• No School - Spring Break - Mar.14 - Mar.18
  • No School - Spring Vacation Day - April 15
  • HS Theatre Spring Show - April 8-9
  • End of 3rd Quarter - Mar. 31
  • HS One Act Plays- April 13 at 7pm
  • No School - Prof. Development Day - April 25
The student voice of Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio

The Leaf

The student voice of Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio

The Leaf

The student voice of Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio

The Leaf

Jessica Lu

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director

Hello friend! After all of the writing, editing, filming, and so on in this class, I still have yet to figure out what to say about myself. But I guess I will start with my name and grade. I cannot mess that up, right? My name is Jessica Lu, and I’m a senior at this wonderful school. For the past two years, I have been a staff writer, and this year I am the Social Media Director. As part of my job, I run The Leaf’s Twitter and Instagram. (Insert shameless plug to follow both of our accounts.) In the quick-paced and ever-changing place known as the Internet, I love capitalizing on new trends and experimenting with different approaches to bolster our online presence. Last year, I’ve become fascinating with video-making. While written word offers its own unique way to tell someone’s story, adding visual and audio components make a story more compelling and more real. Hopefully, you will be seeing more videos from me this year! Outside of journalism, I am the co-event lead of the Relay For Life in the Montgomery Area. I have been involved with Relay since I was a freshman, and it’s been the most incredible experience. I hope that by getting our students and neighboring schools involved, we can raise money that can fund more research and patient-care services. I also tutor at Operation Give Back. The kids are so sweet, and they never fail to make me laugh. Just recently, one of the fifth graders told me she would never need to learn how to do mental math because her future self was obviously rich. And I competitively swim year-round. Practice is extremely challenging (especially when you have exercise-induced-asthma), but if you join swim team, you will meet the most amazing and determined people. Swimming is always mistaken for an individual sport when the team spirit is the best out of any other sport I have played before. (Not to mention my entire swim lane has formed an asthma camaraderie.) And despite my teasing of my friend with vegan memes, I am the vice president of her club Colorful Eats. Colorful Eats is a vegan and allergy-friendly cooking club. While my friend likes to joke that all she eats is ice, the club has really opened my eyes to how many delicious vegan options there are that you can easily make. If you want to know some random facts about me: I love making people laugh. Taro bubble tea is my favorite drink. I believe memes are crucial to building friendships. I definitely think it’s possible that aliens are real. I always sing in the shower. And I love trying new food. So let me end with a part of my bio from last year: Are you ready to get funky? Because I am!

 

All content by Jessica Lu
Kyra Fales, 12

Kyra Fales, 12

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
April 12, 2019
Diversity Week Day One: Religious Diversity

Diversity Week Day One: Religious Diversity

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
March 24, 2019
Ellie Ekstedt, 12

Ellie Ekstedt, 12

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
March 13, 2019
DRESSED FOR SUCCESS. Every year, Bridal and Formal offers scholarship money to SHS student designers. Students enter a piece they made, and their work is judged before a group. This year, junior Asalya Samieva (pictured on the right) placed first for her dress (pictured on the left) and won scholarship money as well as a three-day fashion camp pass to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.

Samieva places first in fashion competition

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
February 26, 2019
COCA-COLA. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has provided more than $66 million to over 6,000 scholars in 2018. Currently, Kling is a regional finalist. Seniors Grant Bruner and Nicholas McDonough were also semifinalists; however, they did not move on.

Closer to $20,000: Kling moves on

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
February 19, 2019
Alejandro Bresolin, 12

Alejandro Bresolin, 12

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
January 29, 2019
SHOWDOWN AT LINCOLN MEMORIAL. Phillips watched Sandmann’s statement on NBC but felt that it lacked sincerity. I find myself that even though Im angry I still have that forgiveness in my heart for those students, Phillips said to NBC. Sandmann, as well as Phillips, have been receiving death threats from the outcome of this incident.

Covington Catholic incident creates uncertainty

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
January 28, 2019
NO TOLERANCE. Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Mitt Romney were outraged by King’s comments and supported his removal from committees. The action taken against King stands in contrast to the tolerance towards the president’s inflammatory statements. I’m glad that they are finally taking action after all of these years of Steve King slandering immigrants and Hispanics, but the president of the United States is also doing that and he just said something about Elizabeth Warren a few evenings ago that was also racially ugly and we haven’t heard a word of condemnation from anyone in the Republican Party about that,” said Texas representative Joaquin Castro to the Times.

Congressman punished for racist remarks

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
January 21, 2019
Relay For Life approaches fast

Relay For Life approaches fast

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
January 11, 2019
Emma Stemen, 11

Emma Stemen, 11

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
December 19, 2018
PAGEANT QUEEN. Actress Jennifer Aniston plays Willowdean’s mother Rosie. While I initially disliked the character because I thought her to be superficial, later events made me feel quite sympathetic to the character. Watch the movie to see what happens.

Review: Netflix’s ‘Dumplin’

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
December 15, 2018
HOLIDAY FUN. Secret Santa is among the top winter traditions at SHS. Classes, clubs, sports teams, friends, and family can all be found with their own version. Senior Teddy Weng is even participating in six different ones this month.

SHS students swap gifts

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
December 6, 2018
Favorite holiday foods poll

Favorite holiday foods poll

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
December 3, 2018
DEBATED STATES. The results for Florida and Georgia are contested as officials are recounting votes. However, it appears that Democrat Andrew Gillum lost to Republican Ron DeSantis in the race for governorship. Still, Gillum has not conceded.

Democrats win more than just House

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
November 18, 2018
Megan Long, 12

Megan Long, 12

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
November 14, 2018
BLUE WAVE. Democrats gained control of the House after the midterm elections. However, Ohio’s first and second Congressional districts voted for Republican representatives. In SHS’ mock election for the second district, Jill Schiller was favored over Brad Wenstrup.

SHS watches Pureval, Chabot race

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
November 9, 2018
Benjamin Lu, 9

Benjamin Lu, 9

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
November 7, 2018
Annette Lee, 12

Annette Lee, 12

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
October 17, 2018
Homecoming spirit week poll

Homecoming spirit week poll

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
October 11, 2018
Homecoming contest poll

Homecoming contest poll

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
October 6, 2018
JUSTICE. Many are applauding Bill Cosby’s guilty verdict. Some criticize the prison sentence for being too short. However, reactions to Cosby’s punishment have been mostly positive. This is a very important day. Judgment day has come, said Gloria Allred to CNN.

Cosby sentenced three to ten years

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
October 3, 2018

The Leaf Tries: Water polo

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
September 25, 2018
Takezo Kelly, 12

Takezo Kelly, 12

Jessica Lu, Social Media Director
September 17, 2018
ROYGBIV. The seven vibrant colors of a crosswalk stand out in cities all over the nation. The first one to appear came from West Hollywood, and the idea was pitched from LA artist Martin Duvander.  Since then, nearly 100 cities have followed suit. “It’s wonderful that Cincinnati has joined the list,” said Adam Kossen, 12.

Cincinnati celebrates LGBT pride

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
September 10, 2018
ONE-ON-ONE. A California student works out the details of her story idea with her group leader. Students were divided into groups based on their storytelling media, such as writing, broadcast, multimedia, and photo. The camps group mentors helped them through this process.

Journalists explore Detroit

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
August 22, 2018

SHS Pep Rally

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
April 29, 2018
DOCTOR. Horrigan does not have autism, but he does work with children who have ASD. As a psychiatrist, he helps treatment programs to address the child’s individual needs. Horrigan’s perspective is influenced by his background in developing and testing pediatric drugs with GlaxoSmithKline.

Dr. Joseph Horrigan

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
April 25, 2018
POKEMON CRAZE. Many people have been caught up in Pokemon throughout the years. Though people of today may be more familiar with Pokemon Go, the concept of Pokemon actually came to life in 1996. Since then, Tajiri’s game has become widely popular among individuals from all over the world.

Satoshi Tajiri

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
April 20, 2018
Luis Pereda, 11

Luis Pereda, 11

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
March 28, 2018

In their eyes

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
March 23, 2018

College is king

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
March 14, 2018
DANCE. Spanish students watch as Jeremy Mainous and Carrie Means perform their own salsa routine. Gathered in the Little Theatre, AP Spanish and CHS missed fifth bell and lunch in order to learn more about the dancing aspect of Hispanic cultures. Smiling and dancing, students had a great time learning. 

Spanish students learn to dance

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
March 7, 2018
STATE CELEBRATION. Spirits soar when in the company of your teammates. At the 2018 OHSAA swim meet, the SHS boys team swam spectacular races. They placed third in the entire state of Ohio, a new high since 1992.

SHS swims against state

Jessica Lu, Opinion Chief
March 2, 2018
Little fish, big pond

‘Little fish, big pond’

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
February 28, 2018
TESTING, TESTING. The junior class will be taking the ACT on Tues., Feb. 27 for free. To prepare students for the test, Aviator Bell teachers encouraged their students to complete practice problems. For the students who have not yet filled out the registration, juniors can go to the Counseling Center and ask to see Ms. Vollman.

Juniors tackle ACT

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
February 26, 2018
Annette Lee, 11

Annette Lee, 11

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
February 23, 2018
LIGHT THE CANDLES. At a certain hour, committee members will light the special Luminaria candles to honor those who are fighting or have passed away from cancer. During this time, relay participants will either walk in an hour of silence or sit next to a Luminaria that has a loved one’s name on it. Soft music will be played in the background as two speakers will read the names that are on the Luminarias.

Race for Relay

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
February 15, 2018
ITS A POOL RECORD. Sophomore Carson Foster poses for a picture right after one of his record-breaking swims. Foster recently transferred to SHS from St. Xavier High School. On the SHS swim team, Carson has broken pool records at every meet so far.

GMC Recap: Aquatic version

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
February 5, 2018
IT’S A GIRL. Assistant coach Stephen Langdon and his wife Carly open up presents gifted from the Varsity swimmers. The Langdons received a variety of gifts ranging from onesies to diapers. The party took place at 4:30 p.m. directly after swim practice in the team room.

Swimmers buy baby gifts

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
February 2, 2018
BUSINESS ONLY. Students participate in their first official DECA competition of the year. Individuals doing role plays only have 12 minutes to prepare for a ten minute presentation. First-time DECA members actually competed in a practice competition called Mini Spring in December.

SHS sweeps competition

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
January 26, 2018

More than just a stereotype

Jessica Lu, Opinion Chief
January 23, 2018
RACE PACE. Junior Ania Campbell prepares to swim the butterfly leg of the relay. At meets, Campbell often competes in two relays and two individuals, swims of either freestyle or butterfly. This year, she hopes to make districts for the 100 butterfly. Photo by Ania Campbell.

Swimmers meet ‘hell week’

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
January 12, 2018

What news does not tell you

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
January 1, 2018
AH-CHOO. Everywhere around SHS, students are coughing, sniffling, and sneezing. Sickness like influenza spreads more readily in cold weather. For the sake of education, staying healthy is a must. Photo by Jessica Lu.

Tips to stay healthy this season

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
December 5, 2017
GET READY. Coaches Daniel Carl and Stephen Langdon will choose 36 swimmers to train on Varsity; everyone else will be placed on JV. Although commonly mistaken as an easy sport, swimming actually makes excellent exercise. “Swimming let’s me escape from the stress of a typical school day. Just focusing on the bottom of the pool and how many laps I have swam really clears my mind,” said Ania Campbell, 11.

Swimmers dive into tryouts

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
November 3, 2017
LOOK AROUND YOU. One of the key indicators of students responding to the season changing is the difference in footwear. At SHS, many girls own a pair of Uggs and are starting to wear them.  Other telling pieces of clothing include heavier jackets, pants, gloves, fuzzy socks, and scarves.

Students warm up to colder days

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
October 31, 2017
Name that pop song!

Name that pop song!

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
October 20, 2017
ENOUGH. Chloe Bennet speaks out against criticism over her name change. Bennet believes that changing her name from Wang to Bennet helped her acting career. Despite media’s beliefs, she is proud of her Chinese heritage.

‘Hollywood is racist’

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
September 21, 2017
PASS IT UP. Takuto Hatase, 9, pass-sets a ball to the outside hitter. This season marks Hatase’s first year of playing volleyball. On the JV team, he plays all-around as the team’s setter.

Bump, set, spike!

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
May 18, 2017
Devin Johnson brushes his teeth as his girlfriend and caregiver, Tayler Miller, assists on January 11, 2013. Johnson recently learned to grip the toothbrush well enough to perform the task. (Autumn Payne/Sacramento Bee/MCT)

No stain, no gain

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
May 17, 2017

SHS chess team

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
May 12, 2017
PRICE TAG. iPhone sales are down, but the money generated is greater than last quarter. There is a multitude of factors that can explain the flat lining sales and the resulting increase in price. Some say that the already smartphone-heavy era diminishes the need for the newest phone while others say that rumors about the iPhone 8 could have lead to decreased sales.

Apple sells less for more

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
May 9, 2017
YIP YIP HOORAY. My brother greatly enjoys his food. The duck and the rice sit in the front, while the Lo Mein, beef, and the tofu are in the background. Diners have the choice of eating with chopsticks or with other utensils.

Restaurant review: Uncle Yip’s

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
April 27, 2017
OH SNAP. Snapchat introduces a new 3D filter into the app. Users can move  the provided images to different depths. The cutting-edge innovation may help set Snapchat apart from its competitors.

Snapchat introduces 3D filter

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
April 24, 2017
What kind of diet can you try?

What kind of diet can you try?

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
April 13, 2017

East side story

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
March 13, 2017
HEAD IN THE ZONE. Shanks concentrates when beginning his trek up the boulder. Staying focused is a big aspect of the sport. “Every move requires technique and full concentration,” Shanks said.

Riley rocks on

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
March 3, 2017
GET A GRIP! Sophomore Riley Shanks rock climbs at Red River Gorge in Kentucky. In addition to playing soccer year round, Shanks makes time to enjoy his hobby. “Rock climbing is a great way to stay fit and have a lot of fun; It’s my ultimate escape,” Shanks said.

Q&A with Riley Shanks

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
February 23, 2017
FIZZED OUT. France bans the sale of unlimited soft drink refills at a fixed price. Beverages with added sugars and sweeteners such as sports drinks will also be affected. The law is expected to impact restaurants that have soda fountains.

France bans unlimited soda refills

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
February 13, 2017
Ready, Set, Relay! SHS Meme Squad gathers together for a team photo before the opening ceremony. This year, students differents schools—such as SHS, UA, Moeller, and St. X—are allowed to be on the same team. Relay teams must have at least nine people on them.

Rallying for Relay

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
January 27, 2017
One of Nutella’s ingredients, palm oil, causes harm to the environment. Palm oil can be found in a variety of products such as shampoos, foods, makeup, and biodiesel. The oil’s cultivation leads to increased carbon levels and brings endangered species closer to extinction.

Say (No)tella for different reasons

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
January 20, 2017
Aria Oliver, 10,  practices her solo piece on her French Horn. She performed the first two movements of Mozart’s 3rd Horn Concerto. This is Oliver’s fourth time participating in Solo and Ensemble.

OMG about OMEA

Jessica Lu, Staff Writer
January 20, 2017
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