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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

Anisa Khatana: Editor in Chief

Anisa Khatana, Editor in Chief

Hello, and welcome to the only existing web address with my full name included in it. My chronic indecision has thus far killed all attempts to add value to that greeting. Onward.

I am a senior in my third year on staff; this year, I am very excited to be The Leaf’s Editor in Chief. As Editor, I oversee all of The Leaf’s platforms (print, web, broadcast, and social media), manage advertising, create resources and plans for our staff, pick up odd jobs, write, report, and design. I love being a part of The Leaf because it is the intersection of so many of the things I hold dear. It is a remarkable feeling to contribute to a group of students that independently produces and runs an entire publication. As a leader, I adore watching and supporting our staffers’ ambition and wild ideas. Thanks to the dedication of these incredible staffers along with the support of our advisor and other SHS educators, The Leaf has grown into a program that has the power and potential to be and do anything it chooses. On that sentimental note, the parts of myself that are neither indecisive nor editors have a multitude of interests and passions including, but not limited to, language (which is the short way of describing my gusto for writing and reading (books, novels, journalism, poetry, and other lovely combinations of words) and studying the English language and other global languages), the world (i.e. travel), dance and art of all forms, art history, music, produce, philosophy, and social and environmental justice. Now that I have effectively murdered the parenthesis, I would like to ascribe my love of dance to the 12 years of studio and competitive dance I have been so fortunate as to enjoy. Art makes me tick. Social justice in my life is manifested most markedly through political activism, menstrual activism, and constant self-education and advocacy. I serve as co-founder and co-president of Period Awareness, Access, and Dignity (PAAD) Club. Our club exists to expand access to menstrual products, combat period stigma, and address the related political and socioeconomic issues (follow us on Instagram and Twitter @shspaadclub—and follow @shsleaf too while you’re at it). Perhaps by the time you are reading this, I will have developed some practical notion of what I want to do with my life. Thank you very much for visiting this page.

All content by Anisa Khatana
FIC BREAK. A laptop open to fanfiction site Archive of Our Own, also known as “AO3,” which is the host to most prominent fic authors and my personal favorite place to read fanfiction. Many fic authors also link their work on other sites like Tumblr and Instagram, which allows fellow fans to share and discuss fics.

In defense of fanfiction

Anisa Khatana, Editor in Chief
January 27, 2020
A DIFFERENT SYSTEM. Officer junior Krishna Suresh writes code in Linux to demonstrate how to create and search directories, which are like folders.

Learning Linux

Anisa Khatana, Editor in Chief
November 8, 2019
Practical back-to-school study tips

Practical back-to-school study tips

Anisa Khatana, Editor in Chief
September 11, 2019
CLOTH AND OIL. The cleansing oil I use along with one of my muslin cloths. Oil-cleansing with a muslin cloth can also serve as a method of exfoliation, helping to keep skin smooth and clear of dead skin.

Why I wash my face with oil

Oil-cleansing method offers meditative, unexpected skincare option
Anisa Khatana, News Chief
March 29, 2019
FEELING GOOD. Legendary performer Nina Simone in 1969. During this period of her life, Simone worked with RCA Records, a stay that produced an expanse of work including covers of and nods to work by artists like the Beatles, the Bee Gees, Bob Dylan, and Leonard Cohen.

Nina Simone

Anisa Khatana, News Chief
March 28, 2019
LADY LOVELACE. The only known photograph of Ada Lovelace is this daguerreotype, believed to have been taken by Antoine Claudet in 1843. The daguerreotype was the first photographic process that found commercial success. Daguerreotypes were very expensive unique images printed on metal plates.

Ada Lovelace

Anisa Khatana, News Chief
March 12, 2019
WRITE ON. Sophomore Current World Issues (CWI) student Kyra McHugh works on her letter to Ohio Senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown. CWI teacher Mrs. Valerie Nimeskern recommended that students write at least two paragraphs in their letters, but some ventured so far as to write five.

F is for ‘fractivism’

Students take action on fracking
Anisa Khatana, News Chief
March 11, 2019
LICENSED. Driving home from an extracurricular activity one evening. Once the anxiety of the test itself has passed, it often takes months for teens to feel completely comfortable behind the wheel, especially after dark. Luckily for the suburbian teen, the Sycamore area is rife with short, easy drives to build up solo-driving skills.

Driving solo

Test-day advice from a newly-licensed driver
Anisa Khatana, News Chief
February 25, 2019
Bessie Coleman

Bessie Coleman

Anisa Khatana, News Chief
February 22, 2019
Thurgood Marshall

Thurgood Marshall

Anisa Khatana, News Chief
February 21, 2019
Riley Lauterbur, 11

Riley Lauterbur, 11

Anisa Khatana, News Chief
December 4, 2018
Eli Cohen, 11

Eli Cohen, 11

Anisa Khatana, News Chief
October 31, 2018
Caroline Skwara, 11

Caroline Skwara, 11

Anisa Khatana, News Chief
October 3, 2018
Exam study tips

Exam study tips

Anisa Khatana, Staff Writer
May 7, 2018
Sophia Taylor, 10

Sophia Taylor, 10

Anisa Khatana, Staff Writer
May 7, 2018
BE WHO YOU ARE. John Elder Robison attends an event for one of his books. Robison’s four novels are titled “Switched On,” “Raising Cubby,” “Be Different,” and “Look Me in the Eye.” Freshman English students may opt to read “Look Me in the Eye” for the memoir unit of their course. Published in 2007, the sometimes humorous, often meditative, and undeniably memorable memoir continues to be a favorite among SHS freshmen.

John Elder Robison

Anisa Khatana, Staff Writer
April 16, 2018
Sophia Muhleman, 9

Sophia Muhleman, 9

Anisa Khatana, Staff Writer
March 29, 2018
COLDER THAN ICE. On Fri., March 23, all chemistry classes experienced Liquid Nitrogen Day. Chemistry teachers Mr. Chad Husting and Mrs. Margaret Stone used liquid nitrogen donated by the Wright Brothers, Inc. gas company to demonstrate the interesting results of the chemical's varied properties. A student favorite was the demo where Stone soaked crackers in the liquid nitrogen and allowed students to eat them. When the students exhaled with the crackers in their mouths, nitrogen gas streamed out of their noses.

Chemists dabble in Nitrogen

Anisa Khatana, Staff Writer
March 23, 2018
Brandon Sichel, 9

Brandon Sichel, 9

Anisa Khatana, Staff Writer
March 12, 2018
PRIDE AND GRACE. Maria Tallchief receives a Dance Magazine award on April 28, 1961. During her lifetime, Tallchief received many accolades for her precise,  graceful, and highly musical dancing. “Above all, I wanted to be appreciated as a prima ballerina who happened to be a Native American, never as someone who was an American Indian ballerina,”  Tallchief once wrote.

Maria Tallchief

Anisa Khatana, Staff Writer
March 5, 2018
ANTICIPATION. Sophomores Anupama Narayana, Alice Lundgren, and Deeptangshu Chatterjee prepare for the first section of the TEAMS competition. The competition had three parts; the first was comprised of 80 multiple choice questions that asked primarily math-based questions about engineering scenarios. The sophomore team found themselves frustrated and unsure about many of the problems, and frazzled queries abounded as teammates consulted each other for assistance. “Why is it a trapezoid? It should be a square! I literally don’t ask for much in life,” said Chee Yin (Daniel) Leong, 10, team member, while attempting to answer one question. All photos courtesy of Anisa Khatana.

Engineering of teamwork

SHS students take on TEAMS competition at UC
Anisa Khatana, Staff Writer
March 1, 2018
Presidents' Day

Presidents’ Day

A day to celebrate all presidents, past, and present
Anisa Khatana, Staff Writer
February 19, 2018
Farhan Khan, 10

Farhan Khan, 10

Anisa Khatana, Staff Writer
February 7, 2018
POWER OF THE PEN. Audre Lorde, left, is pictured with fellow writers Meridel Lesueur and Adrienne Rich at a 1980 writing workshop in Austin, Texas. Lorde began writing poetry when she was 12 or 13 years old. Lorde attended Hunter College and Columbia University, after which she worked as a librarian for several years before publishing “First Cities.” She had two children with a man whom she married and later divorced. Lorde described herself as a “black, lesbian, mother, warrior poet.”

Audre Lorde

Anisa Khatana, Staff Writer
February 7, 2018
Science in Action

Science in Action

Anisa Khatana, Staff Writer
February 4, 2018
LISTEN UP. SHS students are required to take half a credit of health in order to graduate. The SHS class whose curriculum was described is the semester-long class titled “Health.” The SHS course planner describes it as “a study and application course that equips students to practice wise decision making skills.” Many veterans of Health remember scoffing at and/or ignoring some, much, or all of the teachings of the Sex Education unit.

The wrong conversation

Anisa Khatana, Staff Writer
January 31, 2018
STRETCH IT OUT. Outside on the track, sophomore Kaylee Combs, fifth from the left, warms up with her team before an after-school practice. Warm-ups and cool-downs include static and mobile stretching to ease muscles into and out of motion, helping prevent injuries like the shin issues Combs discussed.

Q&A: Combs awaits first meet

Anisa Khatana, Staff Writer
January 11, 2018
FIGHT ON. Senior Jodie Lawson races at the 2017 spring track GMCs. Not all of the track team qualifies to compete at GMCs, so this is an honor Lawson hopes to earn again.

Runners race back to work

Anisa Khatana, Staff Writer
December 7, 2017
True or false: homelessness, periods

True or false: homelessness, periods

What do you know about menstruating while experiencing homelessness?
Anisa Khatana, Staff Writer
December 7, 2017
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS. An “After the Curtain” program partially eclipses the view from the loge section of Procter & Gamble Hall. Wall and his cast raked in a nearly full house in Cincinnati, even offering a VIP experience that could be purchased in addition to tickets for the show.

Wall woos Cincinnati

Anisa Khatana, Staff Writer
November 15, 2017
CONNECT. Sophomore Shruthi Chidambaram displays her wire-and-bead bicycle-shaped earrings. The earrings were made by Afrika Pamoja, a fair trade project in Kenya where young women can earn a living by learning to make handicrafts. “They’re really fun and unique, and it feels really good knowing that you’re helping underprivileged people,” Chidambaram said. All photos courtesy of Anisa Khatana.

Jewelry with intention

What do everyday adornments mean to SHS?
Anisa Khatana, Staff Writer
October 26, 2017
INTRIGUE. Allison Linser, 10, pores over a summative handout distributed at the meeting. Those present viewed a video about homelessness and periods as a supplement to the co-presidents’ address. “I’m so happy to be getting to help the community and I hope a lot more people will join in [the club’s] efforts soon,” Linser said.

Homeless Care Club convenes

Anisa Khatana, Staff Writer
October 4, 2017
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Anisa Khatana