Three Lenape Friends Create Freedom of Expression

Joselyn McGraw from Freeport (left), Brenna Conaway from Kittanning (middle), and Kelsey Eckman from Ford City (right) model their slogan shirts before the public meeting of the Joint Operating Committee at Lenape Tech in Ford City.

by David Croyle

For Joselyn McGraw from Freeport, Julie Cogley from West Kittanning and Laken Khromiak from Ford City, the possible change from a full-day program to a half-day program was more than they could tolerate.

They put their heads together and created a teeshirt with the acronym “KOLA” – Keep Our Lenape Academics. On the back of the teeshirt, they printed the grammatically correct statement: “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” 

“We were basing it off the H.E.R.O.-thing from Elderton,” McGraw said before the meeting of Lenape’s Joint Operating Committee last night. “We felt that the shirts would make a better statement rather than speaking.”

McGraw said the shirts were a hit with the students. “We sold more than we ordered. We ordered 20 and had to order three more times.”

McGraw said they only charged what the imprinter charged to make the shirts. “The money went directly to Helmets for the creation of the shirt. We charged whatever Helmets charged us.”  The shirts cost $8 each.