Liz Watson is the local Democrat candidate for Indiana’s ninth district. Watson is running for the House of Representatives against Republican Trey Hollingsworth.
According to her website, Watson is running for Congress to fight for working families in Indiana.
Here are her views on some of the issues she would face in Congress:
Women’s Rights: Watson’s website says she has been an advocate for women for 20 years, especially for working women with families. She has worked on improving the juvenile justice system to help with the needs of girls and young women with histories of sexual abuse. If elected, she plans to demand full funding for the Violence Against Women Act, as well as advocating for women to have economic security and control of their own healthcare.
Immigration: Watson says she believes in “a pathway to citizenship” for immigrants. She supports the DREAM Act, an act that protects immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. Watson say she doesn’t want to neglect border security; however, she believes the real job of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is to keep Americans safe, not to punish immigrants who are innocent.
Gun Laws: Watson says she respects the 2nd Amendment, but supports restrictions on assault weapons. Specifically, she wants to close loopholes that allow citizens to get their hands on guns more easily, such as the ability to conduct private sales of guns without a background checks. She opposes a bill that would require states to recognize concealed carry permits from other states. She wants more protection for the partners of domestic abusers, as federal law protects the spouses of the abusers but not the partners.
Health Care: Watson supports the Medicare for All Act of 2017 and plans to defend the Affordable Care Act and Planned Parenthood. She says Planned Parenthood provides good care for both genders and that it can be lifesaving. On her campaign website she stated: “That’s why I support Planned Parenthood. It’s why I will oppose any effort to defund it, which would take lifesaving healthcare away from women in our district and across America.” In addition, she wants to work with both parties to accomplish good healthcare.
Climate Change: According to Watson, “climate change is the greatest threat to future generations” and “there is no time to waste.” Watson supports a carbon tax on greenhouse gas emissions, which would help companies develop a clean energy future. Doing this would raise over a billion dollars to develop green technology and infrastructure. She believes this will create good paying clean energy jobs for Southern Indiana residents.
Trey Hollingsworth is the local Republican candidate for Indiana’s ninth district. Hollingsworth is running for re-election. He has represented Indiana in Congress since 2017.
According to his campaign website, Hollingsworth’s main goal is to see all Americans have the opportunity to succeed and direct the future of their families, which he believes should be free from government interference.
In addition, Hollingsworth has taken a stand on term limits. According to Hollingsworth, who has already served one two-year term in Congress, “Public service should not be a career path. I promise you that I will serve no more than eight years as your Representative.”
Here are his views on some of the issues facing Congress:
The Economy: Hollingsworth’s website says he has a “strong belief in the productivity of the American worker, the ingenuity of American companies, and the durability of the American economy.” As a result, it says, “Trey knows American manufacturing can compete anywhere in the world if only we get government out of the way.” He also notes, “I believe there is a big difference between people in the private sector earning a living and politicians living off our earnings. In my opinion, you shouldn’t ask for the right to spend our tax dollars until you have had to honestly earn them from outside government.”
Immigration: His views regarding immigration have never been directly stated, but according to his voting records he has voted no on bills that would ensure temporary legal status for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. DACA is an immigration policy that allows some people brought to the United States illegally as children to delay deportation and potentially become eligible for citizenship. He also approves the appropriations for a southern border wall to be built.
Gun Laws: Hollingsworth does not support gun control legislation. He is the author of the POLICE Act, which enables law enforcement officers to remain armed in public federal buildings with low-level security.
Women’s Rights: Hollingsworth’s views on women’s rights have never been directly stated, but when his wife was pregnant with their first child he made his views on abortion clear: “I am 100 percent pro-life, but now that my wife and I are expecting our first child, the sanctity of life means even more,” he said at the time.
Health Care: Hollingsworth does not support the 2010 Affordable Care Act and has voted to repeal it. “We are determined to provide relief to the millions of families facing tough choices as a direct result of Obamacare, and we hope that you’ll work with us to achieve our goal of more affordable, accessible health care that offers you and your family better options,” he says.
Education is powerful, and when accompanied by new perspectives it can lead to great transformations within our school system. Change is coming to the Greater Clark County Schools board, as potential new members representing districts one, three and four will be voted on during the Nov. 6 election.
On Oct. 3 a meeting was held at Jeffersonville High School at which school board candidates answered questions from the public (including residents, teachers, parents of students and even some students) at a “meet the candidates” forum. Tara Cofie, a member of the JHS debate team, was the facilitator of the event.
Few of the school board candidates were present at this event. Bill Hawkins (District 1), John Stagner (District 3 ), Nick Duran (District 4 ) and Kevin Anderson (District 3) couldn’t make it due other commitments. The three that were able to make it were Janelle Fitzpatrick (District 4), John Buckwalter (District 3) and Lucas Hostetler (District 1).
Before the audience started asking questions, the candidates each introduced themselves to let the public know their background what they can bring to the table. Fitzpatrick discussed her teaching career and her job as a stand-up comedian.
Buckwalter referred to himself as a lifelong educator and explained his time within the Woodrow Wilson program. Hostetler, who is from the New Washington area, shared how supportive he is of that community and his background in management.
Why are you running for school board?
Cofie started off the questioning with, “Why are you running for school board?” The candidates responded with the following.
Janelle Fitzpatrick: Being a teacher in GCCS for past 20 years, I saw lots of good
programs and lots of changes in what was expected of teachers, the time constraint, larger class sizes and not a whole lot of pay raise, especially when benefits cost more. Change is needed. I want to do some rebuilding (in trust with the community) and make Greater Clark a place where teachers are happy to work.
John Buckwalter: There have been surveys conducted but not acted upon… the purpose of the board is to address that. Every teacher sacrifices being a spouse, a parent, and doing whatever they do in their spare time, but they do so because we are all student-centered. Someone has to do something about this, and I’m crazy enough to do it and I feel like I can make a difference [and what I’m trying to say is] if not now, then when?
Lucas Hostetler: I’ve had teacher’s husband showing up to things but the teachers themselves didn’t, they didn’t want to be associated due to fear… I knew then I am running for a very good reason. That was what kind of solidified me to want to run even more than I already did. I want you guys to hold me accountable because I will hold you accountable if you’re working your tails off in the classroom and you’re not getting what you want, you have to hold me accountable to speak for you.
How will you handle people who disagree?
Next, an audience member asked, “What happens when the people speak up and you (school board member) don’t agree with what they have to say, how will you respond?” The candidates responses are as follows.
Janelle Fitzpatrick: Any time you have more than one person in the room, you can have a difference of opinion. I’d like to see more balance. There needs to be more balance and then the more you all can bring up, it will be listened to because it needs to be listened to. We need to get more ideas and poll our people; I believe we will really go along way.
John Buckwalter: You’re the voice and when you work for the people that’s what it’s about: take what is said by the majority and then make educated best decisions with it. I would like to hope that there’s a symbiotic relationship between you and your board members so that we’re helping each other here and I’m making the best decision. You know sometimes you might not make best decisions, but you made it with the facts you had in front of you.
Lucas Hostetler: When you create an atmosphere and an energy that people want in a school, business, or corporation, it’s a positive. I hope and I pray that [the atmosphere] changes with this next election and you can go to school board meetings and actually say “I don’t want this.” And myself, hopefully, can say, “I really don’t think they want this, but what’s best in five years?” I think with better communication, we can get to that point and stronger leadership is needed for improvement.
All the candidates claim they can make needed changes to the system. We’ll see who has the chance after the election on Nov. 6.
A flag, a song and a nation divided by racial tensions and injustice; this is America.
For some, the freedom and pride that comes along with being American is represented through our flag and our national anthem, but I’m here to break the news to you: it is so
much more than that.
Sitting and kneeling during the national anthem is nothing new in America, yet it has created one of the biggest divides among people in this country to date. But the divide isn’t caused specifically by kneeling before a football game or sitting during the pledge in first period. The divide is due to the reasoning. Quite simply, everyone has a different perspective on life in America.
Both the American flag and the national anthem are symbols, and no great country is founded on symbolism. America was founded on freedoms, liberties and the privileged right to have a choice. In some places around the world (North Korea, Venezuela, Syria,
etc.), simply having an opinion is illegal and can even get you killed.
In the past year, the media and society in America have become a dangerously divided place of hatred, and our once “united nation” gone. The idea that not participating in the worship of a flag or song being is disrespectful to America is outlandish.
To anyone who asks, “why don’t you stand?”, the answer is everywhere around you. We live in a country that takes such pride in all men being equal when, in fact, there are stipulations and inequality. That is wrong. Not until every person is treated the exact same, no matter their physical appearance, will all of America stand.
From Martin Luther King, Jr. to Colin Kaepernick, the road to change has been paved. From urban cities to suburban neighborhoods, injustice will end and equality will
arise.
Whether you sit or stand, always remember: “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.” – Colin Kaepernick
All across the country, students are voicing their opinions on gun safety, school violence and how to stay safe during a school day.
However students aren’t the only ones in a typical high school to voice their concerns this year — teachers are doing it, as well.
Teachers from states like West Virginia, Arizona and even Kentucky are speaking out about their decimating benefits, and overall lack of respect from some politicians.
The Hyphen‘s Lisa Morris and Aa Leiah Winford spoke with two JHS teachers — Suzanne Seibert and Allison Stemle — on how they’re handling the outspokenness of their profession.
Brian Glesing was hired as the head coach of Jeffersonville on May 1. Before JHS, Glesing was the head coach of rival Floyd Central for 11 seasons, posting a 70-51 overall record.
story by Tristan Jackson submitted photo / Brian Glesing
Jeffersonville versus Floyd Central is one of the most heated sports rivalries in Southern Indiana.
Next year, however, fans may see a whole new level of intensity on the football field.
Brian Glesing, who has been the head coach at Floyd Central for the past 11 seasons, was hired on May 1 to fill the head coach vacancy for the Red Devils. He replaced Alfonzo Browning, who posted a 8-13 record in his two seasons as head coach.
“When it came down to it, with his understanding of the community and his understanding of Indiana football, (Glesing) was the logical choice,” Jeffersonville athletic director Todd Satterly said.
Despite his recent success at the helm of FC, though, Glesing is leaving the Highlanders to take a job he has hoped to get since he first came to Southern Indiana.
“I think this is just a great opportunity,” Glesing said. “I think there is so much potential and everyone I’ve talked to has told me this is a great place to be, and I believe ‘em.
“It’s gonna be tough to leave (Floyd Central),” Glesing continued. “But it was time for a change and I’m excited about being here (at Jeff).”
THE PATH TO JEFF
While Glesing has made a name for himself in Southern Indiana as a coach during the last decade, he was also a successful athlete in his own right growing up. From 1989 to 1993, Glesing lit up the football and baseball fields at Hanover College.
During his four-year career, Glesing racked up 5,914 total all-purpose yards and 282 total points, which are both still all-time records at the college. It could be argued that his baseball career was even more impressive, as he holds the school record in career hits (266), runs scored (213) and stolen bases (150).
Glesing’s first head coaching position came in 2001 at LaVille High School in Lakeville, Ind. He would eventually make his way to Clarksville High School five years later, his first head coaching gig in Southern Indiana.
After two seasons coaching the Generals, Glesing took over a Floyd Central team that was reeling. He inherited a team that had a combined record of 3-17 in the previous two years, including a culture that wasn’t used to winning close games.
“I think this is just a great opportunity. I think there is so much potential and everyone I’ve talked to has told me this is a great place to be, and I believe ‘em. It’s gonna be tough to leave (Floyd Central). But it was time for a change and I’m excited about being here (at Jeff).”
– Brian Glesing, JHS football head coach
However Glesing turned the program around during his 11 seasons, propelling them to a 70-51 record, and a Sectional title in 2009 at Floyd Central.
In 2017, a Glesing-led Floyd Central managed a 9-3 record. He guided them to a 6-1 record in the Hoosier Hills Conference, including a perfect 5-0 record at home, before losing to powerhouse Columbus East in the Sectional championship.
BATTLES BEYOND THE FIELD
While his success as a coach is undeniable, boasting a 111-81 record in 18 seasons, last season was a memorable one for an entirely different reason: Gelsing had another battle, this one being off the field.
In March 2017, Glesing was diagnosed Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for the second time. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is a relatively rare form of cancer that affects the immune system. Glesing’s second bout with the disease came 23 years after his first in 1994, just after he graduated from Hanover College.
Regardless, Glesing managed to coach the whole season while doing chemotherapy, and he concluded his treatment in October of 2017.
“No,” said Todd Satterly when asked if Glesing’s battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma played a part in the decision to hire him. “During the interview, he volunteered all that information. So as long as he feels up to the task of what it takes to run a 6A program, (his health) had nothing to do with the decision.”
GLESING ON THE MOVE
Now, Glesing has a clean bill of health, and a fresh start, at Jeffersonville. He understands that there is work to do, but he has proven that he has the tools to turn a team around, something Jeff High is looking for.
“We need to be the best team in Southern Indiana right now, and eventually take that to the state level,” Glesing said. “But right now, we need to beat New Albany and Floyd Central. Once we do that, we can set our focuses higher.”
Parallels can be drawn between Jeff High’s current roster, and Floyd Central before the arrival of Glesing. Jeffersonville’s record has underwhelmed recently, managing just eight wins in 21 games the past two season.
“We [have to] establish what a Jeff High football player is,” Glesing said. “We want to instill the attitude, character, and effort in our players on and off the field. If you do those three things you’re going to be successful in whatever you do.”
Glesing will look to do at Jeff, what he did with Floyd Central: turn a team used to losing into a contender. He has a busy summer planned for the team, including turning his players into “bad dudes” with a coaching style he describes as “firm, but fair.”
“He’s all about family,” Varisty punter Alex Macaluso said. “He wants to get to know us and our family and he cares a lot. That’s what our football program needs.”
If all goes as planned, the future of the Red Devil football team is bright under the team’s new coach Brian Glesing.
“I’m convinced we’re going to do some great things,” Glesing said.
Five years ago, the Sports Performance class, taught by wrestling coach Danny Struck, wasn’t even in existence. Now, it’s one of the most popular classes at JHS. What makes this a can’t-miss course for Red Devils? Hyphen writers Carlos Molina and Braxton Troutman investigate.
video by Bella Bungcayao, Tristan Jackson and Kyle Tincher
Four brothers. One bond.
For many boys growing up in Southern Indiana, one sport has become a way for them to connect and make friends. As spring hits they flock to the field to play their favorite sport: baseball
From the Little League fields of Jeff/GRC to Jeff High’s own Don Poole Field, seniors Gabe Bierman, Bailey Falkenstein, Hunter Schmitz, and Trey Bottorff have played together since they were seven years old.
“All sports give you a special connection with, and baseball has really brought us closer together,” Schmitz said.
The bond between the four players can be seen as they take the field together, and in the dugout as they get the team hyped for the game ahead of them.
“Team chemistry is one of the most important things in all sports, and it’s going to help us win,” Bottorff said. “I know what brings Gabe, Bailey, and Hunter down and I know how to bring them up.”
Hit after hit, play after play, each guy does his part to make the teammates around them better. And this is very noticeable between these four.
“We play baseball and then we go hang out together. I mean we’re always around each other,” Falkenstein said.
For the past 11 years, these guys have been nearly inseparable. Even though this will mark their last year of competitive baseball together, the quartet will be friends for life.
“We’ve been playing for so long together, it’s a lifelong connection,” Bierman said. “I’ll be with these guys for the rest of my life.”
Gabe, Hunter, and Trey all plan on attending Indiana University next fall, with Gabe being the lone Red Devil taking his play to the next level and playing for the Hoosiers.
Trey and Hunter with both be going to further their education, going to study pre-law and sports management, respectively, while still cheering on their brother, who has MLB aspirations.
“It’s a dream still, and in order to make that happen, hard work must be put in,” Bierman said on his hopes to play professionally in an interview with The Hyphen earlier in the year.
Bailey will go a different route, and attend Olney Central Junior College in Illinois, where he continue both his baseball and basketball careers.
While this year will likely mark their last year of baseball together, the bond they made will last forever.
“We are not just teammates, we are brothers,” Bottorff said.
In this, their last go-round, they will look to compete for a state championship as a part of the No. 7 ranked Red Devils, who have gotten out to a 17-4 record start this season, and have already clinched the Hoosier Hills Conference.
Four brothers. One bond. And it all comes down to this season: the final chapter.
On Friday, May 11, the Topic Yearbook unveiled their 2017-18 publication called “Picture This” during the school’s Yearbook Signing Party. The Signing Party, which was held in William S. Johnson Arena, lasted for sixth and seventh periods, and nearly 650 yearbooks were distributed.
This year, the Hyphen Newspaper took a giant step forward, focusing on news and topics that are directly affecting not only JHS students, but others all around the nation.
Senior Emily Tully and junior Chloe Treat dive into this year’s Hyphen issues, and how they were created.
thehyphennews.com 