May 2022

Features

Volunteering at Louisville Parks and Rec (Photo courtesy of Keaira Carr)

Teen volunteering in Louisville

By Keaira Carr

Due to Covid-19, places to volunteer have been limited around Louisville. Only a few still remain open, and even then most require you to have proof of vaccination, masks, etc. Many places are limited to adult-only volunteers.

Here are 5 places to volunteer for youth and teens in Louisville, Ky. (Take note that some of these organizations are limited to virtual and at home volunteers.)

1, The Kentucky Humane Society is a wonderful place to volunteer if you love animals and socializing with the workers. Due to Covid-19 in shelters volunteer opportunities are temporarily suspended, but you can do at home volunteering . These at home activities include making cat toys, dog toys, blankets, treats, etc. After making these toys and or treats, you go to the Humane society location and drop them off in the drop off bin out front, if the bin isn’t there then you go inside. After you drop them off, the workers either give you a paper certifying your hours or you email the coordinator (escoggins@kyhumane.org) to get a virtual copy. Locations vary, and you have to be 14 or older to volunteer. To find out different at-home projects you can do, click here.

2, Louisville Parks And Recreation is a great place to volunteer if you like being outside and planting trees. Even if you have no prior experience planting trees, you’ll be taught and given the proper materials to do so. These hours are typically 3 hours, and it's a nice experience and normally they have another opportunity to plant more trees the following week. To sign up, you search on google “My Impact” and create an account, and then sign forms providing your age, background, etc. After you’ve completed this, you click a plus sign next to the volunteer opportunity you’d like to do and you’re automatically signed up. There are no age restrictions to tree planting and minors have to get a form signed by their parents. There is no set location, when you go on the myimpact website it’ll inform you of the location you volunteer for.

3, The Ronald McDonald House has several opportunities to volunteer. You could volunteer from home by making gift bags, collecting pull-tabs and dropping off materials for the wish list drive. You could also volunteer in person with proof of vaccination. There are several things you can do in person, such as making meals, making snack bags, being a regular house volunteer, hosting activities, making lunches, etc. Typically these activities offer 2-3 hours of volunteer time. You can volunteer in groups and or alone by going on the Ronald McDonald website to contact/email the coordinator. The Location is at 550 S 1st St, Louisville, KY 40202. Ages 6 and older can volunteer. To volunteer you can click “get involved” this will take you to different ways you can volunteer.

4, Dare to Care offers several volunteer opportunities with multiple hours depending on the task. Some of the most common volunteer opportunities for teens include: Food sorting, Assisting shoppers, Unloading food, Building food boxes, Cutting food and or making it, and more. These opportunities are usually on weekdays early in the morning, ranging from 1.50-3 hours. Different jobs offer different standards regarding Covid-19 prodicalls, some say you need to wear a mask and be vaccinated, while others say it’s optional and no vaccination needed. It goes for all jobs, not depending on location. There are multiple dare to care locations, and offer different jobs depending on location other than helping with food. You have to be 14 or older to volunteer. Main location is 5803 Fern Valley Rd, Louisville, KY 40228, but they vary, and there are no age restrictions. To find a Dare to Care location close by, you can click here to go on the website.

5, Louisville Grows offers multiple tree planting opportunities year-round. You can volunteer in groups or individually, but with each opportunity you have to show proof of vaccination. Not only can you plant trees, you can also plant seeds in gardens. They also have a “Healthy House” where you can cook healthy foods and take virtual instruction to learn healthy ways. These opportunities have different hours for each one, but most last 2-3 hours. Locations vary and there are no age restrictions. There is no set location, but you can click here to go to the website.

Review: ‘Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

(Spoiler Review)

By Vivien Englund

The Marvel franchise brings us a second installment to the Dr. Stephen Strange storyline that was released in theaters on May 6.

It takes place after the first season of Scarlet Witch’s show “WandaVision” on Disney+. It also takes place after the audience was introduced to the multiverse possibility as seen in “Spider-Man 3: No Way Home,” with all three Peter Parkers joining the fight.

The movie is filled with anxious excitement and triumph as the characters literally jump through hoops to save themselves from the bad intentions of one powerful witch (Wanda Maximoff/ Scarlet Witch). The direction the movie goes is all over the place. It could make some viewers feel disoriented, but it works in retrospect to what is happening.

Life lessons are invoked when the characters’ decisions in life come back to haunt them and they have to find ways to fix it and gain the trust of others back. For Doctor Strange, this is sort of a common occurrence throughout the cinematic universe’s other films.

The difference this time is that there is more growth and connection with those around him rather than just the fixing of his internal struggle which was a nice change in his persona. The person watching can tell how much he has changed since his character was introduced in the first movie from 2016.

Marvel might have some money in making horror movies, with elements of dark magic, bringing the dead to life and possessions of one’s alternate self.

We also get introduced to the Marvel Comics superhero Miss America—or America Chavez—for the first time on the big screen. The storyline seemed to leave room for another appearance by her in the end, so it’s possible for her to become a main Marvel character after her smaller introduction, just like Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, but that is still not clear.

If you are unsure whether you should watch the movie, it really is up to you. However, if you haven’t seen previous Marvel movies, especially the more recent ones, you will most likely be very confused. While the movie can be enjoyed without understanding the references, the plot is not a typical movie plot, even to a die-hard Marvel fan. If you have seen and enjoyed other Marvel movies/shows, I would recommend this movie as it is a deeper look into the interesting concept of the multiverse and will most likely have an impact on future movies.

One of the most exciting parts about this movie is the introduction to a possible crossover into the X-Men and Fantastic Four with two character appearances from those series.

The next upcoming Marvel movie is “Thor:Love and Thunder” which is set to be released on July 8. It will be interesting to see where they take the characters from here since the ending was bittersweet and did not leave much room for speculation.

Dr Strange movie poster (photo courtesy of Vivien Englund)

Cedar Point (photo courtesy of Isabella Shory)

Memories

By Vivien Englund

As the year comes to an end, some people can wait for the last day, while others are dreading summer. Regardless, many happy memories have been made. There are always those moments you wouldn’t trade for anything. I went around and asked students what their favorite moments were from this school year.

From little quirks to big events, here are their answers:

“My favorite memory was when I was eating lunch in the courtyard with my friends, and a bunch of kids had bananas from the school lunch that they weren’t going to eat. My friend got all of their bananas and murdered them with her fork and then she started violently hitting them.” -Abigail New, 7th grade

“Probably when Andrew (Boling) gave a speech in the cafeteria during lunch. Everyone just went silent for 7 minutes.” -Isabella Shory, 7th grade

“The orchestra trip at Cedar Point.”-Caroline Gallagher, 7th grade

“The orchestra trip.”-Erin Rogers, 7th grade

“Joining the bowling team because I was doing something that I had never done before.” -Ruby Guelda, 9th grade

“When the bible fell on the ground and everyone started screaming.”- Andrew Castaneda Hernandez, 7th grade

“The end of the year, because a lot of seniors didn't have to do anything.”- Jade Podbelsek, 12th grade

“The move-a-thon because we got popsicles and got to run around.”-Nina, 3rd grade

“The move-a-thon because I got to run around, and be with my friends.”-Quinn, 3rd grade

“Field day because we got to do a bunch of different games and play.”-Emma, 3rd grade

“Field day because it's just fun and doing all the games.”- Betsy, 3rd grade

“My favorite moment was the softball season. We had a long game and we were tied up for a long time, and we finally won and it was just such a good feeling.” -Grace Mcadams, 10th grade

“Getting into a summer program at UPenn and qualifying for the state tournament on the same day.” -Alex, 11th grade

Brown School ceramics

By Grace Mcadams

The Brown School has many classes to choose from, however one class that is particularly exciting is pottery. This class is split up into two levels, Pottery one and Pottery two, which must be taken in chronological order. Pottery one covers the basics, while in pottery 2 one can explore more creative techniques.

Students in pottery are currently working on multiple projects, one of which is to create a mask. Libby Mook, a sophomore who is currently creating her mask in the shape of Medusa from Greek mythology, had this to say: "I love pottery, I've always been into art and I love experimenting with new mediums, so class gave me access to something that might have been hard for me to try before." She also mentioned that having taken this class she learned many more techniques then she would have had she just dived in without instruction.

A sophomore in the class, Irina Macaranas, is creating a miniature version of the J Graham Brown School building. This was for a project making clay houses.

"This class is radical. I get to be creative and I love that, this class is totally cubular," said Macaranas when asked about how she felt about the class.

This class is an excellent way to express your creativity and learn how to work with a new medium. Artists and beginners alike should consider this class as an option.

Sculpture (Photo courtesy of Grace Mcadams)

Jake Amettis and Ruby Guedla (Photo Courtesy of Ruby Guedla)

What it's like being a new teacher in a pandemic

by Ruby Guelda

Being new anywhere can be intimidating because being new means you are the outsider, and have to interact with individuals who have all known each other for some time. It can be very uncomfortable pushing yourself to talk to someone in a workplace, especially when you're new to the job. But what if your meeting people over Zoom, in the comfort of your home?

Some Brown School teachers have experienced what it is like to either be a first time teacher, or a first time teacher at Brown, while in a pandemic. Jake Amettis, high school Social Studies teacher, says that he began working on Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI), and this was his first full year as a full-time teacher. He had finished his student teaching, and was helping at other schools in classroom settings.

He explained that meeting faculty and teachers over Zoom was difficult because “you lose a lot of connections that you make when you meet new people in person.” He explained without that in-person contact, it wasn’t the same and as genuine. He explained while also using Google Meets“I tried to encourage students to turn their cameras on.” He explained that though a few students did participate in turning their cameras on, it wasn’t the same as a classroom setting so it was difficult to stay engaged, focused, and keep a routine.

During NTI, Amettis explained that sleeping in was a perk, and though he had adjusted, it was a struggle to keep a routine with school while never leaving the house. Coming into school for really the first time was a strange, different transition. Amettis expressed how adjusting to NTI became the norm for him, however, coming into school over this past year has been a great experience.

He said, “I started to really enjoy coming in and seeing student’s energy,'' being around people and students again brought back the ambiance of being in person. Mainly, teaching in-person has brought back that student-teacher relationship, creating comfortable environments for informal friendly conversations, and being able to feel comfortable in a new school.

Another new addition to Brown has been Naresh Keswani, or as most people know him, Coach K. A lot of people have been influenced by his kind, charismatic energy, as well as his math skills. Many students have expressed their love for Coach K’s teaching and helping abilities for math. His reaction from Brown this year has been pretty positive, he expressed it only took a few adjustments to make the transition into school. He described it as “a good challenge”. Keswani says working at Brown, it's wonderful to see all the student interaction with each other, especially across grade-levels, the community of Brown is very comfortable.

He says working at Brown worked out because his daughter teaches first grade, and it's nice to see all of the students in every grade level being responsible, respectful, safe, and always pursuing excellence. Keswani signs off, wishing for next year to pursue to always be a better educator and help benefit all of the students.

High school has experienced a few teacher changes, but due to staffing changes, 7th and 8th grade social studies classes were left without a permanent teacher. Fortunately Rita Nichols stepped in, and was able to teach up until December. Starting in the middle of the year, Andrew Boles joined the Brown School.

Boles began teaching the week before Christmas break he said upon first entering, he was able to meet all the staff and teachers, though it was different coming into an environment where everyone already met and interacted before students came into school. He further explained, “I previously worked at another school for twelve years, and had known people for some time, so it was just an adjustment.” Boles described it as stressful picking up in the middle of the year, having to have new students gain some trust and routine in his different teaching style. Boles plans that next year, with the ability to start up fresh, he will implement community building within his classes. He will have the advantage of building those student relationships from the start.

American Sign Language (ASL) was offered as a foreign language during the 2021 NTI school year and became in-person this year. This is when Ms. Stacy Vonroenn joined Brown. “I was an educational interpreter for years. When the opportunity to teach ASL became available, I jumped!”

Vonroenn explained that this is her second year of teaching; she had previously been at Manual, and began online (NTI) during the pandemic. She explained that NTI learning had been a challenge, “Students didn’t have the ability to be totally self reliant and responsible in the midst of so much uncertainty and stress.” Though coming in person and beginning at Brown was a major turnaround, Vonroenn explained the joy and community she found while working at Brown: “I’ve really loved the student body as well as the faculty here. Working with elementary age kids was especially fun.” Ms. Vonroenn will be teaching at Brown next year, and hopes to continue growing the community and keep improving as an educator.

Finally, Ryan Hudson - the two year gym teacher here at Brown. Hudson began teaching on NTI, he explained that the beginning wasn’t so much as scary, but a real challenge, after meeting the staff, everyone had been really welcoming, though beginning first online, it was like being reintroduced to a different person than a square on a screen. It wasn’t easy making those student relationships. He explained that coming in person, it's wonderful to build the relationships with students which he considers to be a strength of his. Hudson believes that Brown is filled with so many bright, knowledgeable students who strive to be better and have the will to be here; he believes students' determination is what separates Brown from other schools.

However, unlike most teachers, after three years of teaching, (Hudson spent his first year teaching at another school) Hudson is ready to start a new chapter in life. He was offered an opportunity to try something new, and he said, “I’ve loved my time here for the most part, nothing but great, however, things come up that you might not get a second chance at, so you have to take a leap, you never want to wonder what if?”

Student opinions on masks: then and now

By Roxy Osborne

April 10th marks one month since the removal of the mask mandate in JCPS schools. There was definitely a lot of contention when the initial announcement was made, so I wanted to interview some students at Brown to see if their opinions had changed after JCPS made the decision for masks to be optional.

I started by asking everyone what their initial opinion was when the announcement was first made. Nina Albert (11th grade) shared her thoughts with me: “I was against it originally, but now that so many people have taken them off I don’t really care anymore. First day I didn’t realize the mask mandate was lifted. Most people who I expected not to wear them took them off.”

Charlotte Meeley (10th grade) shares the same sentiment: “I was like ‘whattt?’ and then I was like… okay. I still wear my mask in, like, the hallway. If it happens to slip off then it’ll usually stay off.”

Michelle Riley (11th grade) brings up masks in other facilities: “I was shocked but not surprised. I think I was more neutral because it was already happening at stores. The herd immunity really worked... it was surprisingly effective for the U.S.. The effects we’re facing right now are a lot less severe than other countries. It feels like COVID doesn’t exist anymore.”

These three are the general opinions I expected -- most people becoming more neutral once the mandate actually ended. I assumed the jump from masks being required to them being optional was jarring for a lot of people, especially since we’ve worn them for almost an entire school year at this point.

Some students told me about how they thought it was affecting Brown School specifically. Ian Diakov (11th grade) told me her thoughts on how the Brown School student body was handling it: “I think when they did it it was fine. I feel like most people are just going to keep it on anyway. I feel like Brown is an environment where everyone will keep their masks on… I don’t think it affected Brown too much.”

Natalie Sato (11th grade) brings up Brown School and gives her opinion on students wearing masks: “Honestly it doesn’t hurt to wear a mask because there’s still the threat of getting COVID -- especially with a new variant. But it’s still a personal choice. I was kinda surprised, but I think the Brown School has handled it well.”

Like these two students, I also expected most Brown students to continue wearing their masks. As you’ve probably noticed while walking around the hallways, this assumption is mostly correct.

Not everyone is as keen on the removal of the mask mandate.

A senior -- who wished to remain anonymous -- didn’t have much positive to say about the removal: “I was like, that’s so stupid... why would you remove it? If the numbers are going down, that's more reason to keep the mandate because it's working.”

Maura Austin’s (11th grade) feelings aren’t as black and white: “This was before spring break -- I figured everyone should just wait until after spring break to take their masks so everyone could travel safely. I also have COVID anxiety. However, now that it’s after spring break and I’ve looked at the numbers, I feel safe not wearing my mask at school. However, I’m still on and off. Like I wear it when I’m alone but I’ll wear it in class. If the numbers go back up, we should put the mandate back into effect.” She also goes into detail about her concerns for others: “My concern right now, is more about like, other people. I have grown comfortable enough to take off my mask but I’m worried about others. I have an immunocompromised grandfather. So in the past, I have been terrified of spreading COVID. There’s a part of me that feels a bit hypocritical because I was very angry when the mandate was lowered because of my own anxieties. My gist is that I was originally so against the mandate, so I feel a bit hypocritical going against what I originally thought.”

Whether you support the removal of the mask mandate or not, it’s important to keep in mind that it is a personal choice that every student makes for themselves and that we should remain respectful of everyone’s decision.

To mask or not to mask... (photo courtesy of Roxy Osborne)

Elementary students have big dreams (Photo courtesy of Roxy Osborne)

Elementary students' ideas to improve Brown School

By Roxy Osborne

Brown School is always looking for ways to improve through student input. We were given the chance to voice our opinions earlier in the year with the schedule change forum, and it made me wonder if elementary kids were ever presented with the same opportunities as older students. Curious to see what the younger generation of Brown Bears had to say, I decided to conduct a few interviews and ask one simple question: if you could change one thing about our school, what would it be?

Ambitions varied greatly between students:

Kiya R. (kindergarten) had a design suggestion for Brown: “I’d change the bear to a polar bear because I love polar bears.”

Mia I. (kindergarten) was passionate about her ideal Brown School bear: “The bear… I’d change it to a panda. I LOVE them! They are so CUTE!”

Many students were also thinking about how they could help others with their ideal Brown School.

Chandler S. (1st grade) was thinking quite charitably when I interviewed him: “I’d probably give out one million dollars because we could be rich and buy fancy stuff. You can buy a new car with it. I’d give everybody one million dollars.”

Sitting right next to Chandler, Judah S. (1st grade) also wanted to give to his fellow classmates: “Everybody would get ice cream because you can take it home with you.”

Complete structure changes were highly requested among students as well.

Gabby R. (1st grade) had portability on the mind when coming up with her ideal Brown School: “I’d make the whole building fly around the world so we could see a lot. I’d travel to Las Vegas -- I’m going there for my birthday!”

Gabby’s twin Naomi R. (1st grade) took her sister’s travel ideals to a much greater scale: “I’d make the building a spaceship so we could travel in space!”

Denayy P. (kindergarten) was thinking about helping others with her remodel: “I would change it into a hospital so people wouldn’t get hurt. One side would be a school and the other would be a hospital.”

To round it all off, Gabriel T. (kindergarten) wins the award for the most creative proposal: “I would change it into a monkey school because I want it to be a different school. I want it to be silly. I want to be the king of school and do whatever I want.”

Poetry month: Poets who changed the world

by Vivien Englund

April is National Poetry Month, so why not highlight poets who changed the art of poetry? Maya Angelou, William Shakespeare, and Geoffrey Chaucer are some of the many poets who contributed greatly to not only poetry, but our society as a whole.

Maya Angelou- Civil rights activist, trailblazing director, recipient of over 50 honorary degrees, and educator – this poet had an incredible impact on society, especially within the world of poetry. She was the first African-American woman to write a script that was made into a Hollywood movie, the first female poet to read a poem at a President's inauguration and the first female African-American to be a cable car conductor. Her writing tackled race, gender and life. Her poem 'Still I Rise carries' one of the most powerful messages of resilience and strength, which is still relevant today. To read some of her work, see this link:

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/maya-angelou (scroll to bottom of page)

William Shakespeare- William Shakespeare is unquestionably one of the most influential, if not the most influential writer/poet of all time. Though he is more commonly known for his playwriting, Shakespeare wrote over a hundred sonnets, or plays. His main influence on poetry was the many phrases he is known for coining such as ‘all of a sudden’, ‘stuff dreams are made of’, ‘too much of a good thing’, ‘as luck would have it’ and ‘the world is your oyster’. His works contributed significantly to the standardization of grammar, spelling, and vocabulary. Shakespeare introduced 1,700 original words into the language, many of which we still use. To read some of his work, see this link : https://classicalpoets.org/2018/04/08/10-greatest-shakespeare-sonnets-an-immortal-series/#/

Geoffrey Chaucer-Chaucer is known as the father of English Literature. If you haven’t heard of him, you may have heard of his most famous poems, 'The Canterbury Tales' written in the Middle Ages. This book of 24 tales has some responsibility for the way we speak today. Chaucer's work popularized Middle English across the country, proving it could be just as poetically beautiful as French or Latin and in doing so, helped give rise to the modern English we speak today. To read some of his work, see this link: https://interestingliterature.com/2020/10/geoffrey-chaucer-best-works/

National Poetry Month Poster (Photo courtesy of Keaira Carr)

The one and only Amelia Conaway! (Photo Courtesy of Amelia Conaway)

Brown School's very own up-and-coming opera singer

By Ruby Guelda

Amelia Connaway is a junior with (in today's world) a pretty unusual talent and interest. Conaway is a talented aspiring opera singer, who’s ultimately trying to save a “beautiful dying artform”. Her love of opera came about after seeing Phantom of the Opera, at about age 13 which she explicitly stated is not an opera. She explained how the book had a few opera mentions and afterwards Conaway fell in love with Faust, the first opera she heard. This led to a greater pique of interest, and she began practicing opera four and a half years ago, with lessons on Wednesday with a professional opera singer. However, Conaway says she practices on her own time as well, for at least two hours a day. “It's not just a chore to me,” she explained opera singing had become a passion she really wants to pursue and grow because of how much delight it brings her.

As well as practicing regularly everyday, Conaway accomplished a couple major opportunities this year; she got into the Governor's School for the Arts (GSA), and sang at a Louisville Bats game on April 23rd. After seeing a sign in a neighbor's yard with information about GSA, she took an interest in what it was all about and decided, “I am going to do that, I don’t exactly know what it is, but I want to do it.” Before that audition she had been hesitant in her talent, whether she had something special, but the judges kept her in the audition room for a while, and stated to her, “It was an honor to hear you sing today.” That was a really grand and wonderful experience for Conaway in her opera singing journey.

The opportunity to sing at the Bats Game sprung from a fundraiser through Brown, where if they sold enough tickets, a student from Brown would be given an opportunity to sing.

Conaway explains how it was her first performance and as she sang the “National Anthem” she was nervous for the audience's reaction because she sang the song classically, not in a common pop perspective. “I was rethinking my entire life choices, then I did it, the applause, the immediate response was really empowering.” She explained, having it been her first performance, having so many strangers immediately rise from their seats and clap was such a joyous and ecstatic moment.

She wants to continue to pursue opera, and she plans to apply for the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. GSA can offer her a scholarship to the school, and conveniently it had already been a top pick for her because it is the second school rated for vocal music in the country, under Julliard. Finally, Conaway suggests that people who don’t know a lot about opera look into it. She acknowledges that it is an acquired taste, but she believes everyone should try to listen to it at least once, and try to understand the art behind it.

"Ain't Burned All the Bright" book review

by Daphne Powell

Daphne Powell

2020 was a crazy year, but because of that, a book was able to speak volumes. Ain’t Burned All the Bright was written by Jason Reynolds about the 2020 Black Lives Matter protest. It was published on January 11, 2022. Over the 300 pages in the book, only a few sentences are written, but their meaning has a great message.

Reynolds is an American author who writes novels and poetry for young adult and middle-grade audiences. He has said that he doesn’t want to write boring books, because he knows that a lot of young people hate reading. But they don’t actually hate reading, they hate reading boring books. So, he doesn’t want to write boring books.

Ain’t Burned All the Bright is a story about a Black family living in America during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests. Dealing with his father experiencing the painful symptoms of COVID, and his mothers reaction to the news, the narrator tells two stories of coping with the hurt that came that year.

The book itself doesn’t have many words, but the art alone in the book leaves a powerful message. Some pages are just art, some incorporate words into the art. Reynolds has put together a complex story, while speaking very little, and leaving a big impact on the reader.

I read the book a while ago, and I still find myself thinking about it. The first time I read the book, I focused more on the words and what was being said, but the second time I slowed down the reading and really took in the art. The art shows the emotion, the words confirm it. Both the words and art are very impactful and reading it the second time really left that impact on me. It gave me a way to really see the emotion that other people had during this time, and relate that to what I felt. Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to read books about topics like the protests, racism, etc.

Forecastle Festival 2022

By Sabiola Caballero Bombin

Forecastle is here! For those of you who don’t know about Forecastle – Forecastle is a three day music festival held annually in Louisville, Kentucky. Forecastle 20’ and 21 were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. This year's Forescastle was not postponed and will be held this memorial day weekend from May 27 -May 29 at Waterfront Park.

Admission tickets offered are general admission, GA+ and VIP. General admission tickets offer filtered water stations with free refills, early access tickets to late night shows aboard the Belle of Louisville steamboat, and complimentary bike valet. GA+ tickets provide access to a private retreat with seating and shade near the MAST stage, air-conditioned restrooms and other amenities. VIP tickets provide priority entrance into the festival, complimentary salon services such as festival braids and glitter applications, unlimited in-and-out privileges to the VIP lounge and more.

3 day tickets for general admission tickets start at 265 dollars and can go up to 285 dollars, 3 day GA+ tickets start at 395 dollars and can go up to 425 dollars and VIP tickets are 650 dollars. These prices do not include shipping and fees. 1 day tickets for general admission are 120 dollars, GA+ tickets are 185 dollars and VIP tickets are 325 dollars.

Friday's lineup includes music artists: Jack Harlow, Porter Robinson, Clairo, Still Woozy, Earl Sweatshirt, COIN, Wale and more. Saturday's lineup includes artists: Tame Impala, Phoebe Bridgers, 6LACK, Quinn XCII, Lane 8 and others. And Sunday’s lineup includes: Tyler the Creator, Rüfüs Du Sol, Black Pumas, Alison Wonderland, Oliver Tree and others.

Artists are scheduled to go on at certain times. For Friday's lineup, Earl Sweatshirt is scheduled to perform from 5:45 PM-6:45 PM, Clairo is scheduled to perform from 7-45 PM-8:45 PM and Jack Harlow is scheduled to perform from 9:45 PM-11:00 PM at the MAST stage. Wale is scheduled to perform at 5:00 PM-5:45 PM, COIN is scheduled to perform from 6:45 PM-7:45 PM and Still Woozy is scheduled to perform from 8:45 PM-9:45 PM all at the BOOM stage. Porter Robinson is scheduled to perform at 9:15 PM-10:30 PM at the OCEAN stage.

For Saturday’s lineup Quinn XCII is scheduled to perform from 6:00 PM-7:00 PM, Phoebe Bridgers is scheduled to perform from 7:45 PM-8:45 PM and Tame Impala is scheduled to perform from 9:45 PM-11:00 PM at the MAST stage. 6LACK is scheduled to perform from 8:45 PM-9:45 PM at the BOOM stage and Lane 8 is scheduled to perform from 9:15 PM-10:15 PM at the OCEAN stage.

For Sunday’s lineup Oliver Tree is scheduled to perform from 5:45 PM-6:45 PM, Black Pumas is scheduled to perform from 7:45 PM-8:45 PM and Tyler, the Creator is scheduled to perform from 9:45 PM-11:00 PM at the MAST stage. Rüfüs Du Sol is scheduled to perform at 9:45 PM-11:00 PM at the BOOM stage and Alison Wonderland is scheduled to perform from 9:30 PM-10:30 PM at the OCEAN stage.

So much fun might have you hungry, thankfully there will be food vendors like Ben & Jerry’s, Fistful of Tacos, Hot Buns Food Truck, Happy Belly Bistro, Sunergos Coffee, and much more. Make sure to have a lot of fun at this year's Forecastle Festival, stay hydrated and remember to be safe!

Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month: what life is like with a bleeding disorder

by Daphne Powell

No ice skating, no tackle football, no ibuprofen. All things I can’t do or have because of a bleeding disorder. According to the CDC, 300-499 people in Kentucky have Von Willebrands, and it affects about 1% of the population in the United States. But what effects does Von Willebrands have in the everyday life of someone with it?

What is Von Willebrands? The Mayo Clinic says, “Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is a lifelong bleeding disorder in which your blood doesn't clot properly. People with the disease have low levels of von Willebrand factor, a protein that helps blood clot, or the protein doesn't perform as it should.” While there is no cure for Von Willebrands, treatment and self care can help people with this disease have healthy and active lives. Von Willebrands is very similar to another bleeding disorder called Hemophilia, the difference is VWD is a bleeding disorder that is caused by a deficiency of the von Willebrand Factor. Hemophilia is a condition in which an individual’s blood doesn't clot correctly since the body does not produce sufficient, or is missing, the blood clotting proteins, factor IX, or factor VIII. VWD is normally more mild and can go unnoticed a lot of the time, while Hemophilia can range from mild to severe.

I have Von Willebrands, and it has been quite the journey. I got diagnosed when I was in the first grade, because my older brother got diagnosed after multiple doctors appointments and issues with nose bleeds and bruises. This made my parents decide to get me tested, since I have had similar issues. Because of Von Willebrands, most people with the disorder bruise extremely easily. When I was a kid, I bruised easily, but it was passed off as me being a “fair skinned child” so bruising was normal. But the issue would soon be more than that.

The CDC says the most common bleeding disorder affecting women is VWD. Even though VWD is just as common in men as it is in women, women deal with heavy or abnormal bleeding during their menstrual periods and after childbirth because of it. The CDC also says that women that suffer from increased menstrual bleeding, are at increased risk for anemia, pain during menstruation, hospitalizations, blood transfusions, limitations in daily activities, time lost from work or school, and a reduced quality of life.

These are just a few of the things that VWD causes. While there are medicines that can help, nothing can stop VWD altogether. Because VWD affects all aspects of my life, I can’t take certain medications if there is a chance they can cause blood clots or are a blood thinner. I cannot go ice skating, I have to be careful with sports that can cause injuries to my joints, because joint bleeds are an issue with bleeding disorders. I can swim because it’s a good sport for people with bleeding disorders. It works the opposing muscles adequately, so you get a good balance of muscle toning through swimming without the trauma to the joints that can cause joint bleeding for people with bleeding disorders.

But VWD isn’t all bad. There are people all over the world experiencing the same things I am, and because of that, I have met people who can help and support me, and also be friends with. National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) puts on a big conference every year, except these past few years because of COVID, where people from all over the United States can come together and meet other people in similar and different situations. Most states also have their own Hemophilia foundation, and events for kids with bleeding disorders.

Overall, while there are fears and bad parts of having a bleeding disorder, it’s not all negative. There is a whole community of people who know and understand what I am going through, more than anyone else can. And that's the best part. Having someone who can understand and relate to my struggles, but also be a friend.

Standardized tests should not affect schools

by Daphne Powell

Most students will agree that testing isn’t the best part of school. However, there are people who believe that testing is necessary and it is good for both students and teachers. Standardized tests have been used for different reasons, but what effect do these tests have on people within the school, and the school itself?

Standardized tests are not a good way to measure a student's knowledge, so schools should not be affected by how well a student does. A bad start to the day, not sleeping well the night before, being overwhelmed, these are all reasons a student could do bad on a test, even if they have good grades and know the material.

If a teacher's pay is dependent on how well students do on one test, the teacher will probably teach the material of the test, so students have no reason to do bad. But do tests really demonstrate how good someone is at something? There have been multiple times where a student has known everything they need to know for a test, and still do bad. Some people aren’t good test takers and you cannot punish them for that.

Low-income communities have historically been scoring lower on standardized tests than people in middle and high income areas. And it is not because low income communities aren’t as smart, it is because the testing method is outdated and doesn’t work for everyone. And the negative consequences for not doing well are things like narrowing the curriculum, teaching to the test, undermining student engagement, etc.

Because of everything that could cause a student to do bad, tests should be changed to encourage students to engage in class and have a good understanding of the material. Tests shouldn’t make students dread coming to school. A multiple page test where all the questions are about things we learned in one class, obviously students will not do well. Tests should encourage critical thinking, not picking an answer that is closest to what we guessed.

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