My Quarantine Diary 4/2/20 - by Colin Gawel

My Quarantine Diary - by Colin Gawel 

Thursday April 2nd - I started this diary yesterday. Checking back in now. Is this even worth doing? I don’t know. I’m appreciating the sun more than ever these days. I started tearing up a little listening to She’s Got a Problem while serving coffee this morning. R.I.P. Adam Schlesinger. 

Wednesday April 1st - “Dad, is it Saturday or Sunday? Uh, Owen, it’s Wednesday” I think that little exchange sort of sums up what many people are adjusting to right now. First and foremost, I am thankful that at this point all my family and friends are still healthy. That’s what is really important during this time. Or at least what I keep telling myself to ease my mind about finances. 

Ah yes, my old nemesis, money...that’s the second big subject everyone is dealing with. Everyone is feeling it. I’m really lucky that I have the ability to keep Colin’s Coffee open. Sure it’s take-out only, I’m working alone and it’s slow, but it’s way better than nothing. So many of my friends working in restaurants or playing music are completely out of work. Speaking of “way better than nothing,” I just noticed it’s the first of the month, my landlord better get ready to embrace that expression. And yes, I filled out a form yesterday to inquire about the CARES Act. We will see where it goes. I feel bad that my employees are out of work for the next month but at least we have the ability to survive. And nobody who works here has a mortgage, or kids, or any serious bills, so I think they will be okay. Still, I wouldn’t object to a little cash from Big Brother to ease the pain.  I’ll keep you posted on that front. 

Our customers have been great and everyone keeps six feet apart as I constantly spray sanitizer on all the counters and doors. And I know some folks have got to be lonely. Coming down to get a mocha might be their only human interaction all day so I try to be present while they vent a little. If there is anything essential about our service, that is probably it. I hope we can help just a little with some kind words and a pep talk. People have been so kind to us,  I’ve been trying to return the favor and support other local businesses myself, but like most people I have to pick and choose my spots to stay within our family budget. 

Okay, enough of this boring, serious stuff, what fun stuff have I been doing to keep my spirits up?

Well, Tiger King, duh, I think we are all truly in that show together as well. It seems like the entire country is watching. It’s the closest thing to The Beatles on Ed Sullivan I can imagine. It’s been our family watch. One episode left. I also watched Narcos Mexico season two and have been picking away at Breaking Bad. Yes, I’m the one dude who hasn’t seen it. And for laughs Schitts Creek is amazing and I never stop watching Mr. Show and Monty Python.

There is one way to get a message across and that is with music. Everyone loves music. It is believed that in 1997 a women in Tampa Florida killed her husban...

Speaking of music, I’m no Joe Exotic (but who is?). I challenged myself to record a song while working at the coffee shop. I don’t have a lyric as killer as “You can’t find this taste in the zoo,” but for my first try it turned out pretty good. The main thing is to push perfection aside and keep the brain off the news and in a creative place. Onto the next song.

Click here for Coffee Shop Song #1 - Standing on the Rocks.

My fitness has been sketchy. I’m really a creature of routine, as much as I hate to admit it, and not being able to go to the gym has been a blow. I’ve tried to do some sprints and failed at 25 push-up’s every hour. Mixing in hikes ‘n’ bikes and all that. But still, I haven’t found my stride. Or put another way….lazy.

Owen and I have started the World Series of free throws in our driveway and I’m already down 3-0. Occasionally my rebounding skills are required for his shooting drills as long as I promise to obey rule # 1: DO NOT OFFER ADVICE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EVER. Trust me, I’ve learned the hard way not to break rule #1. It ends badly.  We have been throwing baseballs every day too. I really like Owen. His work ethic inspires me and he is really funny.

Books I’ve read recently:

Siren Song - My Life in Music by Seymour Stein (wrote a blog about this one); 

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain (excellent recommendation from Joe Oestreich);

Listened to Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. 

Also, my friend Terry Fleming dropped off a couple of big baseball books I have been flipping though.

Ordered: Sonic Warrior: My Life as a Rock N Roll Reprobate by Lou Brutus. This book is going to be amazing. Nobody can tell a story better than Lou and he has a million stories to tell. Click here to view on Amazon. 

I also watched some old Reds games on YouTube. Seaver’s No Hitter and Game 7 of the 75 and 76 World Series. Johnny Bench was batting SEVENTH against the Yankees during that sweep. What a lineup: Rose / Griffey / Morgan / Perez / Foster / Driessen / Bench / Geronimo / Concepcion. The post-game interviews are classic, too. 

Achtung! Regular FOX Viewers, Trolls and Russian Bots Might Want to Stop Reading Now

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Okay, I’m going to share my thoughts on how this has been handled for those that are interested. I don’t blow up social media with my hot takes so this is my two cents. If this is going to ruin your day I encourage you to stop reading now. It’s really not worth it. You have been warned.....okay…. 3 -2 -1 

The other day I spontaneously spoke words that I never, ever thought I would say: “It’s too bad Mike DeWine isn’t President.” If he was, our country could have been spared countless lives lost, misery and an economy on the brink. In early March, numerous people told me, to my face, this was a “hoax,” “a Democratic hoax,” and/or a “CNN Hoax.” I didn’t argue. I just kept following the real news. You know, the one for smart people: Like Mike DeWine and Dr. Amy Acton. I listened to what experts had to say. And stocked up on cleaning supplies and TP for the coffee shop. Am I surprised how bad this has been? Yes. Am I surprised our country as a whole is where we are right now despite months of warning? Sadly, no. It starts at the top. It’s a botch job. At least now, it’s popular to fight the disease so progress is being made. Better late than never. 

OK, rant over. Stay safe everyone and take care of one another. 

Pencil Storm & Covid-19, TV Party Tonight! - by Ricki C.

I’ve been asked by publisher Colin Gawel to formulate the official Pencil Storm response to the Covid-19 crisis, so here goes: I’m 67 years old, I’m on my second cardiac pacemaker, I’ve got prostate cancer, so I certainly fall solidly into that High Risk Group we keep hearing so much about, but I happen to not be overly afraid of coronavirus. I’m certainly not going to be stupid: I’ve been washing my hands incessantly; I put my routine 6-month cardiologist appointment back to May because I’m always by far the healthiest person in that particular waiting room; and I’m staying out of crowds. But largely my attitude towards Covid-19 is framed by old blues songs, i.e.: “For (choose one, or two, if you’re feeling extravagant) cheap whiskey/cocaine/evil women/young girls/32.20’s, I’ve got a bad yen / The doctor says it’s gonna kill me, but he won’t say when.”

To put it another way, with historical perspective: The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. (And no, I wasn’t around to hear that FDR speech first-hand in 1933. I’m old enough to have seen The Doors and Jimi Hendrix live, but not FDR.) I’m willing to be mindful of Covid-19, but refuse to be afraid of it. I’d rather live one day on my feet than 20 years on my knees. What, you thought you were gonna live forever? Apropos of that, during this Public Health Crisis, try to spread a little good feeling (and cash) around: if you do go out to eat, tip your carry-out person BIG; pay for the order of the person behind you in line; stop in at Colin’s Coffee - or any other small business you frequent - and get coffee & a sandwich to go, etc. (blogger’s note: I have absolutely NO fiduciary interest in Colin’s Coffee, just to eliminate any considerations of bias, profiteering and/or conflict of interest.)

In a larger sense, try to do something nice for the people around you: if there are older people in your community see if you can go to the store for them; find a creative way to take some of the pressure off parents whose kids aren’t able to attend school during the pandemic (for that matter, try to avoid using the word “pandemic” like I just did); if you know of a millennial who actually enjoys the “music” of Imagine Dragons, send them downloads of The MC5, Mott The Hoople and The Dictators to try to bring them to their senses and to inject some class into their lives and their rock & roll.

In closing, let me say this so there’s no questions/accusations of irony later owing to my smart-ass attitude: I fully expect to contract Covid-19 at some point. I also fully expect to survive it and become a better person in the process. Just like Bonnie Franklin and Valerie Bertinelli I’m gonna take this one day at a time. There’s chocolate AND lemon Hostess cupcakes in the pantry; I’m stocked up on peanut butter, Lay’s potato chips, skim milk and Mountain Dew, so all is right with the world. In a few minutes I’m gonna go rev up Ian Hunter’s live album “Welcome To The Club” on the CD player and the Covid-19 virus can go hang. - Ricki C. / 3/19/2020.

And since you’re probably staying home this Saturday night, here’s some medical videos to help pass the time:

(credit where credit is due department: I got the idea for these videos from my friend Rob Husted in a Covid-19 e-mail exchange)

First up, Humble Pie with the 7-inch single edit of this tune, because 3-minute songs are ALWAYS better than 9-minute songs.

(note, full version of this song posted below, guitar solos by later soft-rock wimp Peter Frampton when he was still a ROCKER!)

One more from Humble Pie…..(why were these guys always so feverish but simultaneously felt it necessary to spurn doctors?)..…

Great Who tune when they were still a power-pop band, b-side of “Pictures Of Lily.” I’ve loved this song since I was 15 years old…

Absolute BEST media advice I have gotten about Covid-19; wash your hands for 20 seconds, the amount of time it takes to sing the chorus of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.” Here’s the original, followed by one of my favorite cover versions of any song ever…..

(BTW, my three favorite country songs of all time are this one, “The Race Is On” by George Jones & Johnny Cash’s “Ring Of Fire”)

As his guitar tech I would never hand Colin a guitar as out-of-tune as Jack White’s is here, but he’s STILL great…….

As promised above, the full 9-minute version of “I Don’t Need No Doctor” for the musical masochists amongst us…..

ps. The psychic as well as physical toll the coronavirus crisis has wrought on all of us was brought home to me while I was shaving this morning. I had that New Albany classic rock radio station 101.7 tuned in on my bathroom boombox radio rather than my usual 102.5, because I knew Brian Phillips wouldn’t be entertaining me on the weekend. (Sometimes these days the Trending Topics segment of his Morning Show is the only time I laugh out loud in any given 24-hour period.) Anyway, the first song on 101.7 was Bob Seger’s “Night Moves.” I made it through that, but then we went from the Classic Rock Frying Pan Into The Fire when Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” was the next tune played AND I DIDN’T TURN THE RADIO OFF! It was in that moment I realized the emotional damage Covid-19 has dealt to me these last couple of weeks: anytime I don’t turn off the radio when Bob Seger segues into ANY Led Zep song that isn’t “Good Times Bad Times” or “Communication Breakdown” indicates severe mental distress. My lovely wife Debbie talked me down from going to the emergency room, but I’m calling my doctor Monday morning. - Ricki C. / 3/21/2020.

TV Party Tonight! Returns to Make Your Life Better. Or at Least Help You Kill Time. - by Colin Gawel

Let’s be honest. There really isn’t much going on this time of year. Sure, the sports talk shows will keep saying “Lots to get into today” but unless you are into the Australian Open or mind-numbing Super Bowl hype, that’s not exactly true. Down at Colin’s Coffee I could ask a hundred people “What you got going on this weekend?” and almost everyone would say “nuthin.”

So what to do to ease the boredom? We have a solution. Find a comfy chair, crack a cold one and take a deep dive down the YouTube rabbit hole. TV Party Tonight! is our yearly winter series where we share our rabbit holes with the Pencilstorm community. At the very least it’s a good way to kick-start your own deep dive. TV Party Tonight! is posted every Saturday night until Spring arrives.

To find old episodes just google the words: TV Party Tonight! Pencilstorm

My personal favorite is Andy Kaufman vs Jerry Lawler.

Or hit this link below to get started. Lots of great stuff. See you down the rabbit hole. - Colin G.

Click here for a recap of TV Party Tonight! Season One Episodes 1 -10.

Pencilstorm Interviews: Nicholas Fortkamp for School Board

There are four candidates running for three seats on Upper Arlington City School Board. Pencilstorm asked each of the candidates five specific questions centered around issues that impacted Upper Arlington residents and questions that were being raised by fellow voters. Pencilstorm will be posting their complete and unedited answers individually leading up to the election and reposting all their answers together the last week of October. Answers will be posted in order they're received. Our final candidate, Nicolas Fortkamp, is featured below.

Nicolas Fortkamp
https://fortkampforua.com/

In 2018, the school conducted a safety audit and implemented the recommendations.  Safety continues to be a top priority in our district. What additional measures would you advocate to keep our students and staff safer?
Student and staff safety in our schools is an undisputed priority.  I will advocate ongoing conversations among students, staff, administration, and board members, to continually seek the most innovative, effective safety methods available, including appropriate building features, safety techniques, and policies.     

I will advocate for growing a stronger culture of safety within our schools.  To accomplish this, we must increase dialogue to deepen the trust among students, staff members, and families.  We need to talk about safety awareness and procedures openly, making it a part of student life without overwhelming the students and staff.  By encouraging a safe, trusting culture within our school system, students and educators will be free to focus on positive educational experiences.

What technology projects would you propose as a school board member to better prepare our students for the challenges of the near future?
One of the greatest challenges facing our world today is sustainability.  To better prepare our students, I would propose focusing on technology projects related to environmental and economic sustainability.  Business and industry, including academic institutions, are investing time and resources in the sustainability sector.  Our students need to be equipped with knowledge and experience in sustainable technologies to succeed in whatever paths they choose, as it will ultimately impact their lives, both personally and professionally.

Careers utilizing these technologies, including renewable energy sectors such as wind, hydro, geothermal and solar, and the environmental sciences, will require students with a strong foundation in these areas.  The challenges of the future will need to be analyzed and solved though new technology and perspectives; our students will create a better future by being better prepared.

Between higher property taxes and the cost of students participating in various school activities, the expense of having a student in the school system seems to be ever increasing and can be challenging for some in our community.  What are some ways to lower the cost of our children taking advantage of various activities Upper Arlington schools have to offer?
As a board of education member, I will initiate conversations among school associations, programs, and clubs to enlist their help in finding ways to lower costs for student participation.  By providing discreet financial assistance to students in need, utilizing payment schedules instead of an upfront lump sum, and tapping other organizations for financial assistance, we can help more students take advantage of more activities. 

Finally, from a city and community perspective, a community center could be a catalyst for increased and affordable student activities and programs.  This initiative is still in an exploratory phase, we must utilize spaces currently available in Upper Arlington, perhaps partnering with the city, local businesses and community organizations, to locate affordable, appropriate space for additional student activities. 

What’s the one thing our teachers need to help them be better educators?
I believe teachers would benefit most by having a consistent system relaying an extensive, individual profile for each student, year to year, passed on from one teacher to the next.  I would like to see teachers enter their classroom each year, with a comprehensive understanding and academic history of each child.  If this is done correctly, teachers will be provided the best information to reach and teach each student.  Our teachers are excellent and deserve all the support and financial resources we can afford. 

Everyone at Pencilstorm is a musician. To that end, what would you do to support the arts and music education at all Upper Arlington’s schools?
I believe the arts and music are essential at all stages of learning.  I am a fervent supporter of the arts and music education in our schools and I understand the power they have to enhance all aspects of a child’s education.  I will advocate for integrating music and the arts into nonrelated classes, as a tool to expand the educational experience.  I will support more live performances and hands-on experiences for students, as well as performance partnerships among different age groups, to give a broader, deeper understanding of the arts.  Finally, utilizing our community as a resource, and the high school program, UA IDEA Day, we can share with our students the music and arts from the globally diverse cultures represented in Upper Arlington.         

Pencilstorm would like to thank Nicolas Fortkamp for taking the time to answer our questions.  Learn more about Nicolas at his website: https://fortkampforua.com/. Pencilstorm is an independent news source and does not endorse any individual candidate.

Local UA Politics coverage provided by Wal Ozello. You can email him at Pencilstormstory@gmail.com or try to catch him at Colin's Coffee. 

Check out coverage of all the candidates we've received responses from by clicking here.

Pencilstorm Interviews: Jenny McKenna for School Board

There are four candidates running for three seats on Upper Arlington City School Board. Pencilstorm asked each of the candidates five specific questions centered around issues that impacted Upper Arlington residents and questions that were being raised by fellow voters. Pencilstorm will be posting their complete and unedited answers individually leading up to the election and reposting all their answers together the last week of October. Answers will be posted in order they're received. Our third candidate, Jenny McKenna, is featured below.

Jenny McKenna
http://www.jennyforua.com/

In 2018, the school conducted a safety audit and implemented the recommendations.  Safety continues to be a top priority in our district. What additional measures would you advocate for to keep our students and staff safer?
In speaking with many parents around the district, I know first hand that safety remains a top priority. As a member of the Upper Arlington School Board, I look forward to ensuring that the safety audit recommendations are implemented in a timely manner. The upgraded visitor log system that has been put in place at our schools this year is a huge step in the right direction, especially given the construction traffic that will be happening at most of our school sites the next several years. I recently had a discussion with Chris Potts, chief operating officer, where we discussed this vey topic. He agrees that as we look to the future, the expert consensus is the most important thing the district can do to keep our kids safe is to invest in their social and emotional well being. This includes ensuring that our faculty and staff are taking care of themselves so they are equipped to take care of our students. It also includes being mindful of the emotional toll of lockdown drills and heightened security have on our kids while also making sure our kids are prepared to be safe in case of emergency. These topics are not simple to solve and as a parent, who is interacting with teachers and other parents in elementary, middle and high school on a weekly basis, I look forward to working with our community to maintain our standards of excellence when it comes to the safety and well-being of our kids. 

What technology projects would you propose as a school board member to better prepare our students for the challenges of the near future?
With the district’s implementation of the “one-to-one” technology initiative, we’ve invested a great deal of resources into technology. I am thankful that we have excellent curriculum designers that are working hard everyday to find new ways to incorporate the use of these learning tools into our students’ everyday learning and lives. After speaking to many principles, I learned our teachers are finding innovative ways to use the iPads to teach our curriculum. I was recently speaking with friends of ours about this exact topic. Not only do the have two children in elementary school but the father, Mike Hofherr, also happens to be Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Ohio State. He was sharing with me that one of the biggest challenges with technology is ensuring that our teachers know how and when to use it appropriately. Teacher training is key to integrate that technology into their curriculum.  Experts estimate 80% of the jobs in 2030 don’t exist today - so we need to teach the kids these skills that will prepare them for a technology driven economy. I want to work with the district to make sure we invest in professional development for our staff so they are up to date on the best way to use technology to engage our students. Finally, as a parent of children in multiple schools around the district, I want to make sure whenever new things are rolled out our communication to parents occurs early and often.  As a member of the Upper Arlington School Board, I’d like to bridge that divide and serve as the voice for parents.

Between higher property taxes and the cost of students participating in various school activities, the expense of having a student in the school system seems to be ever increasing and can be challenging for some in our community.  What are some ways to lower the cost of our children taking advantage of various activities Upper Arlington schools have to offer?
Unfortunately, this is a problem that is not unique to Upper Arlington and growing up in a family of seven children, I can appreciate how these costs can quickly add up and parents feel like they are being stretched way too thin. I am a firm believer in “all means all.” ALL children should be afforded the opportunity to participate in sports and extracurriculars if they so desire.

 We are fortunate to live in a community with robust and active PTOs and a well supported education foundation. As President of the PTO, I saw first-hand how many community members are willing to donate their time and money to help make sure All means All. We organize fundraising events annually to help supplement important educational and extracurricular activities. My husband and I are also annual contributors to the Upper Arlington Education Foundation and we have worked closely with other parents over the years to educate our community on the value and benefits of giving charitably to our schools.  As a voice for parents, I look forward to continue to work with our PTO leadership and the education foundation to find creative solutions ensuring school activities remain affordable for all of our students.

What’s the one thing our teachers need to help them be better educators?
Our teachers are amazing educators, and that’s one of the many reasons our district is so great. Personally, I think one of the best things we can do is let our teachers teach. Our kids are tested too much. I’d love to see less time devoted to testing and testing prep and more time devoted to allowing our teachers to prepare our students for the future. I’ve spoken with dozens of other parents first-hand who feel the same way. I also believe that we need to maintain the district’s level of investment in professional development. Whether it’s learning how to better leverage technology in the classroom or supporting the social and emotional needs of our students, our teachers are one of our most valuable assets and need to be supported.  Teachers in the elementary, middle and high school classrooms are trying new and innovative ways of teaching the content while taking the emotional stress of constant testing out of the classroom. As a parent with kids who will be in elementary, middle and high school over the next four years, I look forward to collaborating with parents and teachers at all levels to continue to innovate our approach to education in a way that best benefits our kids. 

Everyone at Pencilstorm is a musician. To that end, what would you do to support arts and music education at all of Upper Arlington’s schools?
I am so thankful to live in a school district that strongly supports music & arts programming. We currently have amazing and diverse offerings for students all over the district. There are strings and band programs in every one of our elementary schools. We have after school enrichment programs that include everything from ceramics to ukulele to Taiko drums. Our middle schools and high school have robust performing arts programs. As a member of the Upper Arlington School Board, I look forward to strongly supporting these offerings and maintaining our current levels of investment.

Pencilstorm would like to thank Jenny McKenna for taking the time to answer our questions.  Learn more about Jenny at her website: http://www.jennyforua.com/. Look for responses from future candidates in the coming days. Pencilstorm is an independent news source and does not endorse any individual candidate.

Local UA Politics coverage provided by Wal Ozello. You can email him at Pencilstormstory@gmail.com or try to catch him at Colin's Coffee. 

Check out coverage of all the candidates we've received responses from by clicking here.

Pencilstorm Interviews: Lori Trent for School Board

There are four candidates running for three seats on Upper Arlington City School Board. Pencilstorm asked each of the candidates five specific questions centered around issues that impacted Upper Arlington residents and questions that were being raised by fellow voters. Pencilstorm will be posting their complete and unedited answers individually leading up to the election and reposting all their answers together the last week of October. Answers will be posted in order they're received. Our second candidate, Lori Trent, is featured below.

Lori O. Trent
https://www.trent4kids.com/

In 2018, the school conducted a safety audit and implemented the recommendations. Safety continues to be a top priority in our district. What additional measures would you advocate for to keep our students and staff safer?
Student well-being which is a part of the recently adopted strategic plan is a huge component. We need to work on building a community where every student (and staff member) feels like they belong. This happens by building bridges, not barriers, embracing differences not judging. Everyone has something to contribute in our community and we need to recognize everyone for their individual talents and gifts. Every student needs to feel valued, loved, and safe. We need to teach our students about school-life balance and create a system where this is possible. We need to have a community where students have trusted adults that they can interact with daily but especially with during times of high stress and emotional challenge. We need to better identify those students who need assistance and act accordingly. Everyone (including students, staff, administrators and parents) is responsible to ensure that we have safe schools by paying attention to and extending a helping hand to those who need it. Here are a couple of recent articles on school safety that are worth noting.

USA Today: The lax disciplinary policies that caused Parkland massacre may have spread to your school
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2019/09/09/parkland-school-shooting-discipline-andrew-pollack-column/2221300001/ 

Forbes: Why Schools Should End Active Shooter Drills Immediately
https://www.forbes.com/sites/evangerstmann/2019/09/07/why-schools-should-end-active-shooter-drills-immediately/  

What technology projects would you propose as a school board member to better prepare our students for the challenges of the near future?
We live in a digital world that is ever changing and constantly evolving. Technology is a tool that should be used to augment our learning and not replace it. With the rapid pace of our world, I hesitate to identify specific projects as they are only valid for 3-5 years and who knows what new innovations are around the corner.

However, I do think that each of our students should understand programming and coding and be able to work with and understand big data. This is a critical skill that must be developed in our students regardless of what industry they enter. That means being digitally literate with multiple applications by being able to find, evaluate and compose clear writing and communications through various digital platforms.

Equally important is developing these skills for teachers and administrators through professional development. Creating an opportunity for teachers and students to learn together and support one another in this process is desirable as it builds community. Creating a culture that adults and students work side-by-side helps them both acquire life skills and support a growth mindset and can instill a love for life-long learning.

How schools keep up with the technological age
https://academytoday.co.uk/Article/how-schools-keep-up-with-the-technological-age

Between higher property taxes and the cost of students participating in various school activities, the expense of having a student in the school system seems to be ever increasing and can be challenging for some in our community.  What are some ways to lower the cost of our children taking advantage of various activities Upper Arlington schools have to offer?
With the wealth of opportunities and programs that our district offers to students, from academics, extra curriculars and sports, there are costs are associated with each of those offerings. As with all businesses, one of the easiest ways to lower costs is to decrease spending and thereby decrease offerings. Knowing our community, I suspect this approach would receive mixed support and not be desirable or welcomed. 

Rather, I would propose focusing on building business/industry partnerships and seeking out grants and local, state and national funding sources. If we truly believe that it is our collective responsibility to nurture and develop our students, let’s create a funding mechanism that is mutually beneficial to all students and our community.  

Collectively pulling together as a community, we could also pool resources to help those in our community gain access to the means to make sure their students can participate in those activities. Recently initiated, there is currently a Student Life Review committee lead by Dr. Dan Ross comprised of community members and parents that is looking at school sponsored clubs, student clubs, boosters, etc. and their funding mechanisms.   

3 REASONS WHY BUSINESSES SHOULD PARTNER WITH SCHOOLS
https://edlanta.org/2017/11/3-reasons-businesses-partner-schools/

What’s the one thing our teachers need to help them be better educators?
With all of the demands placed on teachers such as testing, curriculum, individualized learning plans, state standards, etc. I think teachers need some time and space to think about learning and their students. Why did they decide to join the teaching profession? Has it changed from how they were taught? Is the world a different place than it was even a few years ago, let alone a decade or two? The most important question is how do I best provide my students with what they need to be successful in the future. It is estimated that 65% of kindergarteners today will have a job/career that does not exist today. So how can we best prepare those students? We need to instill a growth mind-set teaching problem solving skills, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking – all with a community focus. In Upper Arlington, we are very privileged to have such a wealth of teaching experience and we need to pair that experience with the needs of our current and future student population. I believe our teachers are ready and willing to help create an eco-system that encourages these human skills and better create work-life balance for our students by teachers modeling that behavior.

6 Simple Ways to Become a Better Teacher
https://www.gettingsmart.com/2017/04/6-simple-ways-to-become-a-better-teacher-for-your-students/

Everyone at Pencilstorm is a musician. To that end, what would you do to support arts and music education at all of Upper Arlington’s schools?
Being an art teacher, this is an easy one for me. The arts are everywhere and should be integrated into everything we do – whether visual or performing. They give us life, laughter, appreciation, balance, peace and connectivity. The arts teach us many of the desired future-ready skills mentioned above like problem solving, creativity, collaboration, critical thinking as well as individuality. The arts teach us diversity, equity and inclusion. I believe the arts are the threads that create our tapestry of life. Everyone is an artist in one way or another. Unfortunately, many of our school experiences lead us to feel inadequate as our definition of art is far too narrow. 

I would encourage us to celebrate the arts as part of our regular school experience. Give students ways to express themselves in all of their classes. Let’s bring art and music into the classrooms and allow students to celebrate their own special gifts not just within a specific group such as band, choir, or art club, but fully integrated their talents as an integral part of school.  

Arts Integration in School: 10 Reasons Why It’s Important
https://www.senecaacademy.org/10-reasons-why-integrating-art-is-important-in-school/

Pencilstorm would like to thank Lori Trent for taking the time to answer our questions.  Learn more about Lori at her website: https://www.trent4kids.com/. Look for responses from future candidates in the coming days. Pencilstorm is an independent news source and does not endorse any individual candidate.

Local UA Politics coverage provided by Wal Ozello. You can email him at Pencilstormstory@gmail.com or try to catch him at Colin's Coffee. 

Check out coverage of all the candidates we've received responses from by clicking here.