Payje Davis

Senior Editor-In-Chief

Following the death of Red Lion senior J. Carson Capik in February, graphic arts teacher, Paul Thom with the help of Littlestown art teacher Trinh Sudak, came together to organize a One Thousand Cranes project at both high schools.

An origami project to symbolize remembrance, hope, peace, and healing, A Thousand Cranes originates in Japan and involves folding pieces of paper into the shape of cranes.

 Red Lion students made the cranes on March 1, 2, and 6 in the LGI with plans to hang them up at Littlestown High School, where Carson’s father, Mr. John Capik, teaches graphic arts.

“It kind of just snowballed from there,” said Thom when he talked about how the students handled the project introduction. “Before I knew it, I had around 100 students in the LGI each day, so it was really rewarding.”

The total number of cranes made here at Red Lion is 1,250 and Littlestown has a total of 1,050, creating a grand total of 2,130 cranes in honor of Carson.

 The initial kick-off to the project here at Red Lion started when Littlestown art teacher Trinh Sudak reached out to Red Lion graphic arts teacher, Paul Thom. Telling him how students at Littlestown were participating in the project to “show support to Mr. Capik.”

Thom was happy with the turnout of the project, even mentioning how students he had never met were just coming to his room to participate.

“I saw the truth of Red Lion, and I saw everybody come together,” said Thom as a recap of observations over the three days the cranes were being made. “Students to my knowledge, that wouldn’t normally be talking to one another were connecting, whether over Carson and his memory or perhaps hope for the future.”  

Thom said the project calls attention to always checking on your friends to simply see how their day is going. “It brings opportunities to come together as a community for the togetherness that I feel like everybody’s been looking for,” Thom said.

The Red Lion musical, “The Sound of Music” landed right in the middle of the days the cranes were being folded. Maria Baker, who played one of the nuns in the show, took a stack of paper to the performances that weekend.  The cast and crew were hard at work backstage, before, during, and after the show.

“People asked me what are you making, and I told them about the project,” Baker said. “And then it just snowballed from there. We started cranking out these cranes.”

Pretty soon, a stack of 258 cranes piled up on music stands.

“It was so cool to just see everyone at musical come together whether they knew the reason or not, Baker said.  “It was just uplifting to see”

 As of mid-March, the cranes are still nested safely in Mr. Thom’s room, but plans will take flight toward the end of the school year. Pending approval from the administration, the cranes will be displayed at Red Lion’s 2023 graduation, along with Carson’s senior portrait.

Makenzie Draper

RL Media Reporter

As you’re driving your normal route to your house, you get a notification on your phone from the passenger seat. You think, “That could be my boss getting back to me on that important project, or that could be my mom telling me how her doctor’s appointment went…I better check that.” 

You reach over for your phone, and as you take your eyes off the road for just a moment, another car slams you and your car into a billboard. As you get out of the car to check the damage, you look up at the billboard to see that it reads:

The Create Real Impact Contest deemed two Red Lion students winners: Allyson Colbert, a 2022 Alumni, and Chase Britton, a current senior, on May 8, 2022.

In this contest, teens and young artists were asked to design a billboard on either alcoholism or the dangers of texting and driving. Both students agreed that this project would serve the purpose to change people’s lives, so they decided to participate. Colbert and Britton decided to take on a design that incorporated texting and driving because they thought it would impact a larger audience, implying that this issue is present in adults and teens. 

Throughout the 3-week long project, Britton and Colbert were a dynamic duo; Britton brainstormed lots of ideas and Colbert was able to convey those ideas in the artistic design. After their hard work was done, their design was voted on by the Department of Transportation and other students. Once all of the votes were cast, Colbert and Britton were deemed the winners, and their designs would be presented publicly on a billboard. But their recognition didn’t stop there. 

Mr. Thom was beyond proud to present this award to them, and he mentioned that “this is a prestigious honor,” Thom said, “Not many people get one of these.” 

Red Lion is extremely proud of Colbert and Britton, and they impacted hundreds of people that drove by their billboard and hopefully thought twice about checking their phones while behind the wheel. 

Emerson Campbell

Staff Writer

In the new age, many teenagers often wonder what is the point of going antique shopping? “Isn’t it just all old weird stuff?”, my thirteen year old cousin scoffed, when I asked if she wanted to tag along with me to an antique shop. I would agree, it does have old, weird trinkets that most people would not think to buy. But, it also houses thousands of pieces of history. Whether it’s jewelry from the 1950s or a coin from 300 B.C., each item has a memory of another place in time. That is the beauty of the shops; they hold a spot for all people, no matter their age or background.

Just recently, I accompanied my brother to a nearby antique store, in search of rings for myself. Upon entering, I immediately noticed there were shelves upon shelves of everything imaginable. Rings, furniture, jackets, decorations, books, and many other items. My brother and I immediately split up, in search of very different things. He made his way to the ancient book section, while I went to the jewelry case.

While I made my rounds, I spotted an older couple there, looking together at some aged teacups. “Hmm, do you think it would fit in with our China?” The older woman asked her husband. He shrugged and picked up an old book that was tearing apart at the seams. Their quiet interaction made me realize just how diverse the kinds of people you find in antique shops are.  Four different people; one seventeen year old, one twenty-two year old, and two who are, presumably, over the age of seventy, all flocked to the same old shop. None of what we were pursuing were similar, and that’s the beauty of it. 

Yes, there are weird cherubs, books that are ripping at the seams, stained tea cups, and old jewelry. But it’s all in how you picture it. I see books that were written hundreds of years ago that landed in a small town close to you. Jewelry that your great-grandmother cherished for years before giving it up to her grandchildren. Clothes that were loved for years and now will become someone else’s story. So yes, outlandish and unconventional things are in antique stores, but I think that is the beauty of it.