1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: My own black of Dollar has gone on underland. 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 2: I know, I know, Ninth Planet Audio, we're overlanding, You're 3 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:12,080 Speaker 2: no mining. 4 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 3: Friends. It's been a minute since our last full episode, 5 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 3: but I'm happy to say that we're back for the 6 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:23,479 Speaker 3: two final episodes of the season. Since it's been a 7 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 3: few months, let's just have a quick review. I'm Akuila Hughes, 8 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 3: and I'm from Florence, Kentucky, where my high school team 9 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 3: name was and still is, the Rebels. The Rebels was 10 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 3: the nickname not only of my high school, but also 11 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 3: of the Confederacy, you know, the folks who lost the 12 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:42,480 Speaker 3: Civil War. 13 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 4: The historical context of the term rebel is so interesting. 14 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 3: That's historian doctor Brandon Render. We spoke with him in 15 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 3: episode two. 16 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 4: During the Civil War and then immediately after the war, 17 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 4: Southerners Confederate sympathizers referred to the war as the War 18 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 4: of Northern Aggression, Northerners referred to it as the War 19 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:07,919 Speaker 4: of Southern Rebellion. Rebel actually changes immediately after the Civil 20 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 4: War from a symbol of shame as people who caused 21 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 4: the Civil War to more of a point of pride. 22 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 4: And so we see this in high school mascots. 23 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:19,320 Speaker 3: Folks from my high school have claimed for years that 24 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:21,959 Speaker 3: they're actually named after the movie Rebel without a Cause, 25 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 3: But well we prove that wrong with a short trip 26 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 3: to the library. To this issue is October seventh, nineteen 27 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 3: fifty four, and they have an article. 28 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:32,639 Speaker 4: Boone County High School. 29 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 3: The athletic teams were dubbed the Rebels by the student 30 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 3: body in a recent school wide vote conducted by the 31 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 3: journalism class. The Rebel football team made its first home 32 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:44,759 Speaker 3: appearance on the new Boone County High School field Thursday night, 33 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 3: September thirtieth. It's right here in black and white in 34 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 3: print in nineteen fifty four. So they Lion, They Lion. 35 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 3: The movie came out in nineteen fifty five, but the 36 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 3: school became the Rebels when it opened in nineteen fifty four. 37 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 3: You know what else happened in nineteen fifty four, Brown 38 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 3: versus Board of Education and the start of desegregating schools 39 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:14,640 Speaker 3: in America, which it turns out was the catalyst for 40 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 3: a lot of schools to name themselves the Rebels. 41 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 5: We have this dual system, and the dual system was 42 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 5: separate but definitely unequal. 43 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 3: Doctor Caleb Smith is the preeminent researcher of rebel schools. 44 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:27,640 Speaker 3: We spoke with him in episode five. 45 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 5: And so what school districts and cities and states decided 46 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 5: to do was, instead of being separate but unequal, if 47 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 5: we make the African American accommodations comparable to the white ones, 48 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 5: they're less prone to won't integrate. And so let's merge 49 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,519 Speaker 5: all the white schools in our county or in this 50 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 5: area and form a new school. And then we'll do 51 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 5: the same thing with the black schools in our county 52 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 5: or in our city. And so from that we'll have 53 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 5: separate and equal and they'll be less want to try 54 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 5: to integrate the schools. And so the white schools would 55 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 5: merge together and they would become the rebels of Boyle 56 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:06,799 Speaker 5: County or whichever county it was. 57 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:11,079 Speaker 3: While learning more about all of those other rebel schools 58 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 3: and how some of them successfully changed, I traveled back 59 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 3: to Florence three times, where I spoke to the school 60 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 3: board and my high schools school based decision making counsel. Hi, 61 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:24,079 Speaker 3: I'm Aquila Hughes. Good evening, I'm Aquila Hughes. Hi, I'm 62 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 3: Aquila Hughes. And we got nowhere. Our last full episode 63 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 3: aired a week after election day, and we left it 64 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 3: on this note. I think it really comes down to 65 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 3: the push and pull of tradition versus progress, about the 66 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 3: clash between moving forward and turning back. All right, so 67 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 3: you know what happened next. That clash isn't working out 68 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 3: so great right now. We've got a long way to 69 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 3: go on that front. But there's one other thing I 70 00:03:56,360 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 3: said on that episode. Done yet, this podcast is not over. 71 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 3: We've been given a little more time in a few 72 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 3: more episodes to continue to pursue this change wherever it 73 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:12,960 Speaker 3: takes us. And so guess what. Okay, no, not that 74 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 3: they are still the rebels, but we have news. I 75 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 3: was a lady rebbel, Like, what does that even need? 76 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 6: The Boone County Rebels will stay the Boone County Rebels, 77 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 6: But the image of. 78 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:27,719 Speaker 3: Us right here in black and white and friends. 79 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 4: Amien figures is a flag or mask off. 80 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 7: Anytime you're trying to mess with tradition, you get to 81 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:45,919 Speaker 7: be ready for a serious backlash. 82 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 3: From Ninth Planet Audio. I'm Akhila Hughes and this is 83 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:57,159 Speaker 3: Rebel Spirit, Episode eleven, Open records. Okay, enough catchup, let's 84 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 3: move forward. Since we wrapped our last episode. We have 85 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:04,279 Speaker 3: reached out to the school repeatedly. We've asked for simple comments, 86 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 3: we've offered an open mic, we've offered to speak off 87 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:10,599 Speaker 3: the record. No matter how we've boarded it, we've gotten 88 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:14,280 Speaker 3: no response whatsoever. And yet every now and then over 89 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 3: the last few months, we've heard various rumors a change 90 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,039 Speaker 3: was happening, a change was not happening. The new superintendent 91 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 3: wanted to know what was going on. It was clear 92 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 3: just through these little threads that made their way back 93 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,679 Speaker 3: to us that there were conversations happening. We just weren't 94 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 3: privy to them. Listener, if only there was a way 95 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 3: to know what they were saying. 96 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 8: There is a presumption of the government that the things 97 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:40,799 Speaker 8: that it does, especially because it's spending taxpayer money, should 98 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:44,040 Speaker 8: be available to the people, And so I file open 99 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:46,719 Speaker 8: records requests all the time to get information that the 100 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 8: government is keeping but doesn't necessarily proactively make open. 101 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 3: That's Stephen rich an investigative data reporter from the Washington Post. 102 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:58,279 Speaker 8: This can be documents, that can be data sets, It 103 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 8: can be video, it can be whatever you can sort 104 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 8: of imagine. You can request it. Now, they don't always 105 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 8: have to give it to you. There are various exemptions 106 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:10,159 Speaker 8: that they can cite, but you can always ask. It 107 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:12,280 Speaker 8: doesn't actually hurt to ask, and that's sort of how 108 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:14,279 Speaker 8: I approach open records. 109 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 3: Steven has asked for all sorts of government records and 110 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:20,599 Speaker 3: his investigations of police shootings, school shootings, and many other 111 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:23,719 Speaker 3: non shooting related investigations. He's been on teams that have 112 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:27,040 Speaker 3: won two Pulitzer Prizes thanks in part to his fearless 113 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:27,840 Speaker 3: use of FOYA. 114 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:31,560 Speaker 8: FOYA stands for the Freedom of Information Act, and it's 115 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:33,920 Speaker 8: a law on the books for the federal level where 116 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 8: you can request anything that you want documents wise from 117 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:40,279 Speaker 8: the federal government. Every state has their own laws and 118 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:42,840 Speaker 8: so you'll often hear people refer to them as open 119 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 8: records laws, and so we use them to get what 120 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 8: we believe should be open from the data. 121 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 3: I wanted to talk to Stephen to see if open 122 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 3: records requests were something we could utilize to get a 123 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 3: view into the conversations happening at the school and the district, 124 00:06:57,800 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 3: since nobody would talk with us. 125 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:03,600 Speaker 8: While most people sort of associate FOYA with journalists, anybody 126 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 8: can use it, and I am usually the person that's 127 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 8: telling people when they want to find something out in 128 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 8: their own community, to file the requests with their local 129 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 8: government agencies, because there is nothing that says that it 130 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 8: has to be a media organization that files this. It 131 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 8: can be any person off the street. And honestly, I 132 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 8: wish at some level that we taught this in schools 133 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 8: because I think it's hyper valuable for people to know 134 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 8: that they are owed the information from the government on 135 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 8: things that are important to them. 136 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 3: I know some information I'd love to get from the government, 137 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 3: So how do I go about asking for it? 138 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 8: So my approach is always go in real nice, real 139 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 8: appreciative of what they're doing, especially because most of these 140 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 8: FOY officers are working with limited resources and are actually 141 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 8: trying their best, and see what I can do. But 142 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 8: you also have to know when to sort of turn 143 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 8: it on and go I have a legal right to 144 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 8: this and start to really push. 145 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 3: Of course, part of this, like anything, is knowing what 146 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 3: to ask for. 147 00:07:57,480 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 8: Part of what we do in all of this is 148 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:02,040 Speaker 8: we try to do a lot of reporting upfront. What 149 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 8: is it that we should be asking for, how specifically 150 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 8: should we be asking for it, because a lot of 151 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 8: times we'll get denied or get the wrong documents because 152 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 8: we just didn't ask in the right way. And in 153 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 8: every FOYA that I put in, I'm like, if you 154 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 8: need any explanation of what it is that I'm looking for, 155 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 8: just talk to me, Like, let's not go back and 156 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 8: forth with responses after the fact, Like let's figure this 157 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 8: out before while you're doing it, because I'm not here 158 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 8: to make trouble for you and for the you know, 159 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:33,440 Speaker 8: I never really approach it with FOYA officers that are 160 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 8: trying to make trouble for me. It's just that, you know, 161 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 8: if I don't ask right, then they don't know what 162 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 8: I need. I mean, half the time I send a 163 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 8: request and they're like, this is voluminous, and then I 164 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 8: explained to them what I want exactly, and it's like, oh, 165 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 8: this will take us two hours. Yeah, okay, great, that's 166 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 8: I don't want you spending hundreds of hours on this thing. 167 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 8: That's not what I'm asking for. I'm actually asking for 168 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 8: what you have. 169 00:08:56,920 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 3: All this talk got me thinking about our new president 170 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:01,920 Speaker 3: and what it would mean for people like Steven who 171 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 3: are trying to get that information out. 172 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:06,640 Speaker 8: My approach has been the same throughout all of the 173 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,959 Speaker 8: administrations that I've covered, which is that every new administration 174 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:14,200 Speaker 8: makes it harder to get information because nothing ever tends 175 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:17,960 Speaker 8: toward openness. Nobody ever gets into office and says I 176 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 8: want to open things up more because it's not a 177 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 8: priority for them, And so you know, we just sort 178 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:28,840 Speaker 8: of prepare, We file foyas, we use our lawyers to 179 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:31,679 Speaker 8: push where we can. I personally donate to a lot 180 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:34,320 Speaker 8: of the lawyers doing work for smaller outlets out there 181 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 8: because they needed a ton and don't necessarily have that 182 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:40,960 Speaker 8: legal representation. So I just prepare myself. It wouldn't have 183 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,199 Speaker 8: mattered who was president. It was going to get harder. 184 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:45,720 Speaker 8: It maybe it get harder by a different degree, yeah, 185 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:48,680 Speaker 8: under a President Trump, but it was always going to 186 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 8: get harder because the government tends toward hiding what it's doing. 187 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 8: And one of the things that I will say is like, look, 188 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 8: you can pull back on records and the government and 189 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 8: the executive branch especially can make it much harder to 190 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 8: get records. But I know a lot of journalists, and 191 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:07,439 Speaker 8: journalists are relentless people. You tell me I can't have something, 192 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 8: and I want it more, and you know the truth 193 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 8: is it might not be anything. I think the government 194 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:17,600 Speaker 8: tends to fight us on things that don't actually reveal 195 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 8: any wrongdoing. They just fight us as a reflex. And 196 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:23,760 Speaker 8: so I lean on the fact that there's a lot 197 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:26,680 Speaker 8: of good FOYA officers out there doing really great work 198 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 8: and helping us get things, and I make sure to 199 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 8: let them know when they're doing great work. And no 200 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:34,040 Speaker 8: matter who's in power, you'll always have those people who 201 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:37,800 Speaker 8: want the public to know what their government is doing 202 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 8: with their money, in their name, what have you. And 203 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:47,320 Speaker 8: so I just think that even if or as FOYA weekends, 204 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:50,239 Speaker 8: we will continue to have a lot of good information, 205 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:54,320 Speaker 8: whether that's from journalists at places like the Washington Post 206 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:57,960 Speaker 8: or journalists who are working off their couch using whatever 207 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 8: platform they have, whether that is just social media platform. 208 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:03,960 Speaker 8: Anybody can do this and anybody can be a journalist, 209 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:05,840 Speaker 8: is sort of how I feel about this, which means 210 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 8: that anybody can file a FOYA, which is what I 211 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:11,840 Speaker 8: want people to do. I think that every person should 212 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:15,560 Speaker 8: file a FOYA at some point in I just want, 213 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:17,960 Speaker 8: at least want see what it's like, see how hard 214 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:20,160 Speaker 8: it is to get information out of your government. 215 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:22,600 Speaker 3: And so listener, that's what we did. 216 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:27,520 Speaker 9: I'm walking the FOYA request for Boone County Schools. 217 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:30,080 Speaker 3: That's Janis or intrepid researcher. 218 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:35,040 Speaker 9: Walking it to the post office because they definitely don't 219 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:37,720 Speaker 9: have like the online version. We're going old school. 220 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 5: Here. 221 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:41,679 Speaker 9: I printed out a form, filled. 222 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 10: It out, and I'm walking it over to. 223 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 9: The post office right now. It is going to the 224 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 9: Open Records Department superintendent's office, and then they will physically 225 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:58,600 Speaker 9: mail me in theory the documents we're looking for, hoping, 226 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:03,680 Speaker 9: hoping we see some results. But yeah, it's night time, 227 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:06,880 Speaker 9: walking over to the post office, going old school. 228 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 3: We took it old school to send two requests, one 229 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 3: asking for what they were saying about me in this podcast, 230 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 3: and the other what they were saying about the rebel 231 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:21,360 Speaker 3: team name and mascot. These were largely fishing expeditions. To 232 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:23,680 Speaker 3: be sure, we didn't know if we'd get anything back, 233 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 3: but it did feel worth a try. Our two requests 234 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 3: went in the mailbox together, so we waited and waited 235 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:39,840 Speaker 3: and waited, and finally we heard back more on their 236 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:44,120 Speaker 3: response after this break, Well, we heard back on one 237 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:47,559 Speaker 3: of our requests, the one about me. It was ninety 238 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 3: four pages and well it was mostly the emails me 239 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:54,280 Speaker 3: and my producers had sent to the district and the 240 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 3: school over the last year, which well played. But the 241 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:00,559 Speaker 3: other request, the broader one about discuss sessions about the 242 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:04,160 Speaker 3: rebel team name and the mascot, went unfulfilled, so we 243 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:08,679 Speaker 3: followed up in About a month later it arrived. It 244 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:12,559 Speaker 3: was a single pdf containing three hundred chaotic pages of emails. 245 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:14,280 Speaker 3: There was no order to any of it. 246 00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:17,160 Speaker 11: Mister Melching, Hi, missus Black, thanks so much for getting back. 247 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:21,560 Speaker 3: You may not remember me so hello. Hi mister Melchich, 248 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:25,520 Speaker 3: you're my fine arts teacher for half. Some emails from 249 00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:27,480 Speaker 3: July were next to ones from a year earlier. 250 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 11: Hi, miss Black, before the holidays get the best of us. 251 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:32,719 Speaker 11: I'd love to follow up on this obviously. We'd love 252 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:33,320 Speaker 11: to talk with you. 253 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:36,320 Speaker 3: Hello, miss Bird. I'm Akhila Hughes, a writer, comedian, and 254 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 3: podcast host who is, fun fact, the first student representative 255 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:41,720 Speaker 3: to the Board of Education in Kentucky history. Mister Melching, 256 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 3: hope you're well. I'm a producer with ninth Audio. External 257 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:47,839 Speaker 3: communications were mingling with internal communications. 258 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:50,240 Speaker 11: We're very eager to get an update on the committee 259 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:52,319 Speaker 11: you told us about, and would also still welcome the 260 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:53,800 Speaker 11: opportunity to talk with you. 261 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 3: There were our emails again, and their responses to our 262 00:13:57,080 --> 00:13:59,800 Speaker 3: emails with our emails attached at the bottom, and then 263 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:01,800 Speaker 3: so someone went forwarded in the chain would just start 264 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:02,480 Speaker 3: up again. 265 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:04,800 Speaker 11: Miss Black. I wanted to follow up on the email 266 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:07,400 Speaker 11: I sent one week ago. Miss Black. I wanted to 267 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:09,600 Speaker 11: follow up on the email I sent one week ago. 268 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:12,200 Speaker 11: Miss Black, I wanted to follow up on the email 269 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:14,079 Speaker 11: I sent one week ago. 270 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 3: It was endlessly maddeningly repetitive, but even looking at it briefly, 271 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 3: it was clear that we were getting much more than 272 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 3: what they had originally sent. I mean, if nothing else, 273 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:29,240 Speaker 3: there was an enormous collection of emails from people complaining 274 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:32,320 Speaker 3: about well me Hello. 275 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:32,640 Speaker 6: Miss Black. 276 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 12: As an alumni from Boone County High School, I am writing, 277 00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 12: like so many others, to voice my opinion on changing 278 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:42,800 Speaker 12: the rebel name. It is absolutely unthinkable that because some 279 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,760 Speaker 12: crazy liberal trying to make waves as a career move 280 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 12: would be able to create such a stir, she is 281 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:51,080 Speaker 12: not part of our community and is in fact, two 282 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:55,440 Speaker 12: thousand miles removed from this issue. Please do not cave 283 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 12: to the aspirations of one to cause problems and make 284 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 12: a social statement about something we hold dear. 285 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 3: Our rebels dare stay sye. 286 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:06,880 Speaker 13: I have been following the quest of a Killer Hughes 287 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:11,040 Speaker 13: to change the history and name of the Rebel at 288 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:14,240 Speaker 13: Boone County High School. She seems to be a self 289 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 13: serving individual, just wanting her fifteen minutes of fame and 290 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 13: increasing her podcast success. I am a nineteen seventy one, 291 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:27,360 Speaker 13: proud graduate of BCHS, lifelong resident of Boone County and 292 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:30,440 Speaker 13: totally against the change. I am a pall that this 293 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:33,160 Speaker 13: is even being discussed. Please let me know how this 294 00:15:33,280 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 13: nonsense can be stopped. 295 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:37,360 Speaker 14: I have lived in Boone County all my life and 296 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:40,920 Speaker 14: still live here. It would be a shame to change 297 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:44,560 Speaker 14: the school name from Rebel to something unknown. The person 298 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 14: making the request hasn't lived here for years and probably 299 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 14: doesn't have her heart in this county or school. As 300 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 14: many other people in this county would find it offensive 301 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 14: to us to change what we are proud of and 302 00:15:57,760 --> 00:15:59,240 Speaker 14: have respected for years. 303 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 15: I was a proud little reb as were my two sisters. 304 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 15: Two of us met our rebel husbands in high school, 305 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 15: and I am currently married forty seven years to my rebel. 306 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:14,040 Speaker 15: Our best man and maid of honor were both rebels. Together, 307 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:17,040 Speaker 15: we raised three rebels one of which was a Rebel 308 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 15: Athlete of the year. They are currently raising four Rebels 309 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:24,680 Speaker 15: and little reps. This name is our history and never 310 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 15: had racial meaning to us. I hope when you make 311 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:29,480 Speaker 15: your decision you not only think of the past, but 312 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:31,280 Speaker 15: that you don't need to follow gen Z. 313 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:35,280 Speaker 6: When I attended BCHS over fifty years ago, one black 314 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:38,880 Speaker 6: family lived in Boone County, the Webbs. They were around 315 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:41,800 Speaker 6: when the name Rebels was selected reference in the movie 316 00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 6: by the same name. I'm sure you have been made 317 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 6: aware if he want some name change, he is still 318 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:50,480 Speaker 6: living in Burlington. I will stand by his decision, but 319 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 6: not by a list of Californians who have no idea 320 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 6: about our mascot. 321 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:58,000 Speaker 14: I feel strongly that the name should stay and the 322 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:01,720 Speaker 14: image be changed. However, as much as many may be 323 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:05,920 Speaker 14: offended by the Johnny Rebel reference, we can't deny that 324 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:08,800 Speaker 14: the Civil War happened, and this can be a reminder 325 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 14: for future generations. 326 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:15,440 Speaker 3: Listener, there were dozens of these emails strewn across the PDF. 327 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 3: It was clear that a Facebook group of alumni from 328 00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:21,080 Speaker 3: sixty years ago had banded together, created a few templates, 329 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:23,960 Speaker 3: and had let it rip. The whole document was a mess. 330 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:26,960 Speaker 3: While it was clear that there was something there, finding 331 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 3: it felt nearly impossible. So we did the one thing 332 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:37,639 Speaker 3: that would make it easier. We printed it out. It 333 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:41,360 Speaker 3: took twenty minutes, nearly a ream of paper in an 334 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:44,560 Speaker 3: entire toner cartridge, but we got it all, all four 335 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:49,840 Speaker 3: hundred pages across both documents they'd sent stack up. It's 336 00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:55,360 Speaker 3: over three inches high, and then we collated it, stapled it, 337 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:58,240 Speaker 3: put the whole mess into chronological order, and then arranged 338 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:01,359 Speaker 3: it all into folders and subfolders. And through all that 339 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:03,960 Speaker 3: effort we were able to see past the old cranks 340 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:07,720 Speaker 3: and the ccs and the endless, endless repetition and find 341 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:10,640 Speaker 3: the signal in the noise. This isn't just a good 342 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:13,240 Speaker 3: strategy for dealing with these documents. This is a good 343 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 3: strategy for everything at this moment in time. Organize, prioritize, 344 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:21,679 Speaker 3: and work, always work to find the signal through the noise. 345 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 3: Suddenly we were seeing our reporting of this podcast, but 346 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:29,400 Speaker 3: through the looking glass of the other side. There were 347 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 3: sixteen emails from our first trip to Florence in September 348 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:35,960 Speaker 3: twenty twenty three. There's the journalism teacher willing to help 349 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:39,359 Speaker 3: us before we shut down. There's board President Karen Bird 350 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 3: and Principal Stacy Black coordinating with who would say what 351 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:46,040 Speaker 3: to us, And then there's Barbara Brady, the district's calms person, 352 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 3: shutting it all down. 353 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:52,200 Speaker 13: Hello, Karen, I'm sure you've been following the emails. I've 354 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:54,359 Speaker 13: just tried to keep you in the loop. Even though 355 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:58,360 Speaker 13: I've diplomatically tried to kill the issue with kindness, this 356 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:01,640 Speaker 13: woman is still coming for us. We have determined after 357 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:04,400 Speaker 13: talking with her that she is still trying to make 358 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 13: trouble for Boone County High School and the district. She 359 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:13,000 Speaker 13: is still angry about the word rebel. It wasn't enough 360 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,240 Speaker 13: for her that the rebel mascot Mister Rebel was removed. 361 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:19,480 Speaker 13: She wants no mention of the word or the mascot 362 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:22,160 Speaker 13: connected to the school. We've learned she plans to come 363 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:24,760 Speaker 13: to homecoming tonight to try to stir up old wounds 364 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:28,680 Speaker 13: about it. On her podcast, she will be interviewing students 365 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:31,960 Speaker 13: to try to elicit anger about the nickname and former mascot. 366 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:35,800 Speaker 13: She will still pursue a comment from Boone County School Board, 367 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:38,439 Speaker 13: even if she has to talk to another school board member, 368 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:41,200 Speaker 13: as our school board president, I didn't want you to 369 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:42,159 Speaker 13: be blindsided. 370 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:45,800 Speaker 3: When we went back to Florence in December twenty twenty three, 371 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:48,560 Speaker 3: there was a similar flurry of about a dozen emails, 372 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 3: But this time there's a twist. After I spoke at 373 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:54,760 Speaker 3: the board meeting, board President Karen Bird told. 374 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:57,680 Speaker 10: Us continue to work with the council because that's where 375 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:04,200 Speaker 10: that change has to happen. Us to do otherwise would 376 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:05,760 Speaker 10: be in violation of the law. 377 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 3: So I reached out to the Kentucky Department of Education 378 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:13,119 Speaker 3: to find out what the law was tying their hands, 379 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:17,200 Speaker 3: And here in our hands was a polite but verily 380 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:20,399 Speaker 3: sternly worded series of emails between the district's lawyers and 381 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 3: the lawyers from the Kentucky Department of Education over who 382 00:20:23,359 --> 00:20:27,879 Speaker 3: actually has jurisdiction over school mascots. The verdict, of course 383 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:31,200 Speaker 3: the school district can step in, but neither side really 384 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:34,440 Speaker 3: wanted to see that, and for the record, neither would we. 385 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:36,400 Speaker 3: We love the school to just do the right thing. 386 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 3: When we were back again in June of last year, 387 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 3: once again more emails from Barbara Brady, this time running 388 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:50,720 Speaker 3: block on reporters asking about the mascot. It's fascinating to 389 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 3: see the last year and a half of my life 390 00:20:52,520 --> 00:20:55,360 Speaker 3: played out through this lens, to see what people were 391 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:58,280 Speaker 3: saying to each other while avoiding, ignoring, or just blowing 392 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 3: me off. But digging for they're into these documents, there's 393 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:04,600 Speaker 3: something else. It's hard to see it first because it's 394 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:08,959 Speaker 3: strewn across many disparate pages, but connect them all and 395 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,399 Speaker 3: you can see a series of teachers and administrators at 396 00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:15,840 Speaker 3: Boone County High School meeting last spring to discuss the mascot. Yes, 397 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:18,920 Speaker 3: this appears to actually be the committee that Stacy Black 398 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:22,800 Speaker 3: told us about. Now, granted it seems to have not 399 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:25,040 Speaker 3: happened at the time she told us it was happening, 400 00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:28,080 Speaker 3: but here it was in black and white being planned. 401 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:31,680 Speaker 2: As coaches, you are well aware that BCHS has been 402 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:34,920 Speaker 2: without a mascot for the past several years. Mss Black 403 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:37,920 Speaker 2: would like to form a committee of teachers, coaches, parents 404 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 2: and students to discuss ideas for bringing a mascot back 405 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:44,439 Speaker 2: to BCHS, and we would like to invite you to 406 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:45,880 Speaker 2: be a part of this small committee. 407 00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:48,439 Speaker 13: Can I suggest we invite the varsity cheer coach to 408 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:51,960 Speaker 13: the committee. She is very passionate about building our school 409 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 13: spirit and all the traditions that go with it, and 410 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:56,160 Speaker 13: she has some really great ideas. 411 00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:59,480 Speaker 16: Next year is our seventieth anniversary. I feel like we 412 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:02,840 Speaker 16: could do a lot with this, including but not limited to, 413 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:06,679 Speaker 16: having a new mascot tradition meets the future. Can everyone 414 00:22:06,680 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 16: do Thursday? 415 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:08,879 Speaker 9: Will someone send an invite? 416 00:22:09,119 --> 00:22:11,879 Speaker 3: Someone sent an invite. To the best of our knowledge, 417 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:15,200 Speaker 3: there were two meetings, March seventh and April second, twenty 418 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:19,560 Speaker 3: twenty four, But there was also something else in and 419 00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:22,800 Speaker 3: among these emails was an email inviting the recipients to 420 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:26,160 Speaker 3: access a Google slideshow. You've gotten these a million times, 421 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 3: auto generated from Google when you hit share. It's so 422 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:32,399 Speaker 3: boring and forgettable that we just missed it. At first, 423 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:35,919 Speaker 3: it was just a single email, a loan sheet of 424 00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:39,239 Speaker 3: paper in our three inch thick pile. But here we 425 00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 3: were staring at a document we could not click, entitled 426 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:49,080 Speaker 3: BCHS Mascot rebrand Final Options Listener. I wanted to click 427 00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:53,119 Speaker 3: it so so badly, but alas it was unclickable until 428 00:22:53,800 --> 00:23:00,640 Speaker 3: it wasn't. We'll be right back after this break. Here 429 00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:03,280 Speaker 3: we were staring at an email we couldn't open that 430 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:06,199 Speaker 3: seemed to contain a slideshow of new mascot ideas in 431 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 3: a rebrand for Boone County High School. The change we've 432 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:12,399 Speaker 3: been working for all along. Was it coming true and 433 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:17,879 Speaker 3: what would the mascots be? We needed to know, and 434 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:20,720 Speaker 3: so we did what we've done countless times in the 435 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:23,800 Speaker 3: last few months. We filed an open records request for 436 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:27,560 Speaker 3: the slide show. This one was not a phishing expedition. 437 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:30,520 Speaker 3: It was a simple request for a single thing, that 438 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:33,240 Speaker 3: slide show. We knew the name of the document, we 439 00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:35,120 Speaker 3: knew the day it was sent out, we knew who 440 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:38,280 Speaker 3: sent it. It should be the simplest of requests to fill 441 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 3: and listener for the first time. It was three weeks 442 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:46,119 Speaker 3: after we sent in the request. At this point, perhaps 443 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:49,040 Speaker 3: because of us, they'd changed their system from having to 444 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:52,200 Speaker 3: physically mail things to submitting a digital request. We got 445 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 3: an email with the slide show really okay, BCHS mascot 446 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:05,720 Speaker 3: brand April twenty twenty four. The options stay with the rebels, 447 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:08,920 Speaker 3: decide on a mascot that would fit that brand. Change 448 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:11,840 Speaker 3: rebels to something that fits a chosen mascot. This is 449 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:16,720 Speaker 3: a real, basic, real basic PowerPoint. Option one is just 450 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:23,119 Speaker 3: keeping the rebels and making it into a bison. The 451 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:26,080 Speaker 3: second option is a bison and it's the same kind 452 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 3: of generic bison logos. Oh god, they have the mascot 453 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:35,959 Speaker 3: ideas for the bison, and it's like a bunch of 454 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:40,560 Speaker 3: just very cheaply made looking bison costumes. The rebels, but 455 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:43,440 Speaker 3: it's more of a bull generic bull logos. They could 456 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:47,240 Speaker 3: be the Boone County bulls, really really goofy looking bulls. 457 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:49,240 Speaker 3: One of those is just a cow that's not it 458 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:52,919 Speaker 3: just looks like a cute cow costume. And wow. The 459 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:56,240 Speaker 3: school Life TIETS student section could be the Herd School 460 00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:57,919 Speaker 3: Spirit Award, the Spirit Horn. 461 00:24:58,640 --> 00:24:59,119 Speaker 10: I don't know. 462 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 3: They're high school. It's call to action as a stampede 463 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:07,160 Speaker 3: bison country or bull country and then students doing finger horns. 464 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:11,000 Speaker 3: I don't know. I mean, look, it's better than rebels. 465 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:17,960 Speaker 3: I think we listener. It feels so close now, except 466 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:20,479 Speaker 3: the slideshow was from last spring and there's not a 467 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:23,679 Speaker 3: single mention of it in any email sent afterwards. And 468 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:26,800 Speaker 3: those two meetings, well, we sent an open records request 469 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:29,520 Speaker 3: for any minutes from those meetings or of any follow 470 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 3: up meetings that happened after and were told they had 471 00:25:32,280 --> 00:25:35,639 Speaker 3: no records. But there's more. When we printed it all 472 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:38,440 Speaker 3: out and stacked it all chronologically. There was a glaring 473 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:41,480 Speaker 3: problem with the document. The most recent email in the 474 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:44,479 Speaker 3: huge stack was from August second of last year. We 475 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:46,879 Speaker 3: made the request for these documents in early December and 476 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:50,400 Speaker 3: asked for everything from January twenty twenty three to that date, 477 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:53,680 Speaker 3: but we didn't get that. We only got documents through 478 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:56,639 Speaker 3: the very start of August, which means that while we 479 00:25:56,720 --> 00:25:59,000 Speaker 3: have most of their emails from while we were doing 480 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:02,040 Speaker 3: our reporting, we have nothing once school restarted in the 481 00:26:02,080 --> 00:26:05,359 Speaker 3: fall and our episodes actually started coming out. It's hard 482 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:08,200 Speaker 3: to believe that everyone just stopped talking about the rebels 483 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:12,160 Speaker 3: at that point, and so we filed yet another open 484 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:15,280 Speaker 3: records request for everything since August second to Right now, 485 00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:18,359 Speaker 3: we're still waiting for them to acknowledge receipt, but we 486 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:21,280 Speaker 3: expect to be able to fill you in next episode. 487 00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 3: We've also reached out to people involved in those mascot 488 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:26,440 Speaker 3: meetings last spring and to the person that created the slideshow. 489 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:31,720 Speaker 3: So far as you might expect, nothing. Pouring through four 490 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:34,840 Speaker 3: hundred pages of emails is exhausting. Doing it at a 491 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:37,600 Speaker 3: time where Donald Trump has regained the White House and 492 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:40,120 Speaker 3: on day one began an assault on exactly what we've 493 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:42,680 Speaker 3: been talking about for the last six months. About creating 494 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:46,160 Speaker 3: spaces where everyone feels welcome, about accepting our history even 495 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:49,639 Speaker 3: when it's hard, About understanding how racism of the past 496 00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:52,960 Speaker 3: can still have ripple effects today. And DEI and birthright 497 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:55,840 Speaker 3: citizenship and dread Scott and the Civil War, and and 498 00:26:56,600 --> 00:27:00,800 Speaker 3: and about our fundamental right to exist against the attempts 499 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,040 Speaker 3: to write us out of the present and the past. 500 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:08,440 Speaker 3: That part has been really exhausting. But there's one more thing. 501 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:11,679 Speaker 3: In all those emails we got, there's one that I 502 00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:15,200 Speaker 3: keep thinking about. It's from March twenty twenty three. That's 503 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:17,560 Speaker 3: before we showed up in Florence, before we started work 504 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:20,720 Speaker 3: on this podcast, before the old cranks started writing in 505 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:24,280 Speaker 3: to complain, before anything. It's an email from a student. 506 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:29,280 Speaker 3: Their name is properly redacted to Principal Black in it. 507 00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:32,560 Speaker 1: They right here, missus Black. I believe we should try 508 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:35,520 Speaker 1: and get the school rebranded as of the fact that 509 00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:38,199 Speaker 1: we have no mascot and the gym feels very bland 510 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:40,760 Speaker 1: without a big face or Boone County on the wall, 511 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:43,600 Speaker 1: and a lot of other people believe that we shouldn't 512 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:46,879 Speaker 1: be the rebels anymore, we don't have a mascot. Also, 513 00:27:47,119 --> 00:27:50,240 Speaker 1: the school spirit needs to be revived with this, it 514 00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:53,159 Speaker 1: actually may be revived. I have talked to teachers at 515 00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:55,760 Speaker 1: Boone County and they believe that we should rebrand or 516 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:58,320 Speaker 1: just get a new mascot. I have talked to a 517 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,560 Speaker 1: principal and he said we should. So is there anything 518 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,120 Speaker 1: we the students can do to possibly get a new 519 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:05,320 Speaker 1: mascot or a brand? 520 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:09,040 Speaker 3: In light of everything going on in the country right now, 521 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:13,240 Speaker 3: changing a mascot might seem very small, because right now 522 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:18,360 Speaker 3: everything seems so big and insurmountable. But this email, sent 523 00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:21,080 Speaker 3: before any of this began, by a student who is 524 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:24,639 Speaker 3: just asking for the simplest thing to feel proud about 525 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:27,800 Speaker 3: their school, about where they live, is a reminder that 526 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:31,680 Speaker 3: small change is important too. Because if the seventy year 527 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:35,200 Speaker 3: reign of the Confederacy could finally end in Boone County 528 00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:38,400 Speaker 3: and the seventy year rain of the Boone County Bisons 529 00:28:38,680 --> 00:28:42,360 Speaker 3: or the Bulls or yes, even the Biscuits could begin, 530 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 3: if that change could happen, for this kid who wrote 531 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:48,840 Speaker 3: their principle almost two years ago, for all the kids 532 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:51,400 Speaker 3: at Boone now, for those of us that still live 533 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:53,840 Speaker 3: with the sting of the legacy of the past, then 534 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:57,360 Speaker 3: maybe a small change is worth it, because if you 535 00:28:57,360 --> 00:29:02,000 Speaker 3: can change one small thing, if that is possible, then maybe, 536 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:09,440 Speaker 3: just maybe the big things are too. Rebel Spirit is 537 00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 3: a production of Ninth Planet Audio in association with iHeart Podcasts. 538 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:16,320 Speaker 3: Reporting and writing by me Akila Hughes. I'm also an 539 00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:20,840 Speaker 3: executive producer and the host. Produced by Dan Sinker, edited 540 00:29:20,840 --> 00:29:23,960 Speaker 3: by Josie A. Zahm Additional editing on this episode by 541 00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:28,360 Speaker 3: Jennifer Dean. Music composed by Charlie Sun, Sound design and 542 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:31,440 Speaker 3: mixing by Josia zahmb Our theme song is All the 543 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:34,040 Speaker 3: Things I Couldn't Say, performed by Bussy and the Bass, 544 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:38,120 Speaker 3: courtesy of Arts and Crafts Productions, Inc. Our production coordinator 545 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:41,880 Speaker 3: is Kyle Hinton. Our clearance coordinator is Anna Sun Andschine. 546 00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:46,040 Speaker 3: Production accounting by Dill pret Singh. Additional research support from 547 00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:50,760 Speaker 3: Janis Dillard. Email reads by Nicole Thurman, Frank Garcia Hile, 548 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:56,000 Speaker 3: Hal Lovelin, John Tynan Am, Jenna Goosch, and Mason Smith. 549 00:29:56,920 --> 00:30:00,280 Speaker 3: Executive producers from Ninth Planet Audio are Elizabeth baquett In 550 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:04,160 Speaker 3: Jimmy Miller. If you'd like to see that Bison's presentation, 551 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:06,760 Speaker 3: along with the selection of other documents we got from 552 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:09,640 Speaker 3: the district, we've put them up on this episode's page 553 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:23,600 Speaker 3: of our new website, Rebelspirit podcast dot com.