that are advocating for equal rights for all people,” Baum said.

The newly gathered group has a focus on education as well as empowerment. Feminism covers a range of issues that harm minorities in ways many students aren't aware of. YFC hopes to use education on these issues to build confidence in such groups.

"I’m hoping to get some guest speakers in to educate the community and enhance the culture of the school. I’m hoping to get a self-defense class going, and I’m even hoping to do some different kinds of workshops," Henman said.

Members of the Young Feminists Club are aware of the mixed

feelings some have towards the group.

Misconceptions some students have about the word feminism as well as harmful ideas regarding women’s equality go against everything YFC stands for. "[A misconception] is that it’s only for girls and women, and that only angry white women are feminists but it’s for all people and all ages. We’ve had staff members come and I’m hoping to have some guys come to our group," Henman said.

Baum is one teacher who sees the value in being a part of this kind of group.

“I wanted to show my students that I support them and are passionate about the same issues they are,” Baum said.

Caroline Kauh (11) also recognized the stigma surrounding feminism at North.

“Most of my friends don’t talk about women’s rights/feminism, so I wanted to join in order to have those conversations,” Kauh said.

Members of the club want all North students to feel welcome.

"You can be a feminist without being a girl. It just means

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supporting those voices and empowering all people. That’s definitely the biggest misconception, or that it’s man-bashing. It’s not that at all. It’s about empowering women," Henman said.

Kauh agrees that many fallacies surround the idea of feminism, but she is hopeful that the club will help change that. “If we can inform people about what feminism really is, more people will leave this school feeling like they were respected,” Kauh said.

Along with tackling myths and misconceptions about the reality of feminism, members of the Young Feminists Club and its organizers put emphasis on education.

At the club's first meeting, advisors encouraged members to think of new issues within the world of feminism that the group could explore more in-depth.

"If you perceive a problem, find out as much about it as you can and then [ask yourself] what’s the best way to make your voice heard about it," Henman said.

Baum agrees and feels that the group can provide a way to shine a light on issues that impact many students in their own community.

"It is a place for young people at our school to go to fight for the justice they deserve in our district," Baum said.

“YFC can hopefully play a role in creating a safe space to talk,” Kauh said.

Westerville North's Young Feminists Club wants to change the culture not just at North but in the community as a whole.

See YOUNG FEMINIST on page 20

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Features

NO-KNOCKS continued from page 3

MERCY continued from page 10

RUNNING continued from page 6

…alarming 66 were reported to be Black, who only account for seven percent of Minnesota’s population.

This has resulted in more regulations being approved to ensure that more data is collected vigilantly.

“At a certain point you just become desensitized to it.

After seeing so many videos about these things happening I’m not surprised it happens all the time,” Oguntuyi said.

Since Locke’s death protests have taken place around the country in hopes of creating a change in policy.

“The conversation needs to be brought up, it needs to be talked about. I feel like they need to improve the law.

I see why it’s there, but the way they do it is just not correct,” Ahmed said.

“I could be at work and if I’m suspected of anything, the feds can come into my house rifle through my drawers, put everything back and leave and never tell me they were [there],” Ballard said.

The public hopes to see change in the future, as President Biden’s administration is looking into the possibility of further limiting the use of these warrants.

“Personally I don’t think much has changed, there’s conversation but there’s not much [action],” Ndive said.

“The fact that it has been brought to the attention of the public eye is a great thing,” Smith said, “Unless you’re [involved] in the criminal system, you just don’t know…It’s important for us to understand that just because something doesn’t seem like it impacts you, it’s only a matter of time before it may impact you. If we see something that is not right, let's fix it.”

After Locke’s death, the file of the officer who shot Locke, Officer Mark Hanneman, was released by the department, as well as the arrest of Locke’s cousin, who is a suspect of the homicide case the no-knock warrant was issued for. The case is still under investigation as of Feb. 23.

“Just Mercy started the difficult conversion that was long overdue. These cases are normally swapped under the rug and people like Walter McMillian are left labeled as villains, but this book tells their stories and makes the voices of the victims heard,” Ahmed said.

Stevenson’s memoir is centered around the 1987 Walter McMillian case. The story narrates his personal experiences as a Black lawyer defending a Black man in Monroeville, Alabama. Stevenson’s memoir sold nearly fourteen thousand copies in only the first six months it was available in stores.

Mira Omran (11) is a current Contemporary Literature student who read Just Mercy in class this year.

“Just Mercy brought attention to the flawed aspects of the justice system,” Omran said.

Due to Just Mercy’s success, Stevenson was awarded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Award for Outstanding Literary work in the non-fiction category.

Just Mercy showcased the many racial injustice issues within the prison system, while also bringing awareness to the unfair imprisonment of POCs, specifically Black people.

“When Stevenson starts the novel, he talks about a horrible interaction between him and the police. It was extremely saddening seeing how similar that event was to what happens today. People like to believe that racism has disappeared, but it is still very relevant to our lives today,” Ahmed said.

Although racial bias in the U.S. legal system is a hard issue to combat, American citizens need to educate themselves on the justice system and spread awareness.

“People need to start using their resources. There are a lot of people in the media who speak out on issues such as these and their voices go unheard. The book Just Mercy would be a great starting point for someone who truly wanted to educate themselves. The author uses real life people with these experiences,” Ahmed said.

In regards to long term change, The U.S. has a long way to go, and a lot of learning to do.

“I think that white people rely a little too much on books like Just Mercy to educate themselves, rather than interacting with their community and people of color in real life. Real-life engagement and conversations are the best way, in my opinion, to learn about the material conditions of the oppressed in this country,” Lynch said.

“The pain [in my feet] was so severe it was making me nauseous, so I wasn’t wanting to eat anything,” Ford said. “There were several times where I wanted to quit but I was never going to,” Ford continued.

Around 12 a.m, Ford was experiencing the most excruciating pain in his feet when teacher Ben Hartnell arrived at North’s stadium waving a North flag and dressed in red and yellow overalls. From 12 to 3 a.m. Hartnell walked with Ford through the toughest part of the event, walking around 9 miles.

“He was my freshman teacher and I was in 12th grade at the time [when my dad passed away] and he still went out of his way to make sure me and my family were taken care of,” Ford said.

At 9 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 17, Kevin Ford finished the last hundred meters of his run. He walked with his mother, Jo Ford as they crossed the finish line together.

In the 24 hours, Kevin Ford ran 105 miles (or 420 laps around the track), and he raised around $10,000 for teen mental health, which is going to go to WEC and all three Hope Squad groups in the district.

“Everyone that was dealt a bad hand and endured and still succeeded, still have positivity, still have hope in their life, those people are the people that inspire me to run,” Kevin Ford said.

Smoke and Mirrors: The War on Drugs and the Politics of Failure is written by Dan Baum, a former Wall Street Journal reporter. It is an intensive investigation in to the history of the War on Drugs and its social, political, and personal effects it had on not only the United States but the world itself.

The novel also highlights the Drug War’s effect on modern policing, relating to no-knock warrants.

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Astronomy Club shoots for the stars Zachary Knight, Reporter Issue 2 Astronomy Club has prepared for lift-off this year at Westerville North. The club started small, but has seen major growth over the course of this semester. In its third year, the club has found many new members and has developed into a large community within North.

David Johnston, a physics and computer science teacher at North, is the advisor for Astronomy Club, and he was able to shed some light on what an average Astronomy Club meeting looks like.

“Anywhere between 10 and 25 students come to each meeting,” Johnston said. “Officers typically start out talking about recent news and events, like the lunar eclipse last month. Then we talk about things you can see in the night sky for the current month, like where to find planets and specific constellations. Most of the meeting is spent talking about a planned topic.”

Zuhur Sofe (12) is the president of the Astronomy Club, and she cited some of the challenges with making the club work this year.

“Last year with COVID-19, Mr. Johnston decided not to run an Astronomy Club,” Sofe said. “This was my first year not only being a member but also being the president. The biggest challenge [this year] was probably getting people to come to Astronomy Club because not a lot of people I know are interested in space. But I knew it’d be a really fun way to make a nice community within Westerville North.”

A new member of that community, Nick Bagby (12), was excited to get involved in the club this year.

“I have Mr. Johnston for physics, so he told all of [his students] about it,” Bagby said. “Last year I was looking for clubs that were science related or physics related, and that was one of the first ones that popped up.”

Bagby explained that the club is very science based, giving him the opportunity to not just learn the equations and processes, but the specific events that are occurring in space. These are things he values, especially because he plans to continue to study physics and chemistry in college.

Sofe also talked about why the club is important to her.

“My favorite part of Astronomy Club is seeing all of my friends so interested in the club I lead,” Sofe said.

See ASTRONOMY on page 16

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Central Ohio puts emphasis on Women’s Rights in March

Westerville North’s metaverse Sophie Rentschler, Broadcast Editor Issue 4 Collecting and trading, for many, refers to accumulating different types of tangible items, like Pennies or baseball cards. Now, with the rise of digital currency, young people are collecting Non-Fungible Tokens, known as NFTs. NFTs are digital artworks in the form of JPEG files, videos, or music. These digital works can be as simple as an image of a popular video game avatar.

Since these tokens are non-fungible, individuals will receive something vastly different than what they began with after they’ve exchanged the token.

This is what separates NFTs from fungible internet currencies—Cryptocurrency and bitcoin. NFTs increase in rarity depending on the complexity of the design. Cryptopunks and Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) are just some of the NFT collections that dominated the market. BAYC claims a large amount of digital territory with 10,000 ape avatars.

The reality is, the ownership of one ape image, at minimum, costs $288,000. Prices may not seem realistic for high school students, however; when there is a will, there is a way, especially when it comes to the ambitious and tech-savvy youth.

Many students at Westerville North High School have an interest in digital collectibles, as they forage after upcoming NFT projects to make easy money.

Jonny Verduga (12) views NFTs as a hobby, and his strategies with collecting have gotten stronger.

“I don’t currently own any NFTs because I’ve been wanting to be 100% confident on the project. Lately, I’ve been looking at GalyVerse. I’ve been checking out their community to see if that’s a project I wanted to work with,” Verduga said.

Students have methodically planned their NFT approach. NFTs that are priced low, otherwise known as NFTs with low ethereum, are auctioned for. When making decisions about an NFT collection’s value, the enthusiasm of the community is a key factor.

“I looked at the community and everyone’s really stoked about it,” Verduga said.

NFTs aren’t soley collectors items. In fact, those who are heavily involved in NFTs find community within their fellow collectors.

Although young people may explore this avenue with the intention of building relationships and making fast cash, adult business professionals collect

Feature

Photographer: Erin Mayle Westerville North’s Odyssey pose as Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT. Each staff avatar is vastly different from one another similar to the real NFT world.

NFTs to control copyrighted works, known as a Digital Rights Management tool.

“Most would say an NFT can just be screenshotted and shared, but what makes [NFTs] unique is they’re certified to be yours,” Verduga said.

Jason Barkeloo, founder and CEO of a local open technology collaboration platform, works with NFT blockchain technologies in his day-to-day life. “I look at NFTs in a very different way than most of the younger people look at them as tradables and collectables,” Barkeloo said.

Regardless of the various uses for these technologies, all investors appear to similarly have an appetite for the tokens.

“That’s really the fun of it. It’s about what you do with the JPEG,” Verduga said.

For students looking to collect and trade NFTs, the metaverse is holding out open arms. In fact, many current collectors are seen as early to the game.

“It’s not too late to start now. If anything, you’re early to start investing. There are a lot of projects coming up this year to start looking into,” Verduga said.

However, the world of NFTs can be accompanied with great risk. Prior to involvement, people must understand the dangers of misinformation when the word “invest” comes into the picture.

“This NFT should just be a simple contract that I have the right to transfer to someone else, but it is not that simple [when investing],” Barkeloo said.

See METAVERSE on page 23

Women’s rights have been an ongoing issue for centuries, including in central Ohio. Recently, many groups and organizations have been created here in order to continue to fight for equality.

Ellie Bernard, Social Media Editor Issue 4 From the spark of the women’s rights movement in 1848 to the present day, women continue to push for equality and eliminate gender norms in all places.

After the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment on Aug. 18, 1920, the empowerment of women’s voices became vivid and apparent. This development propelled and continues to drive the need for equality among genders.

Throughout the past couple of years, monumental changes have occurred involving equality and women’s rights in general. Following the recent decision by the United States Soccer Foundation to solve the lawsuit filed by women soccer players by permitting a twenty-four million dollars settlement in which players are now getting equal pay compared to the men’s soccer players.

In central Ohio, this drive for equal rights and the elimination of gender norms continue to be advocated for through a plethora of groups. The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio (WFCO) is a global organization that has created a network of women who continuously advocate for gender equality focused in the central Ohio region.

As stated on their website, the vision of the WFCO is “A future where gender equality is the norm in life and work.” and its mission is “to

transform the lives of women and girls by mobilizing the collective power and passion of all people working together.” By creating a network of groups of women, the WFCO is able to support one another and push the agenda for equality everywhere. WFCO’s board of directors chair, Heather Whaling spoke on this.

“Being a part of the Women’s Fund has opened my eyes to the inequities in the community and especially the workplace. It’s really helped me understand how much work there still is left to do to really create more equal communities and more equal workspaces,” Whaling said.

WFCO continues to promote equality in all places by creating a network of feminists to drive the agenda of women’s equality. A study recently done by the group worked to reveal the source of the wage gap between women and men. Results found that maternity leave had a long-lasting effect on the careers of women.

Instead of being able to have a career and a family, women are often given the ultimatum to choose just one. Whaling, who is also the founder and president of Geben Communication, discussed how being able to provide mothers with paid maternity leave where their bodies have time to heal and allows time for deep connections with their children has been beneficial. “If we’re truly going to create more equitable communities we have to be honest about the gender norms and if we only provide paid leave to moms, not dads, then we’re saying that dad’s career is more important and mom is the caregiver,” Whaling said.

WFCO also focuses on breaking gender norms and reforming new fluid norms by providing equal opportunities and contracts.

“We’ve done research on gender norms which was really eye-opening and we also did research on the wealth gap in Central Ohio so looking at how much women earn and women of color earn, and accumulate to wealth, not specifically just the wage gap but the wealth gap. Then understanding what are some levers we can help pull to close that wealth gap,” Whaling said.

Whaling discussed her battle of dealing with gender norms and how that shaped the parenting of her eight year-old son.

See WOMEN’S RIGHTS on page 20

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now, Astronomy Club may have “It’s really nice the potential to to see, and also become a class. learning more “If interest in about the the astronomy universe with club continues to people I call my grow, hopefully it friends.

The will eventually biggest helping lead to having an factor was our Zuhur Sofe (12) gives a presentation on astronomy class friends, for the eclipse phenomenon. North America offered at North,” witnessed a partial lunar eclipse on getting a lot of Johnston said. “So November 19. many students are people to show up and be more interested in space and astronomy, but involved in the club.”

Johnston also talked about what there isn’t a class on these topics. excited him about the return of the Hopefully, the club can provide opportunities for students to learn club this year.

“This year was a chance to reboot more on these topics.”

Astronomy Club is not unique to just the club after taking last year off.

It's exciting to see so many students North. Westerville South High School come to learn about astronomy. I also has an Astronomy club, and while enjoy seeing new students come as Westerville Central doesn’t have one, word continues to spread about they have several other science related clubs available to students, like their Astronomy Club,” Johnston said.

The science-based nature of this Science Club.

In its five meetings, Astronomy Club club helps get students interested, has confidently found its footing this and the community aspect encourages them to stay. The club year. While the group has grown, the has covered topics ranging from goal has remained the same—to share star formations and black holes, to a common interest in the wonders of the history of our solar system. the universe and create a positive Some students, like Bagby, find community within North. This club major interest in the club, and other has a bright future at North, whether it students see it as a good chance to continues as a club or evolves into a class. The Astronomy Club meets on spend quality time with friends.

While the school may not offer an the first and third Wednesday of every astronomy class, many of the month in room 238. It is led by seniors lessons and activities tie together Zuhur Sofe and Emily Widman, who with other science classes at North. look forward to growing this club next “A lot of the stuff [Johnston] semester.

“Come to Astronomy Club!” Sofe teaches about ties in with other said. classes, like chemistry,” Bagby said. “The flame tests we did [in chemistry] explain how all the nebulas are blue and red.”

While it may just be a club for

Feature SENIORITIS continued from page 14

“…Sometimes taking a step back is helpful,” Burrs said.

Students have come up with their own coping mechanisms as well.

Being able to find solutions for senioritis is important for students.

“Changing my mindset on [school and senioritis], thinking about it like - okay this is my last semester of high school - I might as well make it enjoyable and worth it.

Trying to enjoy my time here, and looking forward to next year,” Gruber said.

With the semester being nearly halfway over, seniors are starting to look ahead to their future.

“I’m excited to get away from it all, and move on to college,” Corthell said. “[I am] 100 percent [excited to move on from Westerville North] I feel like I'll be better off in college since I’m a pretty independent person. I don’t like having teachers and administrators holding my hand all the time,” Gruber said.

The students at WNHS still have the rest of the semester to go. With hopes for the future and looking ahead to time outside of high school, students can learn to cope with their senioritis and end the year strong.

Poll via the Odyssey Instagram.

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The caffeine pandemic Tyra Crumrine, Reporter Issue 4 Caffeine is an addictive substance, a well-known fact by most people.

However, not many people are aware of the true advantages and disadvantages of the daily consumption of caffeine. To start, caffeine is a stimulant: the classification for drugs that increase activity in the brain and nervous system. Stimulants—such as caffeine—can also increase the circulation of chemical hormones in the body.

Zack Fleming’s (12) favorite product that contains caffeine is soda and grew up drinking it.

Fleming has grown into an avid caffeine consumer. “[When I drink caffeine] I call it caffeine high because it activates dopamine. [Dopamine] makes you happy,” Fleming said.

Not only can caffeine increase dopamine, but it can also further the production of serotonin and noradrenaline—chemicals called “happy hormones” that your brain produces. According to a study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, daily coffee consumption in adults reduces the risk of suicide in both “men and women by about 50 percent.”

A survey was conducted in select advisories at Westerville North High School to understand the caffeine consumption among students.Results show that about 75% of the freshmen, juniors, and seniors surveyed consume coffee daily. Likewise, almost half of the sophomore class consumes caffeine every day.

Addison Saggio (9) remembers her roots of coffee use going back to new year’s eve. Drinking coffee and consuming caffeine would help

her stay up. Nowadays, Saggio isn’t as dependent on caffeine as the majority of the students are.

“I think people are starting to drink a lot of caffeine because high school’s stressful…You’re up late, you’re up early. You have all [these responsibilities] to worry about,” Saggio said.

Saggio is involved in the theater department at North and finds it stressful to keep up with the demands of school and stay involved in extracurricular activities.

“I’m drinking coffee all the time because of how tiring [theater] gets,” Saggio said.

According to WebMD, consuming more than 400 mgs of caffeine in a day can possibly lead to feelings of anxiousness and overstimulation. Not many people are aware of this connection.

Excessive intake of caffeine can increase the risk of anxiety levels rising, but there is no correlation to the causality of anxiety disorders being caffeine-related. “Nearly one in three [teenagers] will experience an anxiety disorder,” the number of youths with diagnosed anxiety has been on the rise for the past decade and a half (Healthy Children). A coffee shop was implemented last week at North.

The concept was first introduced at Westerville Central High School.

North decided to open a coffee shop following the success at …the rival school. The coffee shop has quickly become an outlet for social connections in the student union.

“With the new coffee shop opening, I’ve been drinking a lot of coffee.

I’ve had a tea [almost] every single lunch,” Saggio said.

Reactions to caffeine depend on the individual.

A person's sensitivity to caffeine can decrease based on how often they consume it. Some people have reported feelings of irritability, jitters, anxiousness, headaches, and including but not limited to, digestive issues. This also can depend on a person’s own weight, age, and sex (Kids Health).

Possible benefits of coffee may include: lowering the risk of diseases like Alzheimer’s and Type II diabetes. It also can contribute to burning fat, weight loss, and helping people focus.

Jade Rowell (11) found soda being the first love for caffeinated beverages.

Staying in the carbonated family, Rowell is now a big fan of energy drinks.

See CAFFEINE PANDEMIC on page 22

The coffee shop located in the student union is now open. Get low calorie, freshly brewed drinks at a reasonable price right at North. All items are provided by GFS (Gordon Food Service).

“Enhance [your school] experience,” the Westerville City Schools District Food Service Manager Ginger Parsons said.

Accommodating to allergies.

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Editorial

Mercy is just not enough

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TOSS continued from page 11

Brittany Abston, Photography Editor Issue 4 Over the last four decades, the United States (U.S.) has witnessed an extreme increase in incarcerated citizens. Due to strict sentencing policies set in place during the 1971 drug epidemic, Americans were being incarcerated at high rates. After the drug epidemic, prison rates in the U.S. continued to rise, making America the country with the highest incarcerated citizens in the world.

Mass incarceration in the U.S. is a prominent issue that affects people of all backgrounds and ethnicities. However, some incarcerated citizens are more at risk than others. Black men are six times more likely to be incarcerated than white men. Roughly one in seventeen white men will go to jail in their lifetime, as for Black men, it’s every one in three.

Colleen Lynch (11) a former Advanced Placement (AP) English Incarceration rates have shown to be Language and Composition student read Just Mercy last school disproportionate towards POC, especially in the US. Many public figures have shed light on this year. issue in recent years.

“Black Americans, are clearly incarcerated at disproportionately high rates when compared to their white counterparts,” Lynch said.

The unfair imprisonment of African Americans is an issue that has no easy solution. In most cases, African Americans who are falsely incarcerated, fail to see justice. More American citizens have gotten involved and are hoping to make the prison system equal for everyone.

“Slavery prevented them from earning wages and therefore wealth discrimination and Jim Crow excluded them from purchasing desirable property and holding well paying jobs. These factors place Black Americans in a much more vulnerable position than whites, making them more likely to become incarcerated,” Lynch said.

According to a Pew Research Center in 2017, African Americans in the United States only accounted for 12 percent of the country’s population, however, they accounted for 33 percent of the prison population. On top of that, African Americans also occupied almost half of the 1,900 people absolved from previous sentences, also known as exonerations, according to the National Registry of Exonerations.

Although Black and white Americans use and sell drugs at similar rates, Black Americans are 2.6 times more likely to be convicted of the same crimes as their white counterparts. In 2019, drug offenses were the leading cause of incarcerations. In total, there were 183,900 inmates imprisoned for drug offenses nationwide. In the United States, race and drugs have played a major role in mass incarceration. Due to disproportionate drug laws and harsh sentencing, Black Americans are at risk of being falsely imprisoned, or inappropriately sentenced. In terms of federal prison, nearly 80 percent of the inmates convicted for drug offenses are Black or Latino.

While there is no simple way to explore the reason why these numbers differ, many have attempted to do so.

People's Choice Award winning author, Bryan Stevenson, is one public figure who has used his platform to investigate the injustice in the prison system. Stevenson is known for his social justice activism, and famous memoir, Just Mercy.

Ahmed Ahmed (11) is a current Contemporary Literature student who read Just Mercy in class.

See MERCY on page 18

After those four periods, it becomes a two-point shoot-out where teams must go for two until there is a winner.

Overall, fans have been happy and it’s resulted in exciting games like Illinois’ record-breaking nine OT win against the number seven ranked Penn State this season.

“I would switch [the NFL OT rule] to the college football format because it gives both teams an equal opportunity to keep playing,” Warthman said. “Keeping [the OT rules] consistent and the same [between the NFL and college] would be better for the athletes and the people watching.”

While the pressure is on from fans for the NFL to modify its current OT rule, the NFL is taking steps in the right direction in many other facets of the game. They’ve implemented new rules and requirements to keep players safe, such as tightening up on targeting and unnecessary roughness penalties, as well as concussion protocol. There’s also been improvements on diversity within team management and the coaching staff.

“I feel that the NFL today is striving for better in a number of ways. From rules, the safety of the game and even the hiring of minority coaches and making sure there is equality. We even saw an all-female officiating crew, and an all-Black officiating crew this year,” Warthman said.

There’s hope that within the next few seasons the NFL will decide upon a way to amend their current OT rule as they did once before in 2010. Players, coaches and fans of the NFL can agree with Johnson’s statement, “[A game] shouldn’t be determined by a coinflip.” via sportingnews.com

Odyssey members participated in Columbus Blue Jackets Media Day at Nationwide Arena on April 4. Students were invited to a Q&A panel with CBJ announcers and media personnel, a private tour of the arena, 30 minutes on ice and tickets to that night’s game versus the Boston Bruins.

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A toss that comes at a cost

Seniors face senioritis Carli Godorhazy, Reporter Issue 4 With third quarter being close to halfway over at Westerville North High School (WNHS), seniors are starting to experience something that almost every student goes through at some point in their life—senioritis.

Senioritis is when a high school senior starts to feel burnt out from school, which may cause them to come to school less or give up on their classes entirely. With senioritis, students often feel as though they've reached their limit, and the urge to move on from school and start something new is very prominent in the lives of many. These feelings of fatigue threaten to take over.

Student Alison Gruber (12), shares her own experiences with senioritis.

“I’m a really bad procrastinator.

It can really screw me over sometimes because when I have an assignment to do I’ll wait until the last minute and it all sort of builds up.

Which gets really overwhelming really quickly,” Gruber said.

Senioritis goes hand in hand with burnout, which is known to cause a loss of motivation to do things.

“Now I just really don’t have any motivation to do anything,” Gruber said.

Jack Corthell (12), has also experienced senioritis, yet in a somewhat different way. “[Senioritis] has affected my everyday life. It’s not something super serious but I would rather be doing more productive things than being in my classes a lot of the time,” Corthell said.

There's also a lack of wanting to even attend school at times.

Editorial

Photographer: Erin Mayle Ansley Endres (12) completes her AP Statistics homework. Like many seniors, she is experiencing the effects of senioritis.

“I have a lot of things going on, I would rather not be at school at seven in the morning,” Corthell said.

It’s hard for students to see school as a top priority especially with college looming ahead.

“I’ve been putting a lot less effort into school. I always procrastinate, I’ve been doing less work overall,” Corthell said.

Because of COVID-19, some students began to feel the effects of senioritis earlier than others, sometimes, before they were even seniors. Gruber feels as though she started to feel these effects in her junior year.

“I’ve had senioritis since last year.

With COVID-19 and everything, I really wasn’t learning much. Having to do assignments at home was really difficult; I had no motivation. By the end of junior year I was so burnt out.”

Gruber said.

Ashley Burrs, WNHS Psychologist, explains how she has observed senioritis in students.

“I have noticed a lot of burnout with education,” Burrs said.

Burnout in education has caused students to feel a lot less motivated.

“Even if I have time to do stuff, a lot of times I would rather just lay in bed and watch TV and do mindless activities because I’m always busy with work and lacrosse,” Gruber said.

Wanting to stay home and not come into school is one of the main symptoms of senioritis.

“A lot of students are at a standstill. They won’t go to class, they’ll stay home. There are a lot of tears,” Burrs said.

Yet for other students, the symptoms aren’t as obvious.

“Some kids will hide it completely and you won’t know that they’re anxious in class. In general with the students I see there's a lack of coping skills,” Burrs said.

However, even though it's easy to get caught up in senioritis, Burrs says that there are some ways that students can aid their burnout. “[To aid with senioritis you have to] get sleep and set goals. I think setting goals is really important because you have something to look forward to,” Burrs said.

Determining your own limits is also important, and knowing when you need a break is helpful.

“Knowing when it's time for a time out, knowing who to go to for that timeout…

See SENIORITIS on page 16

Donovan Varney, Editor-in-Chief Issue 4 The National Football League (NFL) is home to 32 teams that compete vigorously for 18 weeks in hopes of being able to bring home a Super Bowl trophy to their fans. Over the years, the league has adapted and been modified as the game of football is an ever-changing sport. Recently, the policies behind the NFL’s overtime (OT) rules have been in question.

Teams’ entire seasons have been jeopardized or lost as a result of it—the Buffalo Bills lost in overtime in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs both this year and in 2020.

Westerville North High School football coach Bryan Johnson feels as though the NFL’s OT rules have caused an unnecessary end to some teams' seasons.

Photographer: Donovan Varney Erin Mayle (12) flips a coin at the McCann Stadium.

Her toss represents the controversial coin toss at the beginning of overtime periods in the NFL.

“The Chiefs and Bills game was probably one of the best games that has been played in the last ten years. It’s unbelievable to score all of those points and not be able to continue that [in OT] is kind of bad,” Johnson said.

Many fans of football from across the country have weighed in on the OT rule, and think it’s unfair that both teams don’t get a sure chance to have the ball. A coin toss takes place to decide which team will receive the ball at the beginning of the period, and the first team to score wins. According to sportingnews.com, teams that have won the coin toss in OT playoff games have a record of 10-2.

Football player, Connor Warthman (12) weighed in on the OT rule and its effect on the Bills and Chiefs AFC Divisional game of the 2021 playoffs.

“Both teams should have a fair and equal opportunity to win the game, not the luck of the coin toss. As we saw in the playoffs this year, Bills v. Chiefs, if both teams had gotten the ball it may have ended differently,” Warthman said.

In OT, the Chiefs drove down the field against the Bills’ defense and scored a touchdown to end the game.

Prior to the OT period, the Chiefs and Bills went back and forth in the final two minutes and scored a combined 25 points just for the game to end on the first drive in OT. “The coin toss predicted the game, you could see the visual excitement of the Chiefs after the toss,” Warthman said.

The NFL has a reputation of changing the game over the years, they even changed the OT rule to what it is today back in 2009. Before then, the NFL had their OT rules set so that the first team to score would win, whether it was a field goal or a touchdown. Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre lost in the playoffs in OT by a field goal, and that pushed executives enough to change the rules.

Many fans are left wondering what it’ll take for there to be another rule change. “[NFL executives] think it will either tarnish the game that’s of course making them a ton of money. Change is always hard, but at the top it’s even harder to pass something to make a change,” Johnson said.

Teams such as the Chiefs, Eagles, and Ravens have all proposed OT rule changes, and have all been dismissed by the league. The most recent proposal was by the Chiefs in 2019, after their loss to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the OT of the AFC Championship.

Grant McLean (11) believes that the OT games of recent years has left the NFL in a position where they need to make a rule change.

“I think there’s a lot of pressure to change [the rule]. If the Super Bowl went into OT, which it very well could have, then they would definitely change the rule,” McLean said.

A popular suggestion of the fans is to change the NFL OT rules to be consistent with those of college football.

In 2019, the NCAA amended its OT rules to four regular periods where each team gets a chance to score from the opponents 25-yard line.

See TOSS on page 15

12

The Odyssey

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April 2022

Feature

‘Euphoria’ rising with teens, falling with critics exposure to drugs and Jolie Helt, Asst. Editor Issue 4 alcohol. As a viewer of the HBO Max’s television hit show, show, Rigby finds the “Euphoria” has grasped the controversial show to be attention of teenagers across the educational for more than just country. The drama is based teenagers. around a high school student, Rue “It is one of those shows (played by actress Zendaya) and that opens up the mind…I am her peers as they encounter a big fan of shows like [this] struggles such as drug abuse, for adults and parents to addiction, domestic violence, and watch…it shows what some mental health. The show is young people may be going currently wrapping up season two through day to day,” Rigby and was recently approved for a Photographer: Erin Mayle (Senior) said. third season.

Students enjoy Euphoria on streaming service, HBO Rigby believes that for an While being popular amongst Max. New episodes premiere Sundays at 9 p.m. outsider looking in, it would young adults, the show has sparked controversy due to the heavy topics discussed, be easy to identify the show as glorifying. and the extensive use of drugs and alcohol portrayed in “It is a show that forces us to think critically…if you the show. Conversations on whether or not the show is can do that, I don't see it being glorified,” Rigby said. “glorifying” drug abuse and addiction, have come to Koehler is able to analyze “Euphoria” in different surface. ways as she doesn't believe the creators attempt is to Several students at Westerville North High School glorify drugs, but understands how viewers may are a part of the millions of weekly viewers that interpret the show in that perspective.

“Euphoria” receives. Damou Sakho (12) is an avid fan “… it is easy for a viewer to watch a show that has of the show, watching “Euphoria” every Sunday night. beautiful cinematography and some themes that can Although a possibly a triggering show, Sakho finds it be interpreted as ´life experiences´ and thus beneficial and realistic. romanticize ‘Euphoria’,” Koheler said. “I am sure “Keep it as authentic as possible…everyone knows when I was 16-17, I was romanticizing drugs/alcohol, what's going on, [behind closed doors] but we don’t but it was an envy, not a reality,” Koehler added. always see it,” Sakho said.

In the show, not only is drug abuse considered to be Similar to Sakho, former Westerville student Dani glorified but also, partying, drinking and participating Koehler keeps up to date with the series. As a young in abusive relationships. adult, and a former high schooler, Koehler finds “We know that for the most part, young people are “Euphoria” to be dramatized in some episodes, but making positive choices [involving drugs and overall relatable and informative. alcohol]…my hope would be that watching this “I think the show is an extreme version of what high television show wouldn´t sway those good decisions,” school was,” Koehler said.

Rigby said.

However, Koehler is also able to recognize how it can For Sakho, watching the show has not provoked him be fitting for students. to partake in any of those activities, but instead avoid “‘Euphoria’ is really good at showing the intensity of them. all the emotions related to the topics they touch on,” “You see people putting the needles in, snorting Koehler said. substances, and popping pills…you see what can Both Sakho and Koehler have found the series to be come of that,” Sakho said. “A lot of season two is necessary and purposeful for young adults.

Rue´s addiction and her withdrawal… no one is Manager of youth drug prevention at Youth to Youth desiring that.”

See ‘EUPHORIA’ on page 13 International, Kevin Rigby, engages with teenagers everyday, recognizing the realistic battles that come

Feature ‘EUPHORIA’ continued from page 12

A Netflix show— “Thirteen Reasons Why”—received similar criticism involving a trigger warning about suicide. The show now provides a clip of actors before the show discussing viewer discretion and hotlines that viewers might find useful. HBO provides a similar viewer discretion prior to each episode. However, this doesn't seem to be enough and a more informational trigger warning is being suggested by viewers.

“It is the responsibility of the viewer to do research prior to watching something if they feel they could be triggered,” Koehler said.

Koehler puts emphasis on the idea of educating beforehand and understanding what the show is about In an interview by Entertainment Weekly , Zendaya responded to a comment made by D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), in which they condemned the show and claimed it to be glorifying drugs..

“Our show is in no way a moral tale to people about how to live their life or what they should be doing...hopefully [its] to help people feel a bit less alone in their experience and their pain,” Zendaya said.

Zendaya explains how the purpose of “Euphoria” is not to encourage drug abuse, but instead to try to make people aware of addiction and how it becomes a disease.

The question of whether addiction is a gene or if it’s developed over time has been brought to attention by the series. Actors of the show find it important for viewers to do more than just watch it but think critically about what is being presented.

“This is a show that can help us empathize and understand what others are going through,'' said Rigby, ¨We need to be a part of this conversation.”

The Odyssey

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13

Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Mary Schmich’s column published in the Chicago Tribune that went viral before viral referred to more than a passing cold. Her words still ring true for the class of 2022. I have only updated the year.

Graduates of the class of '22: Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

See ADVICE on page 21