• Exam Week! - Dec. 16 - 19
  • Board of Education Meeting - Dec. 18 @ 7 pm
  • End of Quarter 2 - Dec 19
  • NO SCHOOL - Teacher Records Day - Dec. 20
  • Aves Theatre Alumni Gala - Dec. 20
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
Claire Lefton

Claire Lefton , A&E Chief

My name is Claire Singer Lefton and chances are you know one of my many relatives and/or siblings. One of my ultimate career goals is being on “Saturday Night Live”. In addition to comedy, I love film and film criticism; it’s like a mental exercise. I have no specific musical taste in particular, though I have a soft spot for 90s alternative rock. If you ever want a [strong] opinion on anything movies, come and ask me- I live for giving my opinion. In addition to being on the leaf I am an actor and a technician for Aves Theater, a fourth-year Aves Improv member, and the co-president of Sycamore’s Gay Straight Trans Alliance.

 

All content by Claire Lefton
Captain America’s team runs to face off against Iron Man’s team in “Captain America: Civil War.” The film’s action centerpiece manages to show off the abilities of each individual hero without confusing and overwhelming the audience. The battle spans everything from hand-to-hand combat to magic energy manipulation.

Marvel beats DC at its own game

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
May 12, 2016
A homeless woman seeks refuge from the sun in San Juan. Accoring to the most recent census, 46.2% of Puerto Ricans live under the poverty line. For comparison, on the American mainland, only 14.8% live under the poverty line.

Puerto Rico’s economy plummets

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
April 29, 2016
Supporters for Senator Bernie Sanders swarm the candidate at a rally. Sanders has become more of a rock-star as the campaign has gained speed. Unfortunately, this leaves many to pay more attention to the idea of him than what his politics.

Are ‘Bernie-bros’ bad for democracy?

The danger in deifying candidates
Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
April 21, 2016
Makeup artists prepare actors for a haunted house. The appeal of haunted houses may be the jump scares and shock value, but horror films need more than that to exceed. Story elements, structure, and cinematography are just as, if not more important.

Silent scares could save horror

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
April 14, 2016
A group of protestors fill the streets in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Controversial House Bill 2 handicaps the whole state’s ability to pass non-discriminatory ordinances in addition to preventing transgendered individuals from using facilities based on the gender they identify with. Companies such as PayPal are backing out of business with the state as they do not want to be associated with the law.

States regress with discriminatory legislation

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
April 7, 2016
Batman (Ben Affleck) faces off against Superman (Henry Cavill). While the motivation for Batman’s hatred of Superman makes sense and is expertly explained in the beginning, Superman’s motivation makes no sense. This confusion is one of the movie’s biggest problems.

‘Batman v Superman’ v coherency

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
March 31, 2016
A New Yorker jogs on the structurally deficient Brooklyn Bridge. The danger of busy urban bridges under misrepair is the greater potential for lost life should people be on the bridge if it collapses. The Brooklyn Bridge is not the only New York City bridge to be unsound; the Tappan Zee is a large concern as the Manhattan Construction Attorney believes that it could collapse at any moment.

Every bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
March 17, 2016
Marco Rubio attacks Donald Trump at the March 3 Republican Debate in Detroit. Rubio and Trump were at each other’s throats the entire time with Trump calling Rubio demeaning names like “Little Marco.” The behavior at this debate has been considered worse than at any that came before.

Daycare or presidential debate?

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
March 11, 2016
Science Fair

Science Fair

Emily Chien, Claire Lefton, Calli Osborne, Nathan Zhang, and Harsimran Makkad
March 4, 2016
This is the first thing you see when you walk in the doors of Envision. The light fixtures and sign above the box office as well as a kinetic wall sculpture immediately indicate that this theater goes a step beyond the norm. Their passion for the movie-going experience is also shown in the many minimalistic classic film posters around the theater.

Re-Envision your movie experience

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
March 3, 2016
Deadpool enacts his revenge on the man who wronged him. The violence in this film as opposed to other superhero films like “Man of Steel” can show more blood and carnage thanks to its R-Rating. This allows for more exhilarating and realistic action.

‘Deadpool’ demolishes box office

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
February 25, 2016
The late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia speaks to the State Bar of Texas. Part of what is making people fight over his replacement is that he was one of the most conservative Justices on the bench. If the Democrats can get thier preferred candidate in, the Supreme Court would be more moderate, lessening conservative influence.

Game of Robes

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
February 18, 2016
Box Office Mojo displays the top ten highest grossing films of 2015. With the exception of “Inside Out”, the top earners were all sequels, reboots, and/or adaptations. While they could be good movies, the pattern reveals a lull in film originality.

Audiences stuck in comfort zone

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
February 12, 2016
Senior Mitch Singstock in Aves Theatre's "Noises Off". Singstock as well as the other actors have to utilize their comedic abilities in this production. They have to do slapstick, wordplay, accents, and other things that make this show harder than other plays they may have done in the past.

Theatre builds a house to bring down the house

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
February 5, 2016
Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards speaks at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. In Sept. 2015, Richards was subject to a Congressional hearing that questioned her and her organization. The videos made by the Center for Medical Progress were a primary reason for calling the meeting.

Planned Parenthood triumphant in Texas

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
February 4, 2016
Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Mississippi. Trump recently tweeted, “I refuse to call Megyn Kelly a bimbo, because that would not be politically correct. Instead I will only call her a lightweight reporter!” Him and many other conservatives are fighting to end the so-called “PC culture”.

To be politically correct

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
January 29, 2016
Actor John Krasinski and Academy president Cheryl Boone Issacs announce the nominees for Best Actor. It is hopeful that Leonardo DiCaprio might finally win an Oscar after his fifth nomination. Bryan Cranston’s nomination has been criticized as being merely adequate and an actor of color could have taken his place instead.

Oscars still ‘so white’

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
January 22, 2016
David Bowie performs in a 2002 concert. The theatrical Bowie did not only make music, but films as well. some of his better known movies are “Labyrinth”, “The Man Who Fell to Earth”, and “The Prestige”.

Saying goodbye to the Starman

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
January 14, 2016
Cruz meets with members of the media by the Los Angeles airport. Cruz is enticing the media due to his conflict not only with Democrats, but with fellow Republicans. The GOP finds Cruz unlikable and hard to work with.

Getting to know the candidates

Ted Cruz
Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
January 7, 2016
A woman places candles on the memorial for the victims of the San Bernadino shooting. since the attack at Columbine High School in 1999, there have been over 30 mass shootings in the US. Without research into gun violence, tragedies such as the one in San Bernadino cannot be effectively prevented.

A shot in the dark

NRA dangerously censors gun reforms
Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
December 10, 2015
Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones. Ritter is also well known for her roles in "Breaking Bad" and "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23". Her role as Jessica easily surpasses both in weight and emotion.

Lightning strikes twice for Marvel with ‘Jessica Jones’

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
December 3, 2015
Katniss and rebel forces invade the Capitol. Jennifer Lawrence’s performance as Katniss has always been stallar, but she gets to showcase a new range of emotions in Mockingjay- Part 2. Her face portrays the battle between strength and hopelessness constantly being fought in her head for the film’s duration.

‘Mockingjay’ ends ‘Hunger Games’ franchise with bang

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
December 1, 2015
Donald Trump speaks at EarthTalk calling climate change a hoax. Trump has stirred controversy, escpeicially the Latinx community. A Latinx group even protested outside of 30 Rock during Trump’s SNL episode.

Out of Trump’s pocket, it’s Saturday night!

Claire Lefton, a&e chief
November 12, 2015
Lady Gaga apperars as “The Countess” in “American Horror Story: Hotel”. The Countess is a glamorous vampire and hotel owner who has trysts with many lovers for nearly a century. She is at the center of everything that takes place in the hotel.

No vacancies at ‘American Horror Story: Hotel’

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
November 5, 2015
Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders perform at half-time. Cheerleaders are the lowest paid employees of the NFL. Mascots and concession workers both earn more than minimum wage.

Will cheer for spare change

The unlivable salary of NFL cheerleaders
Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
November 2, 2015
Matt Damon as NASA botanist Mark Watney walking alone on the surface of Mars. Most scenes Damon are in he filmed alone. He did not even meet some of the other main cast members during filming.

‘The Martian’ blasts off

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
October 27, 2015
Gay and former football player Michael Sam is talking to the media when he was signed to the Dallas Cowboys practice squad. He came out as the first gay player in 2014 before the April draft. He came out to his college team, the University of Missouri but they kept it a secret during the 2013 season.

Sports ‘coming out’ of starting gate

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
October 26, 2015
Jimmy Fallon host of “The Tonight Show” talks with Stephen Colbert host of “The Late Show” at the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. While talented, both male comedians have taken over shows for other male comedians (Jay Leno and David Letterman respectively). Other male comedians who have taken over for other male comedians include Trevor Noah, James Corden, and Seth Meyers.

No girls allowed

The late-night men’s club
Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
October 15, 2015
Medicines of a Chicago man with AIDS are laid out. No one medicine can help on its own, so a “drug cocktail” of different medications is taken. The expense of these medications can be drastic, especially for those with lower incomes.

Life-saving drug price increases exponentially

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
October 2, 2015
Davis (second from right) celebrates at the rally for her following release from jail. Hundreds of people attended in support for Davis’s actions against gay marraige. In addition, some political figures like Mike Huckabee appeared.

Disobedient County Clerk released from prison

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
September 22, 2015
Sanders speaks at a Los Angeles rally. His appeal to youth is driving more young people to attend rallies like this. This is important as young political participation has been on the decline.

Sanders slides ahead

Claire Lefton, A&E Chief
September 21, 2015
The world of “Tomorrowland” is explored. The city design is based on the park and retro-futuristic art. The city contains Easter eggs in the background such as Space Mountain.

‘Tomorrowland’ divides audiences

Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
May 28, 2015
Junior Andrew Cardenas fills out forms before donation. Donating blood requires extensive inspection and formality to prevent problems such as blood-borne illnesses. The pre-donation process also includes a blood screening.

We bleed green and gold

Annual blood drive
Claire Lefton, Staff writer
May 22, 2015
Avengers, Annihilate!

Avengers, Annihilate!

Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
May 21, 2015
Hollywood actress Sigourney Weaver at the 2012 White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Weaver is close friends with Durang and starred as Masha in the original Broadway cast. The character was likely written for her as Masha is an aging movie star still trying to be loved by youth.

Takeoff of Chekhov performed at Playhouse

Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
May 21, 2015
Princess Kate and Prince William bring out Princess Charlotte for the first time. Following the birth, public celebrations took place in the streets throughout England. The international community also took part in celebrating the birth of Charlotte.

International invasive coverage of imperial infant

Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
May 7, 2015
'All's Well That Ends Well' for Shakespeare performers

‘All’s Well That Ends Well’ for Shakespeare performers

Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
April 24, 2015
Edward Snowden meeting with activists in Moscow. Snowden is accused of treason and has thus been in temporary Russian asylum since 2013. Despite being in hiding, he has made several significant appearences in the last year including the Academy Award winning documentary made about him, “Citizenfour”.

Edward Snowden spotted on satirical news program

Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
April 9, 2015
The unveiling of Barbie’s 125th and 126th careers. The influence the dolls have on young girls can be life changing. This closeness with the “Hello Barbie” worries parents who do not want Mattel to hear their kids’ deepest thoughts.

Big Brother Barbie

Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
March 26, 2015
Dabo Swinney coaching during a Clemson game. Despite a multi-million dollar salary, he does not support benefits for his student athletes. Swinney’s attitude toward collegiate sports remaining “amateur” is not uncommon among coaches.

The poor behind the rich

the NCAA’s exploitation of college athletes
Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
March 24, 2015
Actor and director William H. Macy who plays alcoholic father Frank Gallagher. He has been awarded both a Prism and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his work on “Shameless”. Macy has been Golden Globe and Emmy nominated for his performance as well.

‘Shameless’-ly hiding in plain sight:

Why watch Showtime’s cult hit?
Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
March 12, 2015
The group from Isaac M. Wise Temple in front of the Capitol building. Participants toured D.C. landmarks as well as attending the conference. From left to right: Rabbi Rachel Maimin, junior Claire Lefton, Seven Hills junior Zoe Zelkind, junior Jordan Baker, Seven Hills junior Michael Heldman, Mason junior Lauren Kohn, junior Rebecca Kuhr, and Walnut Hills junior Adina Ballaban.

Cincinnati students seize social justice opportunity

Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
March 6, 2015
A swastika drawn on a Miami synagogue. This kind of vandalism is highly common, especially in the American south. Nazi symbology has found its way into religious centers, homes, and even schools.

Anti-Semitism goes global

Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
February 26, 2015
Spider-Man leaps across building tops in his titular video game. The hero is not only popular in movies, but in merchandise. Web-shooters and masks follow fans wherever they go.

Spider-Man catches Marvel in web

Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
February 12, 2015
Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle in ‘American Sniper’. While critics abhor Kyle, they have praised Cooper and claimed that this is one of his best performances. Both Cooper and the film were nominated for Academy Awards thus garnering the Academy even more criticism for nominating a film this controversial.

‘American Sniper’: patriotism or propaganda?

Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
January 29, 2015
Actor Chris Pine and Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs announce the nominees for the 87th annual Academy Awards. The ceremony will take place on Feb. 22 and be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. Often the ceremony itself is remembered more than the awards.

Film fans spit fire on Academy Awards

Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
January 27, 2015
Senior Ben Cohen as teacher Mr. Mellencamp looks on in disdain at his team’s score.

‘A Competition Piece’ (One Act)

Claire Lefton and Orion Schlosser
January 21, 2015
Kim Jong Un oversees the North Korean military while riding heavy artillery. The leader’s (and nation’s) rampant militarism was a point of ridicule in “The Interview”. In some releases, Sony blurred out military insignia on the characters’ costumes because they were deemed offensive to use satirically by the hackers.

Death by comedy: How pulling ‘The Interview’ impairs the film industry

Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
January 12, 2015
Red vs. Blue

Red vs. Blue

Atiya Dosani, Riley Kurtz, Claire Lefton, Neil Yejjey, and Kamaria Walton
December 17, 2014
A scene from “Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones”. The planet in this scene, Tatooine, has already made an appearance in the new film’s trailer. The amount of involvement for the droids R2-D2 and C3-P0 is still undetermined.

‘Star Wars’ stirs students

Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
December 12, 2014
The six titular heroes build battle armor and super-suits. Each suit gives the wearer a power like speed, flying, and fire breath. Robotics and science play a great deal in film which is breaking the curve of a more magic-focused Disney brand.

Disney’s ‘Big Hero 6’ flies high

Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
December 10, 2014
Program for the junior high’s production. The students were directed by choral instructor Mrs. Deborah Stein. The dark subject matter disturbed some, but the Junior High rarely shies away from it.

Junior High tackles teenage topics in ‘The Bully Plays’

Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
December 2, 2014
Promotional image for “Doctor Who” season finale, “Death in Heaven”. Featured in the picture are Peter Capaldi as The Doctor, Michelle Gomez as Missy/The Master, and Jenna Louise-Coleman as companion Clara Oswald. The graveyard in the background is the location of the episode’s final showdown.

‘Doctor Who’ dominates in season finale

Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
November 25, 2014
Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, and Peter Quill/Star Lord fly through battle in Marvel’s summer hit “Guardians of the Galaxy”. Some film critics have said if Marvel has managed to make the living tree (Groot) and talking raccoon (Rocket) from this film to be among 2014’s most beloved heroes, they can make films of more obscure characters successful. Along with film, Marvel also produces TV shows such as “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and the upcoming “Marvel’s Agent Carter”.

Marvel maps future films

Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
November 25, 2014
Hillary Clinton with Senator Kay Hagan following her speech at an early voter event in Charlotte. Such events promote voting while increasing visibility of female politicians. Clinton has spoken at many of these events on her national campaign circuit.

Female influence increases in Washington

Claire Lefton
November 10, 2014
Kurdish refugees flee their homes in Turkey due to an ISIS invasion. The radical Islamic State seeks to destroy those who do not conform to their ideals. Along with refugees, both Kurds and other people have been brutally beheaded.

Australian teen joins ISIS

Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
November 10, 2014
A rainbow flag engulfs a San Francisco street during a pride parade. California legalized same-sex marriage June 28, 2013 with the overturning of Proposition 8. California’s hearing inspired other states to follow suit.

Supreme court suspends same-sex marriage ban in five states

Claire Lefton, Staff Writer
October 16, 2014
The cast of "The Odyssey" gathers after school to read through the script. The large ensemble cast requires in-depth knowledge of every aspect of the play. Reading through the entire work allows for mutual understanding for all involved.

Ancient Greek adaptation offers experimental production

Claire Lefton, staff writer
October 1, 2014
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Claire Lefton