December 2016

Volume 3, Issue 4

MEADOWDALE HIGH SCHOOL

EDITORS
Mariah Benson
Andrew Caldwell JR

IM NOT LION

Anduryn Gallimore

...LET ME BE HONEST!

Kaveon Williams

All rise

Journalists

By Katelyn Givhan

Mahogany Bankston

The family of Walter Scott is disappointed about the way the case turned out, but wishes everyone
to remain calm and justified, as irrational actions will not solve any problems. The NAACP is also
disappointed about the case; President Cornell William Brooks made the following statement, But
the story of his death and the result of the ensuing trial are tragically representative of the epidemic
of racial profiling in America. Despite the setback, the NAACP will continue to advocate for a just and
decisive conclusion to Slagers case.
Aaron Smith, a high school student, feels that Officer Slager should be charged with manslaughter
instead of murder because Cops do not get convicted of murder because the system is corrupt. He
feels the system is corrupt because there have been other cases where a white cop has shot, killed,
or murdered a black a man and has gotten away with it. For example, Trayvon Martin. Martin was a
17-year-old African American male who was shot and killed by neighborhood watchman, George
Zimmerman, who was not convicted and was let go when he was specifically told not to do anything.
However, he chose follow Martin when told not to, yet he was not convicted.
This is an ongoing epidemic in America. Racism is still alive. It may not be as common, but it is still
prevalent. There is a new movement, Black Lives Matter. Many people on social media see the
movement as racist and state All Lives Matter. Yes, all lives matter, but all lives are not being targeted. A race as a whole feels as if they have targets on their back, just waiting to be shot at, while
others feel as if blacks are overreacting. Blacks took a long time to achieve the rights they now possess, but history is slowly repeating itself, but in a new, advanced way. If we, as a whole, want to
solve an issue we have to address it
first rather than ignore it and give it
some spotlight as opposed to merely
sweeping it under the rug.

Both served in the US Coast Guard

Cheyanne Hardy
Savannah Harraway

Precious Brown
Katelyn Conley
Kaylah Crutcher
Krichonna DeVance
Erick Dominguez
Javon Ferguson
Noelle Freeman
Katelyn Givhan
Unique Mattison
Dawon Smith

Dance, dont shoot

By: Javon Ferguson
School shootings are a serious issue around
the nation. Kids are being bullied, bringing
guns to school, hurting and killing other kids,
and even teachers. It would be a whole lot
better if these kids would just talk to someone
and try and get some help, but instead they
take more extreme measures.
On April 23, 2016, a student named Jacob
Wagner went to his prom at Antigo High
School, in Antigo, Wisconsin, and shot four of
his fellow students. Luckily none of them
were killed.

the officer traded shots. Wagner was shot and

later died in the hospital just a few hours after
the accident. It is not really known why Wagner decided to shoot at the prom.
Why do kids commit random acts of violence?
Some could be that there just hanging around
the wrong people or a kid could be getting
bullied and taking it too far and not getting
help. It could be that some of these students
are just sinister and do horrible things for
their own twisted pleasure.

Wagner was then chased out of the school by

one of the school police officers where he and

They help students meet their federal requirements.

Test angst
By: Cheyanne Hardy

The purpose of kids testing for the OGT or AIR test to graduate is to ensure that students who
receive a high school diploma demonstrate at least high school levels of achievement. It
measures the level of reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies skills. They help
students meet their federal requirements.

Some students disagree on having to pass a test to graduate; they believe its unfair. Students
believe that if they pass all their classes and receive all their credits then they should be able to
graduate, even if they are a few points behind. Dawon Smith, Katelyn Givhan, Unique Mattison,
and Krichonna DeVance agree with this statement. How can a test evaluate what one is capable
of, right?

Many students polled agree with the statement: DPS should have sympathy on the students who
do work hard and who do their best in school. If students have all their credits, they should be
able to do something else instead of retaking the AIR test or OGT and failing it constantly. DPS
should come together and come up with a better solution for students to graduate.
The OGT and AIR test brings down students confidence, and self-esteem, especially when they
make it all the way to senior year and find out they cant graduate on time. However, what
students fail to realize, is the tests are part of state guidelines, not DPS, and a piece of the graduation requirement along with their credits.

Institutional racism in America

By Savannah Harraway
Institutional racism in America? Myth or reality? Well, that's for one to believe. This article is only
here to educate those who may not understand.
According to the National Public Radio, African-American preschoolers are more likely to be
suspended than white children. They also make up to 18 percent of the entire preschool population. In general, black students make up almost 40 percent of all school expulsions. Sounds crazy,
right? It does. Some may not know that disabled black children also experience institutional
racism. They make up 42 - 44 percent of disabled students to be restrained or put in seclusion.
More than two-thirds of students referred to police are either African-American or Hispanic,
according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Speaking of police, or the entire justice system for that matter, black kids are 18 times more likely
to be sentenced as adults than white children. Black males hold the highest incarceration rate at
35.4 percent. According to the American Psychological Association, black juveniles are more
likely to be tried as an adult. Black people in general stay in prison 20 percent longer than their
white counterparts.
Even inequalities in employment can hinder African-American college graduates. According to a
report by the Center of Economic and Policy in 2013, research showed 12.4 percent of black
college graduates between ages 22 to 27 were unemployed. For all black college graduates, the
unemployment rate was at 5.6 percent.
Of course there's the argument of everything isn't always about race. It's a touchy subject for
most, but it's easier for many to have opinions rather than facts. For example, it is harder for
African-Americans to achieve their goals than white Americans. Whether one believes this or not,
trend data suggests otherwise.

iDroid
By Precious Brown
Apple or Android? Which do you prefer? Which is better? When it comes to the quality of both phones, how might they differ? But
when quantity comes into question, most would say that the prices of iPhones are more expensive. The prices of Androids are reasonable. Over time both phones have become better in both size and setup.
In 2016 the top two newest phones are in competition. The iPhone 6S and Samsung Galaxy S7 have buyers confused in a positive and
negative way. The Samsung accounted 37% of Smartphone sales and Apple 29%, , the Galaxy S7/S7 Edge sales rate is 16% and the iPhone 6S/6S Plus at 14.6%. What both phones may offer is a better size, camera, and style. Some people actually preferred an Android
over an iPhone because they last longer. An iPhone is very easy to break. Apple uses ion-x glass for the screen of the iPhones. Androids
screens are made of Gorilla Glass.
Comparing the iPhone to a Galaxy is hard because an iPhone has a very unique design. Both companies have stolen each others concepts. Samsung and Apple often go to court in an attempt to share proprietary information.
Asking questions to current users of iPhones and Androids, some responses and feedback were unexpected. Most people said that
Androids have a better battery and more storage space. They also said the Androids are cheaper.
Some good feedback for iPhones were, iPhones have a better camera, Internet connection, good system (Siri) and better style.
iPhones offer more ways to get in contact using facetime, audio voice, and iMessage while on Wi-Fi with other iPhone users.
Both phones offer benefits by different carriers. If one is looking for a phone with style and flair, purchase an iPhone. But if one is
wanting a phone that is more suitable and easy to operate and that lasts longer, purchase an Android.
Which are you? Team iPhone or Team Android?

Autistic C.E.O.
By: Mariah Benson
Mental disorders, like autism, cause people to learn and develop more slowly and in different ways than the rest of us, but it doesnt
stop them from trying. Ethan Olaes is living proof of this phenomenon.
One day, he stopped playing ball with his father, Carm. He no longer smiled, and he wouldnt even look at his fathers face. His parents
thought they lost their son. A few months before his second birthday, Ethan, who goes by his middle name, was diagnosed with autism.
He was named Carmelito Ethan Olaes, so his initials could be C.E.O. His parents wanted him to live up to that and run a $1 billion company.
After a few trips to the hospital, a neurologist tried to change their expectations for their son, telling them that he could never even
work as a Wal-Mart greeter. The Olaes were heartbroken, but they refused to give up hope.
When Ethan was a toddler, he was taken to every doctor, specialist, and therapist in Akron and Cleveland who had any chance at helping him, but Carm and his wife, Rowena, finally decided that no one knew what was better for their son than they did. Carm went back
to college to get a certificate in autism from Kent State.
When Ethan was around 7 years old, Carm bought him a 9-foot Yamaha concert grand piano and a pool table and invited Shane Ortega,
an old friend and amateur billiard champion, to come work with Ethan. However, Ortega couldnt teach Ethan since he didnt know
anything about autism. Carm didnt give up though; he urged and urged until Ortega agreed to teach Ethan. Ethan never said a word;
they had a silent bond.
Soon, Ortega tried to get Ethan to talk, or at least repeat one or two words at a time. The lessons started at several days a week, a few
hours at a time, but they ramped it up to seven days a week, three or four hours at a time. Ethan made slow progress, but when he was
8 years old, there was an unexpected breakthrough.
Rowena called Carm crying while he was away in China for business. Ethan was playing Baby Be Mine, a song from the Disney movie
Dumbo on the piano. The Olaes had no idea their sons talent until then.
They got Ethan a piano teacher at Oberlins Conservatory of Music when he was about 12 years old. When we first worked together, I
was mesmerized by Ethans potential, Anna Park, Ethans teacher, said. He could see any score and play it without any hesitation.
Even many professional pianists cannot do that, she said.
Ethan didnt learn like most students though. His autism caused him to not respond to Parks coaching to play pianissimo, meaning to
play softer. So, she changed her approach. She told him to imagine playing to a sleeping baby without waking it; he understood. He
played softer.
They had practice every day for two hours. Afterward, they would take silent walks until Ethan chose to communicate. He would memorize some songs and say the verses to me. I like the way you smile, or I like the way you move. He wanted me to know he liked me
and it was very fun. He was making me a better teacher, Park said.

Carm hopes that Ethans story will inspire others suffering from autism.

Standing Rock
By Kaveon Williams
The North Dakota Pipeline project is a 1,172-mile project that is expected to carry nearly half a million barrels of crude oil daily, which is
enough to make 374.3 million gallons of gasoline per day--from the hydrofracked sites in the Bakken formation in northwestern North
Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa into Illinois, according to information gathered by the Brookings Institution. This will allow shippers to access the Midwest, East Coast, and Gulf Coast markets.
The pipeline project has possibly made North Dakotas Bakken shale one of the largest oil developments in the United States in recent
history. Then, the crude oil extraction of North Dakotas Bakken shale has increased greatly from 309,000 barrels a day in 2010 to more
than 1 million barrels a day in 2014.
Individuals that support the construction of the pipeline like the company Energy Transfer Partners says the pipeline will pump millions
of dollars into local economies and create 8,000 to 12,000 construction jobs though far fewer permanent jobs to maintain and monitor the pipeline. Supporters of the project will argue that the pipeline represents the safest and most efficient way to transport Bakken
oil. Also, with falling oil prices and thinning profit margins, the pipeline will offer a cheaper way to transport crude oil. The project is
expected to create more markets and reduce truck and oil train trafficthe latter of which has been a growing concern after a state of
fiery derailments of a train carrying North Dakota crude. Finally, Dakota Access LLC, the company behind the pipeline, claims that, along
with the 8,000 to 12,000 construction jobs it will create up to 40 permanent operating jobs. The project is also expected to generate
$156 million in sales and income taxes and $55 million in property taxes annually to the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa,
and Illinois.
The protests have been the most active in Sioux County, North Dakota, home of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and a reservation of
8,000 people. The Native American group says the pipeline endangers sacred sites and drinking water resources according to the Brookings Institution. The core of the dispute centers around the issue of tribal sovereignty and claims that the U.S. government approved the
project without consulting tribal governance, something they are obligated to do, according to U.S. treaties and the United Nations
Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. The pipeline has also brought together environmentalists and climate activists intent
on blocking the construction of the new fossil fuel infrastructure. These individuals have raised concerns about the dangers of oil spills.
A study conducted by the International Energy Agency found that U.S. pipelines spilled three times as much crude oil as trains from
2004 to 2012. Then, Dave Swenson, at Iowa State University, believes that the job numbers have been overstated. While the project
claims to create as many as 4,000 construction jobs in Iowa over a one-year period, Swenson puts the number of jobs created at about
half that.
In local matters and in a show of solidarity, students of the University of Dayton stayed in tents (Nov. 10, 2016) to show their support
for the protesters of the North Dakota pipeline project. The students were geared up with tents and sleeping bags to get through the
night, with rain approaching and temperature dropping below 37 degrees. Junior Cody Ruffing, Sarah Richard, and Celia Montemurri
were the student leaders behind this movement and they were setting up tents, where 50 or more students were expected to attend.
Also, they were scheduled to chat with a protester at Standing Rock via Skype and hear from Guy Jones, the founder of the Miami Valley
Council for Native Americans. Finally, students, as well, planned to spend the night giving their perspectives on the pipeline protests,
while enjoying some music and hot drinks.

Creation vs. evolution debate

By Andrew Caldwell JR
For over the past decade, people have been arguing over how the world was created. The God that everyone knows has been called a
fraud or a lie to society. Others believe that there was an event that made the whole universe, which is called the Big Bang Theory.
Religion has been used over hundreds and thousands of years, but it was never really proven that God existed. If one really thinks about
it, if God created the world, then who created God?
According to Genesis, the first chapter of the Old Testament, there was a seven day period that took place, the seven days that God
created the earth and the life on it. On the first day, God said, Let there be light. The Big Bang had electrons that were in small groups
which made the universe glow. So, both have different arguments on how light was created. On the second day, God said, Let there be
a firmament in the midst of the waters and let it separate the waters from the waters. According to science, water-rich asteroids and
collided with earth but as the earth cooled, water vapor began to escape and condense in the earths atmosphere. As this happened,
clouds formed and big amounts of water fell on the earth, the waters were separate, water on the earth and in the atmosphere.

Each day, according to science and Genesis are very different. The Bible makes it seem so simple to create anything which led to the
idea of creationism, which is that everything that is created in divine creation by specific acts. There is also another debate that ties into
this, which is creationism versus evolution. Evolution says that we evolved from homo-sapiens, but that theory kind of went out the
window when people started thinking, Why arent monkeys evolving into humans now? The evolution process didnt just stop at
random, which shows that it technically wasnt true. The story of Adam and Eve has also been proven wrong because in the Bible, God
created the first man and woman, but then again, who created God?

This is a debate that truly cannot be solved; its one of the darkest mysteries of our history. People have the choice to believe what they
want to believe. If one wants to believe in creationism, nobody can tell what one can or cant believe. If one believes in evolution then
thats what one believes. Technically theres no wrong answer to what one believes and it really boils down to ones worldview.

Slow movin
By: Anduryn Gallimore
Lets talk about sloths and what one should
know about them.
Sloths are identified by how many toes they
have . There are two-toed and three-toed
sloths. Of those two types there are six species: the Pygmy three-toed sloth, maned
sloth, pale throated sloth, brown throated
sloth, Linnaeus two toed sloth, and Hoffmans two-toed sloth.
Most people that know anything about sloths
know that they are really slow. They are so
slow that algae can actually grow on their
body. The reason they are slow is because
they were meant to spend their lives In the

trees. They sleep, eat, and even give birth

hanging from trees. But, sloths are surprisingly good swimmers; they will just drop into a
stream or river and do their thing.
Sloths arent important just because theyre
cute and make funny noises. They live in
tropical rain forests and they are being threatened with deforestation. On top of them
losing their homes, they are even slower and
defenseless on land than they are in the trees.
The deforestation leaves them easy targets
for any predators.
Help save these ugly, but cute in their own
way, defenseless animals.

Most people that know anything about sloths know that they are really slow.

Ghost ship
By Mahogany Bankston

In Oakland, California, fires swarmed all across a warehouse lot. On December 2, 2016, thirty-six
people died. From inside, there were only two ways to exit the building.

Many thought the cause of the fire was an old refrigerator. The ATF said the final report will take
weeks to finish. Officials at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives report its
the deadliest fire on U.S. soil in 13 years. They called this the Ghost Ship in Oakland, the warehouse where the victims lost their lives.

They have released the names of 27 victims. Nine victims are still unaccounted for. Names for
those victims are still unknown. The Fire Department responded to the warehouse around 11:30
p.m. It took 5 hours to put out the blaze.
The precise cause of the fire is still unknown, but what is known is that the warehouse was being
used as a home to shelter people. This may have something to do with the cause of the fire. The
building was only permitted to be a warehouse to store personal belongings, nothing else.

OPINION

Police officers: problem or solution

By Krichonna DeVance
Are police officers the problem or the solution? It seems as if they are scaring the
community by killing people off like The Hunger Games or The Purge.
Black officers kill whites and whites kill blacks and that's the main problem; they both
prefer to pull a gun instead of chasing them or calling for backup to try to calm a heated situation. They are trained to deal with situations like this, but why is it not utilized? Is it that they are
not trained properly or do they lose all their morals and humanity for the society? The police
officers lose all sense of value of other people's family members, but we forget that they have a
family to go home to every night as well. So who is right or wrong?
According to the article, The Actual Facts of the Eric Garner Case, from breitbart.com,
was a video of Garner being confronted by police over distributing unlicensed cigarettes
(colloquially called loosies). The video shows Garner resisting arrest, although not violently so
he shouts at officers, Every time you see me you want to arrest me, Im tired of this, this stops
todayI didnt do nothingIm minding my business, officer while waving his arms animatedly
before Pantaleo comes up behind him and places his left arm around Garners neck, bringing
his right arm up below Garners right. In this case Garner was right but in the next case the
victim had something to do with his death.
According to second the article, What Happened in Michael Brown Shooting in Ferguson, Mo.? Mike Brown (Michael Brown) had an altercation with a store clerk, when he stole
cigars (which are used to smoke marijuana) and an alert was put out on him. At the time of the
incident that lead to Browns death, he and a friend were asked to move out of the roadway and
Brown became belligerent and started running down the roadway. The officer told him multiple
times to freeze but Brown wouldnt, so the officer shot him six times, two in the head and two in
other places that were not mentioned in this article. Both parties were guilty in this case, which
leads to multiple questions, one being whether or not the officer trained properly. Did he have a
thing against blacks? And, so many more.
We, as a whole, feel like we must watch our backs to cross the street. We live in fear already wondering how are we are going to see tomorrow with all the things that are going on in
the world now, and to add to that list we must fear the people who get paid to protect us, not do
more harm. Nowadays we dont call anyone when things go bad; we deal with it ourselves. Our
ways arent helping as you can see, but theirs aren't any better. Why shouldnt we be scared of
the police, they beat our ancestors. They treated them as if they were worthless and killed them
for being black. We are still trying to say equality for all, but where was the equality here?
Due to this scenario, I have an unbiased opinion. The police officers as a whole feel
like they are a superior group of heroes. They believe that they are helping the community. They
also feel like they are just doing their jobs, even though they are killing our children. Their jobs
are to help build up the community and keep it safe, but they're helping tear it down and harm it.
Although the police officers are just doing their jobs, they are also overstepping their authority.
I believe that every situation is not racially motivated. Sometimes we the people overreact and
jump to conclusions. If it is a white officer and black male, it is automatically racial profiling. We
do not look at the whole situation, think about it and gather facts to back up our feelings. We
start riots and burn down and vandalize our stuff and get upset when our children cant get textbooks or the streets are torn up or even when we drive down a full block of vacant homes.
We never assumed that when we tear up our own community it does not hurt
them. We have to pay taxes for our area to get fixed. They pay taxes for their part of town
when all it does is make us look just as they see us, illiterate ghetto negroes. Its okay for blacks
to kill blacks, but when a white person does the same we want to huff and puff and get mad and
say something. At the end of the day, we all need to stop the violence and fight for our children's
educations just as much as we do for police officers killing our own.

Deadly doses
By Noelle Freeman
For those who know someone who has a
history of drug abuse, please read closely.
Many people who have drug problems tend
to mix drugs to get to a certain high. One
must look out for sedatives and opioids.

are used to treat conditions such as anxiety,

insomnia, and seizures. He also says that if
benzodiazepines are combined with opioid
medications, such as Oxycodone (Oxycontin)
and Hydrocodone (Vicodin), a drug interaction
can occur that could result in coma or death.

U.S. health officials have warned that mixing

prescription opioid painkillers with a class of
drugs which include popular sedatives, such
as Valium and Xanax, can cause fatal overdose.

Dr. Doug Throckmorton, deputy director of

regulatory programs with the FDAs center for
Drug Evaluation and Research, said that benzodiazepines, which include Valium and
Xanax, affect the central nervous system, and

Guest articles wanted

Would you like to be published in the school newspaper?

If you would like to be a guest journalist, submit your article to Mrs. Godbey in the high school
library or to our Editor-in-Chief, Andrew Caldwell.

The staff of Im Not Lion will carefully consider your submission for publication in next months
edition.

CRASH COURSE
By Katie Conley
On Sept. 4, 2016, early Sunday morning, 49 year old Shirley Duncan-Barnes was involved in a car
crash on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio.

Shirley Duncan-Barnes, far right, was killed

early Sunday morning when a man in a stolen
car crashed into her at Lee Road and Cloverside Drive, police said. Duncan-Barnes had just
left her 30th class reunion where this picture
was taken, said Cassandra Ward, who is pictured on far left.

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A man driving a stolen Chrysler 300 caused a crash that led to Duncan-Barnes crashing into a
brick wall. She was on her way home from her high school class reunion party when this took
place. The drivers name and condition was not released until after the crash because of the
injuries he sustained.
Brian Burns, Jr., age 19, plead not guilty to hitting and killing Duncan-Barnes after she was returning from her high school reunion. On Sept. 6, his name was released.
He was issued a $1 million bound in court. Burns had beaten and robbed a 71-year-old man who
had left a church festival. Burns was also accused of taking the mans car. He also faces charges
of aggravated vehicular homicide, aggravated robbery and receiving stolen property in the ongoing investigation.

Castros era

By Erick Dominguez

Fidel Castro would lead a rebellion in March

1958, where he would take down the dictator, Fulgencio Batista, and would form a new
Cuban government.

Castro promises to give the land back to the

people and defend the rights of the poor. He
goes to America to befriend them, but then
President Eisenhower would not meet with
him. His next stop is the Soviet Union. Cuba
begins importing Soviet oil. American owned
refineries do not refine oil and Cuba confiscates the facilities. By doing this, the U.S.
broke diplomatic ties with Cuba and places an
economic embargo on Cuba.

In April 1961, President Kennedy executes

the orders to attack Cuba, which is known as
the Bay of Pigs. The U.S. expected the people
of Cuba to join them to overthrow Castro, but
when it doesnt happen the mission ends and
many of the soldiers are captured or killed.
Only a year later America would find Soviet
missiles in Cuba, which brought the tension
between them to be the highest it had ever

been. President Kennedy and Soviet Premier,

Nikita Khrushchev, would come to an agreement that the U.S. would not invade Cuba
again, but covert missions to overthrow Castro would continue. The American government prevented American citizens to travel to
Cuba and make any transactions.

After the Cuban Missile Crisis, every President

after Kennedy would not invade Cuba. Castro
would continue to be president of Cuba, but
certain monetary benefits would come to an
end with the collapse of the Soviet Union.
After the Soviet Unions collapse, Cuba did
not have the $6 billion dollars that the Soviets
would annually give them. This caused the
Cuban economy to collapse, which caused
many Cubans to try to escape and head to
Florida.

In 2006 the Castro era would come to its end

when he gave his power to his younger brother, Raul Castro, due to Fidels health. In 2015
America and Cuba would restore diplomatic
relations, which would lead to President
Obama, in March 2016, to be the first president to visit Cuba in eighty-five years. On
November 25, 2016, Fidel Castro passed

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