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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
Katie Mott

Katie Mott, Feature Editor and Lead Copy Editor

Hello! My name is Katie Mott, and this is my third and (sadly) final year on The Leaf staff as a senior. This year, I am elated to be the Feature Editor and the Lead Copy Editor, which means I oversee the stories, photos, and designs going into the Feature section of The Leaf. I also collaborate with all of the writers in my section to help them turn their fantastic ideas into incredible stories. Additionally, as the Lead Copy Editor, I oversee and direct all of the copy edits for the print issue, website, and social media content. I focus on catching all of the tiny grammatical errors within a story and work with writers to improve the flow and cohesion of their stories. As a sophomore, I decided to join journalism to explore my passion for writing further. Before joining the class, all I had written was a few fictional stories, poems, and an abundance of essays for English class—and I craved more. I no longer wanted to be confined by the parameters of the standard literary analysis essay and found that news writing would give me just the right amount of breadth and depth in writing style that I desired. What brought me back to journalism as a junior, and once again as a senior, was not only the myriad of knowledge I have gained during my past two years on staff but the stellar community of fellow journalists I have the pleasure of working with daily. Through every tight deadline, design issue, and AP style question, everyone on staff is always willing to help. Due to the dedication of The Leaf staff to our magazine, website, and social media publications, we tend to stay pretty busy throughout the school year. However, when I am not hard at work on a new story, I love to read and write to improve my craft. I mostly write poetry and fictional short stories, often inspired by my experiences or issues that I find most pressing in today’s world. I enjoy submitting my pieces to contests, and even if I do not come close to winning, I remain thankful for the opportunity to have others judge my work. Outside of reading and writing, my other passions include baking, spending time outdoors, participating in various activities at my church, and spending time with friends and family. And with that, I hope you enjoy all of the stories that The Leaf has to offer. Happy reading!

All content by Katie Mott
SHORTCHANGED. Pictured above is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of 16 top-ranked private universities involved in a lawsuit accusing them of reducing financial aid awarded to students through a price-fixing cartel. The suit claims that for almost two decades, the colleges have overcharged thousands of students who were eligible for financial aid—an estimated 170,000 students, to be exact. The other 15 alleged schools are Brown, the California Institute of Technology, the University of Chicago, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Emory, Georgetown, Northwestern, Notre Dame, the University of Pennsylvania, Rice, Vanderbilt, and Yale.

Operation Varsity Blues 2.0

New lawsuit brews questions about admissions practices at elite schools
Katie Mott, Feature Editor and Lead Copy Editor
January 13, 2022
Sophomore Kendra McPherson sporting an orange “I got my COVID-19 vaccine!” sticker after receiving her first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. “It is exciting to be on my way to being fully vaccinated! I am the youngest person in my family so lots of our summer plans revolved around when I would be fully vaccinated, so it is a relief to get my shot sooner than expected. As people continue to get vaccinated it will be nice to see a little bit of a return to normalcy,” McPherson said.

Another Step Forward

FDA authorizes Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 12 to 15-year-olds
Katie Mott, Lead Copy Editor and Feature Editor
May 13, 2021

Best of Spring Spirit Week

A round-up of our favorite looks
Katie Mott, A&E Editor
March 13, 2021
OFFICIALLY IN OFFICE. Today, President Joseph R. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn into office at the 59th Presidential Inauguration. From limited attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic to the first woman and woman of color to hold the office of the vice president, today’s inauguration will be remembered in more ways than one. To read more about some of the unique aspects of the day, keep reading!

Anything But Ordinary

Distinguishing the 59th Presidential Inauguration from years past
Katie Mott, A&E Editor
January 20, 2021
LIVE FROM YOUR LIVING ROOM. During the COVID-19 pandemic, live events have come to a halt, putting concerts, Broadway shows, and other productions on hold. Luckily, many artists and performers have found ways to hold performances virtually, such as former One Direction member Niall Horan, who held a live-streamed concert on Nov. 7 from Royal Albert Hall in London. Despite my skepticism of the idea of paying to watch a performance from my living room, I tuned into the live stream anyways, and I was blown away by how much I enjoyed it. From the stunning venue to Horan’s fantastic vocals, it was definitely a concert I will remember.

Concerts from your couch

My first experience with a virtual concert
Katie Mott, A&E Editor
November 9, 2020
HOMEWORK HOTLINE. Aves Reach, a student-run program focused on providing free, academic assistance to students launched its current focus, the Homework Hotline, at the end of August. The goal of the hotline is to provide on-demand explanations to questions submitted by students in real time. To submit a question, students should visit the website https://avesreach.wixsite.com/home. The hotline runs from 3-7 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and is open to all students in grades five through ten.

Homework help at your fingertips

Aves Reach debuts Homework Hotline to help all students amidst pandemic  
Katie Mott, A&E Editor
October 2, 2020
BOOKS VERSUS MOVIES. While there may never be a true winner to the everlasting battle between the craft of an author’s paper and pencil or the moving artistry of a director’s camera and editing, you can decide for yourself with these ten titles. Whether you are looking for teen romance or a gripping adventure, this list has you covered. And maybe, just maybe, you can determine if the novel or film comes out on top.

Book or movie?

Top ten books and their movies, so you can decide which reigns supreme
Katie Mott, Staff Writer
May 28, 2020
Cookies for kindness

Cookies for kindness

Sycamore community uses baking to give back
Katie Mott, staff writer
April 26, 2020
MAKING HISTORY. For the first time in 124 years, the Olympic Games will be postponed. In an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the IOC in coordination with the Prime Minister of Japan has decided to postpone the 2020 Olympic Games until 2021. While the postponement of the Games holds sorrow for many, the IOC and other Olympic leaders agree that the future Olympic Games should hold a symbol of hope, with the Olympic flame being “the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present.”

For the first time in history

The impact of the postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games
Katie Mott, Staff Writer
April 2, 2020
SPREADING. Pictured above is one of many COVID-19 particles making their way around the globe, as coronavirus now enters the U.S. For Cincinnati, this means considering altering plans for city-wide events, and for schools, including SHS, this means canceling trips. “...now I understand how they just want us to be safe,” said Sophie Carter, 10, regarding the cancelation of the AP European History trip.

Cincinnati vs. COVID-19

City prepares for potential outbreak
Katie Mott, Staff Writer
March 13, 2020
ZERO WASTE. By using old candy to create something new, the issues of still having Valentine’s Day candy several months later and wasting candy are things of the past. Next time you find yourself with an abundance of leftover candy, try these recipes on for size. From chocolate dipped pretzels, to candy-filled blondies, or a creative take on trail mix, everybody can find their perfect recipe. “What I like about these recipes is that one can eat the candy in innovative and exciting ways, instead of the same old, straight from the wrapper candy bar,” said Ellen McPherson, 10.

Candy upcycling

How to not waste your Valentine’s Day stash
Katie Mott, Staff Writer
March 9, 2020
EVERYBODY WINS. While only one lucky nominee from each of the five individual categories will walk away with a golden statue in hand, all of them will receive an extravagant gift bag filled to the brim with a diverse array of products. From a stay in a Spanish lighthouse, to amethyst bath bombs, these bags really do have it all. “If I had to pick one item to keep from the bag it would definitely be the cruise, but it all sounds amazing,” said Julia Mott, 10.

What’s in your bag?

Looking inside the Oscar awards gift bag
Katie Mott, Staff Writer
February 21, 2020
WARM AND COZY. Regardless of the temperature outside, our love for a cup of hot chocolate during the winter months refuses to falter, especially with the many variations available. Above, the green mug holds the Peanut Butter Cup Hot Chocolate, the red mug has the Chocolate Hazelnut Hot Chocolate, and the white mug houses the Hot Chocolate Ice Cream Float. “Hot chocolate is one of my favorite drinks during the winter months. It keeps you warm, tastes good, and you can just cozy up around the fire and relax with your friends and family with it,” said Amanda Renner, 10, avid hot chocolate enthusiast.

Creative Cocoa

Variations on a seasonal favorite to liven up the winter months
Katie Mott, Staff Writer
February 4, 2020
To Double or Not to Double

To Double or Not to Double

Katie Mott and Bhaavya Jha
January 15, 2020
WHERE DOES YOUR PHONE FIT? As technology continues to dominate all aspects of our lives, the question of whether cell phone usage has a place at the dinner table or not remains more prevalent than ever. However, seeing that using cellphones during a meal decreases social connectivity and enjoyment, it is time for our technology to find a new home. “There is no place at a place setting for your phone… Phones should be off,” said Daniel Post Senning, co-president of the Emily Post Institute, to the Washington Post.

Eating Your Feed—Literally

Why our closest tech friends do not belong at the dinner table
Katie Mott, Staff Writer
December 3, 2019
THINKING PINK. For the month of October, Silver Spring House, a local restaurant in Symmes Township, decked out in pink from head to toe in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. From the building itself to napkins, each part of the restaurant got its chance to shine in the pink spotlight.

Local business thinks pink for October

Katie Mott, Staff Writer
November 5, 2019
CULTURE GOALS. The new infographic near the entrance to the Hub displays the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, which will be used in part with the Leader in Me initiative to improve the culture of SHS. Each month will be dedicated to learning a specific habit in hopes of showing that all students can be leaders of school pride. “School pride is the biggest component that we want all to feel through learning the seven habits of highly effective people. When the student body is involved in events, it demonstrates a passion for Sycamore pride that is contagious,” said Dr. Yejide Mack, assistant principal.

Crafting culture at SHS

Katie Mott, Staff Writer
October 22, 2019
SWITZERLAND UNITES. After the loss of a glacier to climate change, 250 Swiss mourners climbed a mountainside to memorialize the “death” of the landform. The Swiss Association for Climate Protection intends to take action with a petition to reduce Switzerland’s greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050, but speculation has arisen wondering if these changes will come soon enough. “We are already experiencing the effects of the climate crisis… we don’t have until 2050 to make these changes,” said Caroline Skwara, 12.

Ideas for change stir after death of icy friend

Katie Mott, Staff Writer
October 15, 2019
MOTT WINS BIG. Freshman Katie Mott takes home first place in both the Short story and Poetry categories of the local Montgomery Woman’s Club contest. As just a freshman, she is already setting the bar high. “I’m not at all surprised that Katie won because she works super hard and is an amazing poet,” said Megan Radakovich, 9.

[Photo] Mott wins big at local writing competition

Deeya Prakash, Staff Writer
February 12, 2019
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