CORRAL
Parkway Central High School, 369 N. Woods Mill Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017, Vol 62, Issue 4, Feb. 13, 2018
GPAs and Standardized Tests Does the combination of GPA and standardized tests fairly and accurate depict student success in the face of mental, physical, emotional and social health? pg 12-13
2 CORRAL
CONTENTS
FEB. 13, 2018
CONTENTS
College athletes choose next steps pg. 6 Battling illness pg. 17 Winter car care pg. 23
Ben Flunker, seniors Hannah Mikitin, Nicole Fagin
Flunker subs for Mayes pg. 4
Senior Rheanna Morris
Swimmers win conference pg. 8
PHOTOS of the
Senior Allison Logan crowns senior Anthony Zuanich Mr. PCH at the King of Hearts dance at the Parkway Central Commons on February 3, 2018 while candidates Luke Voleller, Daniel Roman, and Charlie Rogers cheer. Zuanich represented Mr. Yearbook and battled his way through formal wear, talent and club wear competitions, all while raising money for Day of Service. Photo by Wagner Portraits.
ISSUE
At the Winter Pep Rally, seniors Jason Patelis and Hannah Briggs model Harry Potter fashion ahead of KISS Week. Photo by Jeri Saltzman.
3 CORRAL
NEWS
FEB. 13, 2018
TAMPONS ARE A NECESSITY CENTRAL SHOULD PROVIDE
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ne of the key themes of our generation is women’s empowerment- the #MeToo movement, the possibility of a woman president, Women’s Marches, and the fight for equality have roared into the spotlight and demand that attention be drawn to important issues. However, the fight is far from over. These issues affect the day to day lives of women from all walks of life and of all ages, including the girls here at Parkway Central High School. Tampons are a necessity, and they should be available, for free, at the nurse’s office. Girls get their periods every month, whether or not they talk about it. Tampons are an essential supply, and so unless you want your female sports teams gone, your female theatre cast to disappear, the girls in your classes to be gone every month, then tampons need to be available in the nurse or in a dispenser. Girls cannot always predict when they are going to start their period, and when it sneaks up by surprise one day at school, it is already em-
barrassing enough. Not everyone brings sanitary products to school on a daily basis, and girls may not always feel comfortable asking their friends who may not even have them anyways. There is no possible way that a girl can continue throughout the day without sanitary products. Already in pain, uncomfortable, embarrassed, and without money, the only option is to go home. Suddenly, a girl’s education is in jeopardy. Not everyone can afford to buy tampons every month. Girls missing school due to their period is not just a third world country problem; it could affect girls that we pass by in the hallways every day. Periods are the painful reality of being a girl. Girls can’t choose when they happen, they come whenever they want. Especially as an adolescent and a teenager, periods can be unpredictable, leading to unwanted surprises. If the school does not want to buy boxes of tampons each semester, then stage a tampon drive. Have people donate sanitary products such
Everyone is entitled to an education.
&
Yays Yays!
•• Go to your local Walgreens to get your discounted Valentine’s candy :) •• Spring sports are starting- let’s goooooooo! •• Less than six weeks until spring break- we can’t wait! •• SENIORS: LAST DAY IS IN 88 DAYS... •• Spring is on its way- it’s almost shorts weather.
Neighs Neighs •• Winter sports are wrapping up; it’s been real. •• It’s still cold out, and we’ve had enough. •• We are over 100 days into school. •• DON’T BACK INTO A PARKING SPACE IF THERE ARE PEOPLE BEHIND YOU. •• We are this far into winter, and we still have no snow days. What the heck, Parkway?!
as tampons so that there are always some on hand--for free--at the school nurse. Costco sells 96 tampons for $13.49. That’s essentially 14 cents per tampon, so why don’t we sell tampons for 25 cents to those who can afford them, and buy more tampons with the leftover money. Alternatively, the school could also host a tampon drive and then provide supplies for free. Everyone is entitled to an education. Tampons should be free in the nurse’s office or dispensers around school, because without them, there is a violation of the basic rights of humans, of Americans, and of women.
Corral’s choice:
Buy tampons in bulk and place dispensers in all of the girls restrooms
CORRAL Editor-in-Chief Libby Archer Managing Editor Athena Stamos News Editor Madeline Lee Staff Writers Gabby Abowitz David Amirdjanian Funmi Ayeni Henry T. Eubank Wesley Henshaw Samuel Keller Jenna Lazaroff Alex Maisenhelder Logan Potts Abby Prywitch Claudia Sanders Dani Schneiderman Nandhini Sivabalakannan Sydney Stahlschmidt Brett Smith Julia Solomon Adviser Mrs. Christine Stricker
What are your yays and neighs? pchcorral.com @pchcorral pch_corral Parkway Central Publications
We want to hear from you!
The Corral is a student-written, edited and produced publication of Parkway Central High School, 369 N. Woods Mill Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017; 314-415-7978. The Corral is given away free of charge to students and faculty. Subscriptions and patronships for one year may be purchased, starting at $20. The goal of this publication is to provide accurate, informative and entertaining information in the true spirit of responsible journalism and to operate as an open forum for students, faculty, administrators and parents. The Corral is created on Hewlett-Packard computers using Adobe Creative Suite 6 and is published by PJ Printing. Unsigned editorials reflect the views of the majority of the staff. Signed columns and artwork reflect the views of that individual. The staff appreciates comments and suggestions. Letters to the editor, guest editorials and other correspondence are encouraged but must be signed. The Corral reserves the right to publish or refrain from publishing, as well as edit, all submitted material.
4 CORRAL FEB. 13, 2018
NEWS
INTERIM PRINCIPAL BRINGS EXPRERIENCE AND FAMILIARITY HENRY T. EUBANK STAFF WRITER
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xcellency and proficiency are two words used to describe Ben Flunker by his co-administrators, who will be the interim assistant principal for the senior class while Dr. Mayes is out on maternity leave. Being an assistant principal is a prominent position at any high school. At a school where excellency is not only an expectation, but a requirement, the administration team feels they made a fine choice to replace Dr. Mayes while she is on maternity leave. “Regardless of the circumstance, it’s a challenge for students in the classroom because it just is. It causes that interruption, that consistency and continuity that is beneficial to students and their learning is interrupted,” Principal Dr. Tim McCarthy said. “Part of what we look for when we’re looking for that sub is who can fill in that spot and do the best job at minimizing that disruption.” Flunker has been the progress monitoring coach at Central for three years now. This requires him to be very informed on the progress students have been making throughout their years at Central. This position has given him a good idea of what the students needs are before he actually interacts with them, making his transition much easier. “I think Mr. Flunker is going to be a great person in that role,” McCarthy said. McCarthy made it very clear that he has full confidence in Mr. Flunker and his ability to carry out Dr. Mayes duties while she is finishing her maternity leave. Flunker has his masters in administration, which is preferred in the Parkway District. “It is certainly one of the things that made him qualified for the position and an appealing candidate,” McCarthy said. Flunker becoming the interim replacement for Dr. Mayes also minimized the disruption in other parts of the building, due to his familiarity and experience at Central High. When asked about the prospect of an outside hire McCarthy said that the school could have done that, but did not see any reason to do that because of how qualified and familiar Flunker already was with the job.
“A big part of the grade level administrators do is monitor the progress of their students academically... With his experience as progress monitoring coach he is familiar with those systems. So we kinda hit the ground running with him,” McCarthy said. Flunker has also interned with two other principals in Parkway, and has been the administrator at Parkway North’s summer school program. Mayes and Flunker are also very familiar with each other and had lots of conversations leading up to her maternity leave, which has helped with the transition. They also are involved in many of the same committees within the building. “It has been an easy transition, she helped me a lot before she left,” Flunker said. “The specific initiatives and activities that he was involved in, Dr. Mayes was also involved in,” McCarthy said. Flunker is excited and optimistic about the position he will be taking on, saying he is looking forward to working with seniors. He will also taken on a much larger workload in the coming months. While being the interim principal, he will also be continuing his duties as the progress monitoring coach. “I have these two jobs, four committees to run, four programs to run. I’m running parent teacher conferences which she does,” Flunker said. Time management has been an early challenge for Flunker because of his new load of responsibilities. Flunker stated that one of his and other administrators biggest jobs is managing their time correctly so that they can do their best work possible. “It has been an easy transition, she helped me a lot before she left,” Flunker said. Student confidence is very high in Mr. Flunker as an interim assistant principal. “I mean we loves Mayes, but we rock with Flunk too,” senior Gerald Lenoir said. Even though his success in this temporary role is not guaranteed, he has the full support of his fellow administrators, teachers, and most importantly, the students he will be overseeing.
“Being an administrator, you’re an octopus with 80 legs instead of eight,” -Ben Flunker,
interim assistant principal
Above, progress monitoring coach Ben Flunker talks with seniors Hannah Mikitin and Nicole Fagin in the hallway outside of the senior office. Flunker has filled in for assistant principal Dr. Shenita Mayes who took maternity leave in December and will return in March 2018. Photo by Henry Eubank. At left, assistant principal Dr. Shenita Mayes speaks during a open discussion following the verdict acquitting St. Louis police officer John Stockley of Anthony Lamar Smith’s murder. Mayes is the adviser of the Superintendent’s Social Justice Leadership Advisory Council. Photo by Christine Stricker.
Bottom: Link Crew club photo. Mayes and Flunker worked closely together in this organization which helps freshmen orient themselves with the school and connect with older high school students during their first year of high school. Photo by Wagner Portraits.
5 CORRAL
NEWS
FEB. 13, 2018
CHESTERFIELD MALL FUTURE IN LIMBO Dillard’s, American Girl and other retailers close, threaten the livelihood of other stores while fate is decided GABBY ABOWITZ STAFF WRITER
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he future of Chesterfield Mall is unknown as of now, but there have been a few theories announced. In a story published by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on July 17, 2017, Chesterfield’s Economic Development Director Libbey Malberg-Tucker said that eventually the mall will likely change. “We know it can’t remain all retail, and we’re open to it becoming a mixed-use development. Whether that’s office, hotel, living space, all of those things we’d embrace,” Tucker said. Malls all across the country have been going bankrupt and Chesterfield Mall is just one that has been affected. More people are leaning towards going to outlet malls for reasons such as more selection, cheaper prices, outdoor environment, and much more. Malls are becoming less popular and Chesterfield has done many things to try to save it. According to American Public Media’s Marketplace, “More malls are struggling as anchor stores close and online shopping continues to dominate. But at least one part of the bricks-andmortar retail industry is still thriving: outlet malls. These centers are a surging source of profits for retailers and pitch themselves as shopping destinations for tourists and cost-conscious brand hunters.” Chesterfield Mall is not just a store. It’s full of memories for some. “Chesterfield Mall is dead now but I miss it cause I used to go there when I was little,” freshman Ann-Marie Razny said. The mall had a major setback in September 2017 when a water main ruptured, flooding Dillard’s, causing it to close. There have been many signs showing that Dillard’s will not likely reopen.
As stores are closing it not only affects the amount of sales for the mall, but also many employees who work in them have lost their jobs. Sears worker senior Richard Waitz has only been working at Sears for about three months now. “Depending on the day, on average 100150 people come in each day. Overall, the decrease in customers hasn’t really affected sales that much,” Waitz said. Senior Alexis Morkisz works at Claire’s at the Chesterfield Mall and she has heard rumors of the mall’s future. “I’ve heard that the mall is going up for auction in February and that whoever buys it is going to tear it down and build something like apartment buildings,” Morkisz said. The Corral has not confirmed this information. Morkisz has been working at the mall since this past Halloween. As pictured, there are three empty stores in a row along with many others in Chesterfield Mall. Photo taken by Gabby “It’s been super slow and I used to Abowitz. work at Journeys before that. It’s across the hallway and it used to be pretty busy selling American Girl Doll stores. “The decision was based on and now you see it gradually just slowing down,” Morkisz said. the current challenges facing the mall property, which have adEvery week more closing announcements are being made, a versely impacted our store’s business,” said Susan Jevers, a brand recent closing of a popular restaurant, California Pizza Kitchen. spokesperson. “I’m mad it closed. Now I have to go to the West County Store closings also mean lost jobs. With American Girl’s clolocation which is farther away but it’s worth it,” freshman Ellie sure, it affects 10 full-time employees and 27 part-time employMueller said. ees. American Girl is celebrating it’s 25th birthday but the In April, the mall’s value was halved, from $63.5 million in Chesterfield Mall location won’t celebrate a 26th. American May 2016 to $30.2 million, according to the latest data provided Girl will be closing February 21. It used to be one of the top by securities and investment analytics firm Trepp.
Icy Streets and Cold Temps Complicate Commutes DAVID AMIRDJANIAN STAFF WRITER
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ebruary is the month of the Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day, and if Parkway Central high schoolers are lucky, snow days. But how does Parkway determine a snow day? “Parkway utilizes the National Weather Service’s wind chill chart as a guide when determining whether to close school or reduce recess time due to cold temperatures,” Parkway School’s Superintendent Dr. Keith Marty wrote in a letter sent out to the district, “Keep in mind the wind chill chart is a guideline, not a rule.” While Parkway doesn’t have a hard-and-fast rule for calling a snow day, one thing that the administration considers when calling school is safe travel to school. When facing winter weather, transportation becomes more dangerous. Both students and staff have different motivations when dealing with bad weather though. “The biggest struggle I face is the traffic, along with the weather,” English teacher Laura Michael said. “For my own commute, even rain or ice, people aren’t always as cautious as they should be [when driving].” Michael lives in the metro east area, and has to commute fifty minutes to an hour (in optimal conditions) to get to Parkway Central High. “I have to take in consideration that the fact that the road conditions in southern Illinois, might be different from what Chesterfield is
facing,” Michael said. “That’s one reason during the winter, I have to prepare myself that I might need to leave earlier than usual on some days, because I’d imagine that they would not be able to take my drive into account in comparison to the local area.” Derek Duncan, the Senior Digital Communications Specialist for Parkway, says that safety is the priority when Parkway determines a change in school schedule. “Our director of transportation drives out and checks the conditions to make sure they are safe for transportation kids to and from school,” Duncan said. But not everyone that comes to school is from the Chesterfield area, as Michael said. But she knows that her situation as a teacher is unique. “As a teacher, [the weather policies] are a little different, especially for me, I chose to work here, I choose to come here,” said Michael. “I don’t think they should be concerned about my safety, but I do hope if the weather genuinely gets that bad, I hope that they don’t ask me to come into work, or understand that I might not be able to get there.” Another student, sophomore Bernarya Collins, lives in University City. She also has anemia, so cold weather is a more than a hassle; it affects her health. “It got to -17 degrees that one day, but we still had school. I didn’t even go [to school] that day, because I knew I’d get sick,” said Bernarya. “I don’t even have a guaranteed way to get
to school, so having more days like that would definitely keep me from going to school.” Weather also slows her commute down. “When there’s snow, there’s usually more traffic, and [the traffic] just moves slower for
Traffic at Central at 7:10 in the morning. Photo by David Amirdjanian.
me, so it’s just overall an obnoxious situation to be in,” Bernarya said. “I don’t live close to school, but the drive takes about 25 minutes in optimal conditions.” Collins said.
6 CORRAL
SPORTS
FEB. 13, 2018
COMMITTED COLLEGE ATHLETES Seniors will be showing their talents all over the Midwest next year
Senior Michael Ellinger has chosen to go Westminster College, a Division III school. “The coach told me that I had a spot on Nov. 30,” Ellinger said. The day Ellinger got the letter is also the day he decided that he was going to go there. Westminster College is in Fulton, Missouri. Just over one and a half hours away. “The location was important to my parents in case they wanted to come and watch me,” Ellinger said. Westminster is not a Junior College, so Michael is planning to stay at Westminster for four years. Ellinger was not able get an athletic scholarship due to Westminster being Division III. He will be playing the same position at Westminster as he did for PCH varsity soccer, defense. Ellinger believes there will be lots of competition for the starting spots, since they have been a successful team as of late.
Lizzy Millner is a senior who has committed to Southwestern Illinois College(SWIC), a school in the Great Rivers Athletic Conference, which belongs to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). “I officially signed my letter on Dec. 8,” Millner said. Millner received on a full athletic scholarship including room. Southwestern Illinois is a junior college, so Millner will be there for two years before moving on to a different college to finish her education. Signing with Southwestern Illinois also gave her the ability to still play softball in college “This gave me the option to either keep playing softball at a higher level or go to a larger school and stop playing,” Millner said. Millner will be playing both pitcher and center field while at Southwestern Illinois. Millner is very confident in being able to attain a starting spot on the team. “There won’t be very much competition since the pitchers are graduating this year,” Millner said. Millner enjoyed success at the high school level, winElizabeth Millner (12) getting ready to release the ball. ning conference her junior year and playing for the Photo by Jennifer Thomasason. Photo by Corral Staff. district championship the past two years. “Something people may not know about me is that I can bat both right and left handed,” Millner said. Millner is very excited and cannot wait to start her time at Southwestern Illinois College.
Marissa Brady is a senior who committed to Truman State University, a Division II school. “I committed on Jan 22,” Brady said. Marissa Brady committed to Truman for track and field, which she has been doing since freshman year. Brady will be doing the triple jump, long jump, and sprints. Truman’s location was also a factor. “Truman is close to home, it would allow me to come home on weekends, but far enough away to experience something different than what I grew up with,” Brady said. Truman is located in Kirksville, Missouri just under three hours away. Brady hopes to perform well for the Bulldogs. “Getting the opportunity to compete at the collegiate level is an amazing opportunity in itself. I’m going to have to work hard everyday to make sure to meet the requirements that the coach and team have as well as reach personal goals I have for myself,” Brady said. Marissa Brady (12) puts everything into her triple jump. Brady had great success at the high school Photo by John Jost. level, qualifying for state in both the long jump and triple jump. Brady also qualified for the USATF Junior Olympics during the summer. Brady is also excited for this upcoming track season and has many goals that she hopes to reach.
Claire Whitehouse, a four year varsity volleyball player, committed to Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. Westminster is a division III school in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC). “Westminster’s location was an upside. It is close to family and gives the small school aspect,” Whitehouse said. Whitehouse emailed the coach last May and she replied quickly to ask her to come and visit. In the end Whitehouse decided to go to Westminster to play Volleyball. “There will definitely be some competition on the team, but not too much,” Whitehouse said. Whitehouse was successful in her time on Varsity, she even was captain her senior year. Whitehouse played middle hitter. The middle hitter is the person Her new coach also enjoyed success in her career. “My volleyball coach is from Poland… she has also played professional volleyball overseas,” Whitehouse said. Besides having an experienced volleyball coach, Westminster also has some aspects that hold historical meaning. “Westminster College is where Winston Churchill gave his Iron Curtain speech, and they have a piece of the Berlin Wall,” Whitehouse said.
ALEX MAISENHELDER STAFF WRITER
Michael Ellinger (12) posing in his Westminster apparel. Photo by Alex Maisenhelder.
Michael Ellinger(12) signing his letter of intent. Photo by Sydney Stahlschmidt.
Lizzy Millner(12) signing her letter of intent. Photo by Sydney Stahlschmidt.
Claire Whitehouse (12) goes up to block. Photo by Matzdorf.
Marissa Brady(12) signing her letter of intent. Photo by Sydney Stahlschmidt.
Claire Whitehouse(12) signing her letter of intent. Photo by Sydney Stahlschmidt.
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SPORTS
FEB. 13,2018
CORRAL
END
ERA
of an
PCH grad Luke Trail heads for home on April 6, 2017. Photo by Tara Stepanek.
ASSISTANT BASEBALL COACH STEPS DOWN LOGAN POTTS STAFF WRITER
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welve years. That’s how long Mike Feit has been a baseball coach at Parkway Central. But this year, Feit made the decision to step down from coaching. He will continue his teaching career here at Central as a special ed teacher. “I have 4 boys at home that are starting to get older,” Feit said. “Life at home is changing and I want to be a part of it and not miss out.” Although he will be enjoying spending time with his family, he will miss being a coach. “I’ll miss the relationships with the players and the other coaches,” Feit said. “The relationship between a coach and a player is a different relationship then the relationship between a teacher and a student.” Feit has helped the program in many ways as he has coached all levels of baseball at Central. Recently he was a pitching coach for the varsity team. “I believe the program has helped me more than I’ve helped the program,” Feit said. “If there’s one thing I can say I contributed was enthusiasm and a love for the game.” One non-player that will miss having Feit as a coach is varsity Head Coach, Scott Davis. “Coach Feit is irreplaceable. There is no one who could replace such a great human being such as Coach Feit, both on and off the field,” Davis said. “Coach Feit
has helped me tremendously. He kept all of the pitchers organized, handled all of their bullpen work, and helped out with anything else you could have asked him to help out with.” Although Feit believes the program
had a bigger impact on him then he did on the program, Davis believes that he had a great impact on the program. “The pitchers will certainly miss coach Feit and his wisdom, his routine, his knack for helping kids develop pitches that are best for that individual,” Davis said. “The team will miss his positive
attitude that he brought everyday. I will miss being able to send the pitchers over to him and know they are getting great work in, the talks before and after practice, the positive outlook on everything, his help with keeping the field looking as good as we can get it, his boys coming up to Saturday practices with him, and his overall presence in the program. Coach Feit will truly be missed in all aspects of the baseball program at Parkway Central for years to come.” He not only had an impact on the team, but the players themselves. “Coach Feit coached all 3 levels of baseball at Parkway Central so he was able to reach many kids throughout his years at Central,” Davis said. “Any past player that comes back they always ask me how Coach Feit is doing, which tells you the impact he had on them.” Sophomore pitcher Anthony Klein was one of the players that worked with him. “He was always in a good mood, kind, and always there for me,” Klein said. “He just put me in a good mood to pitch.” Although the baseball program will miss him, everybody wishes him well on his personal journey that he will have with his family. Left: Former Assistant Coach Mike Feit. “The pitchers will certainly miss coach Feit and his wisdom, his routine, his knack for helping kids develop pitches that are est for that individual.” Right: Anthony Klein pitches to catcher Carter Spradling. “I’ll miss his great attitude and care for all the players.” Photo by Tara Stepanek.
8 CORRAL
SPORTS
FEB. 13, 2018
SWIM & DIVE CONFERENCE CHAMPS AGAIN JULIA SOLOMON STAFF WRITER
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This year we are more of a team then we were my last two years,” junior Emma Barnes said. The girls swim and dive have had a winning season and even more importantly have come together as a team. Other swimmers feel the same way, including sophomore Grace Hansen. “We have grown as a team to support each other in all of our meets and individual goals,” Hansen said. Captains senior Shelby Ripp and senior Alexis Poe work hard to make sure their team is together as one and has bonded as a team. Poe and Ripp plan team dinners and a scavenger hunt that everyone enjoyed. They also have a big responsibility of making sure everyone keeps their head held high. “Being captain just pretty much means keeping up the tradition and making sure we keep our cheers going, and doing the fun team bonding,” Ripp said. Like Ripp, Poe also enjoys the emotional connection and the team activities. “I love being able to schedule team bonding and get the team to become really close. We also try our best to give guidance to the underclassman and help them with anything they need and give them instructions during meets or practices,” Poe said. Shelby has a vested interest in supporting the younger girls on the team because one of them is her sister, freshman Maggie Ripp. “It’s really exciting being on a team with my sister because she’s super nice to me, and she’s a senior so she’s like my mom on the on the swim team,” Maggie said.
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Maggie strives to be like her sister and it makes her work harder each practice and meet. Maggie has even qualified for state in the 100 back with a time of 1:04.57. The girls not only have bonded but have worked incredibly hard to accomplish their goals. They have had many meets where they compete against multiple schools, but the one that stands out the most is the out of town tournament in Cape Girardeau. Parkway Central got fifth overall out of 25 teams. Not only did they place well, but this meet brought them together as a team. “The Cape Girardeau meet is our travel meet and that’s always a lot of fun. Just team bonding wise and we kinda have brought vine back, which is always a good thing,” Shelby said. The girls dive team has also had a winning season. Freshman Kate Orso is in her first year of diving. ”We all did good. Everyone learned a half a list (six dives) and learned more dives to compete. Everyone who competed at the competition in Cape Girardeau did really good and we had a lot of fun,” Orso said. Sophomore Catherine Ke is in her second year of dive. “I enjoy dive because of the experiences with the people and how we bond everyday inside and outside of school,” Ke said. Sophomore Lily Eckenrode broke a school record with a score of 241.25 doing six dives consisting of back one-and-ahalf, a forward one somersault, one twist (front flip full twist), a back one-and-one-half somersault (back one half), a forward two somersaults (double) reverse dive, and an inward and one-half somersaults. Shelby Ripp has qualified for state in the 200 Individual Medley with a time of 2:16.31, 100 breast with 1:11.75, and 500
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free with 5:28.26. Alexis Poe will be competing in the 50 free with 25.12 and 100 free with 54.92. Sophomore Abby Levine has qualified in the 100 breast with a time of 1:07.79, and 100 butterfly with 1:01.04. Junior Becca Waxberg has qualified for the 100 butterfly with 1:01.61. Lastly, Parkway Central has qualified in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:54.67 and the 400 free relay with 3:54.17. On Feb. 6, Parkway Central won the Suburban Central Conference swim meet. The Colts head to state on Feb. 15-16 at the St. Peters Rec Plex.
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3 1. Freshman Irene Zang swims backstroke. Photo taken by Wagner Portraits. 2. Juniors Anna Welker, Tiffany Huang, and Annemarie Campbell smile during a meet. 3. Sophomore Morgan Shea performing breaststroke. Photo taken by Wagner Portaits. 4. Sophomore Lily Eckenrode performing a hurdle getting ready to dive. Photo taken by Wagner Portraits. 5. Senior Rheanna Morris coming up for a breath during a freestyle event. Photo taken by Wagner Portraits.
9 CORRAL FEB 9, 2018
mission
FEATURES
with a message
JUNIOR EXPERIENCES FIRST MEDICAL MISSION TRIP ATHENA STAMOS MANAGING EDITOR
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-year-old Cathryne Sheridan was in surgery. However, she wasn’t the patient. Sheridan went on her first mission trip in the Dominican Republic along with her father and other doctors. Sheridan assisted in many knee surgeries, and felt that “I was thrown in the deep end like I wasn’t ready for it.” “I felt really empowered that I actually made a difference in people’s lives,” Sheridan said, “Even the smallest actions make a big difference.” Most of the time, Sheridan would wash medical instruments, hand prescriptions to patients, organize a lot of tools, and in the meantime she would watch the surgery and help out any way she could. This was Sheridan’s first time shadowing. “It was a little nerve wracking walking into it,” Sheridan said. “But I definitely have a new interest in medicine.“ Sheridan watched many knee surgeries, and felt that “I was thrown in the deep end like I wasn’t ready for it.” Sheridan did not need any experience for this position, just approval from Professor Juan Bosch that deals with the program. Sheridan traveled with her father who is a first assistant surgical tech and group of doctors from St. Louis and from Portland. This is his fourth time. “My dad’s been wanting me to go for a while,” Sheridan said. For four days of the trip, Sheridan woke up at 6 a.m., got on the bus, drove to the hospital named La Vega, and would work for ten hours a day, and sometimes even longer. Many doctors on the mission trip got sick due to eating something that was washed with water like salad. Sheridan saw a difference in the hospital in the Dominican versus the U.S. In addition, doctors from St. Louis had to bring various instruments due to the lack of supplies accessible. The trip in total lasted 9 days, and occurs every January. This program started eight years ago. Sheridan will continue to get involved with the medical field, and will soon attend more mission trips.
Above: Sheridan assists in a knee surgery during her mission trip. She enjoyed shadowing and working behind the scenes. Photo courtesy of Tom Stamos Right: Sheridan and her father pose in front of the operating room after a day of surgeries. Prior to the procedure, Sheridan had to prep the medical instruments. Photo courtesy Tom Stamos Left: Sheridan poses in front of the hospital after a day in the operating room heading to the shuttle bus. Sheridan would spend time with other surgeons, and anesthesiologists outside of the hospital. Photo courtesy of Tom Stamos
10CORRAL
FEATURES
FEB.13, 2018
Winter
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Spirit Despite cold temperatures, Colts’ spirit prevails ATHENA STAMOS MANAGING EDITOR
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1. All the Mr. PCHs’ gather in a huddle as senior Nate Moore is being carried. During the pep rally, all Mr. PCH contestants had to perform a dance. Photo by Jeri Saltzman
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2. Freshman Hannah Krivelow from JV Cheer poses at the top of the pyramid. Photo by Jeri Saltzman 3.Junior Kaleb Thomas dances with senior Alyssa Kendrick for the Guy and Girl Dance. Photo by Jeri Saltzman 4. From left to right, senior Hannah Mikitin, junior Katie Kertzman, senior Meghan Kane, and sophomore Maddie Oliver perform a dance with the rest of the Varsity Dance team. Photo by Jeri Saltzman 5. Junior Jenna Boonshaft cheers with vtarsity cheer during the Winter Pep Rally. Photo by Jeri Saltzman 6. Senior Daniel Buffum walks into the gymnasium as Mr. Volleyball. Photo by Jeri Saltzman
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11 CORRAL
FEATURES
FEB. 13, 2018
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who will be the next
MR.PCH?
The contestants duke it out for the crown in fashion, talent, dance, spirit and fundraising battles ATHENA STAMOS MANAGING EDITOR
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1. Senior Nate Moore, Mr. Track hurdles his way during the Mr. PCH talent show. Photo by Gabby Abowitz, Louie Imbs, and Sydney Kolker 2. Seniors Luke Voeller, Daniel Buffum, and Anthony Zuanich dance to “YMCA” as their talent. Photo by Gabby Abowitz, Louie Imbs, and Sydney Kolker 3 Junior Gottlieb Gerstenecker and senior Phoebe King strut down in the beginning of the pageant. Photo by Gabby Abowitz, Louie Imbs, and Sydney Kolker 4. Senior Cameron Baird’s talent for the talent show was eating ramen. He requested more time from the judges. Photo by Gabby Abowitz, Louie Imbs, and Sydney Kolker 5. Senior Jordyn Perry spins senior Jacob Gaincola in front of the judges in the gymnasium. Photo by Gabby Abowitz, Louie Imbs, and Sydney Kolker 6. Senior Kazu Gavin waves to the crowd as he enters the gym with senior Grace Northcott. Photo by Gabby Abowitz, Louie Imbs, and Sydney Kolker
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12 CORRAL
COVER STORY
FEB 13, 2018
GPA HOLDS PERCEPTIONS, STRESS, STEREOTY MADELINE LEE NEWS EDITOR
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n high school, grades can feel like the most important thing in the world. They cause students to stay up until the early hours of the morning, to get up early to talk to teachers, to make sacrifices, and to feel a wide range of emotions from stress to apathy. However one feels about it, GPA is a key part of high school life.
Looking towards the future GPA is a source of stress, anxiety, pride, and gratification that plays a key role in getting to places after high school. “All of my friends have 4.0s,” sophomore Adam Hamelback said. “I didn’t want to say anything about my GPA, which was a little low.” A member of the marching band and cross country team, Hamelback felt insecure about his GPA and therefore did not want to tell his friends what it was, since theirs was higher than his. While the difference between a 3.8 and a 4.0 is small, it can sound like a lot more. GPA insecurity is something that most students feel- students that have 2.5s to 4.0s. However, it can feel lonely at times. “I felt left out,” Hamelback said. “I felt like I needed to do better, and my GPA did improve by .2 points. I now have a 3.5.” Improving one’s GPA is a lot harder than lowering it, and that difficulty only increases with the amount of years a student is in high school. This means that if your GPA is not up to a college’s standards senior year, you should try to rely on other factors to gain admittance. “I want to go to Mizzou,” Hamelback said. “But if I ever wanted to go to a nicer colleges, then yeah, I’m a little worried [about my GPA].” How a college decides to admit a student is up to the college themselves. For example, Truman State University, located in Kirksville, MO, does what is called a holistic review. “This allows us to review all elements of the student’s application to assess if they are academically prepared for Truman,” Associate Director of Admissions at Truman State University, Jill Graves said. “Yes, we are looking for strength and success in the classroom and strong test scores… but we also look at the strength of the coursework... as well as the essay and resume.” The holistic review mindset is a reason why Truman State does not have a minimum GPA or ACT/ SAT score for admission. “GPA is important,” Graves said. “But at Truman, it’s not just about the number.” However, not all colleges take part in holistic review. “[Here at Missouri State] our absolute minimum GPA required for admission is a 2.5,” Associate Director at the Office of Admissions for Missouri State University, Matt Magruder, said. “Then for the test scores, we use a sliding scale. This means that the lower the GPA, the higher an ACT a student will need.” There are multiple ways that a college can decide to admit students. The Corral reached out to Washington University, the University of Missouri-Columbia, and the University of Kansas, but received no reply. Applying to college can be a daunting process for some, and the anxiety that a person feels can increase tenfold if one feels that they do not meet the standards of acceptance. “I’ve been scared to apply to college and to go in general,” senior Payton Shukri said. “I got
an 18 on the ACT and that, along with my GPA, is definitely not up to most college’s standards.” There are many options for after high school including the military, a technical college, and, like i Shukri’s case, a gap year. “I’m taking a gap year,” Shukri said. “Just to focus on myself and have a mental break before prob going to community college.” Community college is a popular option for students with lower GPAs and standardized test scores. “I wanted to go to Harvard,” senior Brenden Tucker said. “I’m slacking on the GPA level though, s I’m going to community college.” Hoping to raise his GPA, Tucker had a 2.1 during the time of interview. Community college is not the only option for after high school, and, as stated earlier, students hav other options such as the armed forces. “I’m not applying to colleges or looking for any,” senior Richard Waitz said. “I joined the Army. M GPA(2.4) and my ACT(18) did not affect my decision though.” All in all, no matter the GPA or ACT/SAT scores of a person, there are plenty of options for the future.
Perception
GPA can affect how a student sees themselves based on how much importance they place of their grades and what their GPA actually is. Often times, this connotation is negative. “I’m not the wisest bird in the shed,” senior Brenden Tucker said. “Right now I have a 2.1.” However, GPA can also positively affect how a person sees themselves. “I take pride in having a high GPA,” freshman Precious Adeoy said. “I like to talk about it since I’ the type of person who has my head straight.” While maybe not altering a person’s self-perception, it can alter how a person feels about themselv “At the swim banquet, I was a little disappointed when I got my scholar athlete award,” junior Th Gibson said. “The awards say everyone’s GPA on it for the first six weeks, and it was lower than I ex ed.” GPA also affects how a person believes that others see them- if others think highly of them or not “My parents asked me what my GPA was,” Shukri said. “It was uncomfortable to tell them.” Family can often add pressure onto schooling and grades, which can potentially lead to a decrease in self-esteem “I have the lowest GPA in my family,” Waitz said. “My siblings are both younger than me, so it makes me ashamed.” Not everyone is hesitant about their grades, though. “I like to say that I have a high GPA,” Adeoy said. “I don’t like being compared to anyone else.”
To honors or to not The idea of a weighted grade is attractive to many people, but the difficulty and rigor of honors classes can make the probability of achieving that grade slim. “Looking at the strength of the coursework is important [to Truman],” Graves said. “Truman
Grades Performance Achievements
13 CORRAL
YPES OVER STUDENTS
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COVER STORY
FEB.13, 2018
is looking for solid, well-prepared students.” Students have dropped honors classes in order to raise their GPA, because even though no weighted grade is given in regular classes, it is often easier to obtain an A. “The hardest classes [at Parkway Central] have got to be AP Lit or AP Physics,” Zuanich said. “I’ve heard pretty scary things about them.” The decision to join an honors class should be discussed with teachers, parents, and oneself. When dropping honors classes or rising up to them, a student must meet with the head of the department in order to discuss their decision. This shows thorough thinking and the understanding of one’s academic future.
Upperclassmen Advice Already having gone through over half of high school, many upperclassmen advise the younger students over things such as college applications and GPA. “Ask for help if you need it,” Shukri said. “Don’t be afraid, everyone needs help.” Many teachers have resources available for help before, during, and after school, and in AC Lab. Utilizing those is important and a key to academic success. “Setting and striving for goals is important,” senior Anthony Zuanich said. “But know your limits.” In agreement with this advice is other peers, teachers, and members of the counseling staff. “If you have a 2.3 and a 12 on the ACT,” college counselor Nana Prange said during Class of 2019 meetings, “Then you should probably not be looking at Harvard.” Instead, Prange recommends putting schools into categories- reach schools, safety schools, and the middle. “Reach schools are where it may be a bit of a stretch in acceptance, fit, and financial categories,” Prange’s junior class 2019 PowerPoint read. This means that the school may not ‘click’ with a student, it may be difficult to get in due to grades, or it may be difficult to afford it. “A safety school is one where you are almost guaranteed to get in and you are able to afford it,” Prange’s powerpoint said. Overall, a student should apply to a variety of colleges.
ACT has history few know
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he ACT has a long history. Created in 1959 by Everett Franklin Lindquist at the Univeristy of Iowa, its goal was to replace the SAT which dominated admissions for about 20 years. Standing for American College Test, the aim of the ACT was to test information learned in the classroom instead of cognitive reasoning across the board. It tested multiple areas and assesses strengths and weaknesses, and was the first standardized test to include a science section. Originally, students had 45 minutes each for English, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Natural Sciences on the 0-36 scale.. It became popular in the central and midwest parts of the United States. 13 years after its debut, the number of students taking the ACT had increased to over one million. In 1989, the test was restructured and is now the version that we take today. Natural Science became science reasoning, and has not changed since then. Social Studies disappeared to become the reading section. The math section added trigonometry and pre-algebra, and the English section moved the focus from grammar to writing skills. The scale also moved from 0-36 to 1-36. In 1996, the ACT changed so that its name no longer was an acronym, and in 2005 the ACT added an optional writing section. In 2015, the time allotted also changed to become 35 minutes for Science, 60 minutes for Math, 35 minutes for Reading, and 45 minutes for English. The ACT is now the most popular college admissions test. *Information gathered from prepscholar.com.
14CORRAL
FEATURES
FEB. 13, 2018
LONG TERM RELATIONSHIPS AFFECT COLLEGE CHOICES LIBBY ARCHER EDITOR IN CHIEF
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ith college looming in the not too far distance, seniors are having to make the more difficult decisions about their future. One of these more intense decisions is if they will stay with their high school significant other next year. With some of the longer relationships, the act of saying goodbye can be incredibly difficult.
Sophomore lived in three countries
Sophomore Jack Williams with his mom on Jeju Island in South Korea. Photo courtesy of Jack Williams
ATHENA STAMOS MANAGING EDITOR
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hree countries in 15 years. Jack Williams, throughout his life, has lived in three countries: United States, South Korea, and Australia. Due to his father having a job with Boeing as a defense contractor, Williams had to move three times. Moving and experiencing these countries made Williams “a lot smarter, and more open-minded.” Williams spent second through fourth grade in Australia, and sixth through eighth grade in South Korea. According to Williams, South Korea felt much more academic, and “nobody did extracurricular activities; they would just have private tutors.” For Australia, Williams enjoyed the weather and felt sports were emphasized more than academics. Williams felt that sports in South Korea weren’t as competitive as Australia. “In South Korea, there was really no hanging out with friends,” Williams said. However, in Australia, every other Friday, students would have a half-day in order to play sports. It was in South Korea that the Williams family gained two new members. A dog named Max and Olivia, William’s little sister who was adopted from China. Williams was hoping to attend the Olympics in South Korea, however his father’s contract ended. In Australia, the only pets Williams had were eleven fish in which he had to leave them all behind. Williams has been in the United States since eighth grade, and enjoys the balance of sports and academics.
Others have made the decision to not say no at all. Senior Mackenzie Beaver and her boyfriend have been together for 3 ½ years. With him being a year older than her, she had to have the discussion a while before even having any idea where she would be attending school. Beaver is going to University of Missouri next year but her boyfriend decided to stay in town with the A+ program and go to St. Louis Community College–Meramec. “When I was a sophomore I was really worried about him going to college because this was at the beginning of our relationship,” Beaver said. “But him deciding on Meramec just gave me more time to figure everything out. Now I am the one who is going to be leaving so I am a hypocrite.” Beaver wants to stay with her boyfriend throughout college but chose University of Missouri because of their law program. “If we are going to stay in this long term relationship we both need to be successful in our careers or we might blame each other,” Beaver said. “Whatever we do, we do it to further each other so that we are both succeeding.” Even the longer relationships can be harder to keep up at such a distance though. Senior Sam Pannet and his girlfriend senior Sydney Hollett have been together for six years, but knew early on that they weren’t looking at the same schools. “When she first decided on University of Kansas I thought about going there, but then I just thought about how far and expensive it is,” Pannet said. “I wanted to stay close and save money so I decided on Missouri State.” For people who have spent so much of their lives together, this separation can be a tricky thing. Pannet and Hollett are going to go from seeing each other on a daily basis, maybe seeing each other once every few months. With FaceTime and text the distance might not seem too far, but being in different states can completely change your college experience. Senior Abby Brand has had to deal with the separation for the past year since her boyfriend went off to University of Missouri. “The transition was really hard from seeing each other all the time, to not seeing each other at all. He used to live 7 minutes away from me and now he lives in Columbia,” Brand said. Brand and her boyfriend had only been dating for one summer before they decided that they would try things out for his freshman year. “We actually originally planned to break up. We had a really great time over the summer and since Columbia is not that far away, we decided to at least try it out,” Brand said. “If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work, but at least we tried.” Though they have not been together as long as other long term high school relationships, they found a way to stay together even with the distance.
Though Brand has not decided on a school yet, her choice will not be influenced by the distance from her boyfriend. “Obviously you want to be close to the person you are with, but you have to choose a school that is right for yourself and your own future,” Brand said. “We are so young that you can’t really base your future off of another person. It’s not fair to yourself.” Beaver also made her decision based on the future she wants to have, not solely on her distance to her boyfriend. “I made my school decision knowing that his opinion matters, but it’s really up to me,” Beaver said. “I think that this is going to further my career and Mizzou is going to help with that. He approves of it but more importantly, I approve of it.” The hopes of a promising future can be overshadowed by a relationship that feels like it will last forever. Though many people are dissuaded from staying with their high school love because of fear of missing out on the “college experience”, many couples feel that their relationship can pass the test of time. “I know I will still be able to have fun and be able to have someone that I can always go to,” Brand said. For Beaver, she is in it for the long run. With hopes for a promising future with her boyfriend, she still took into consideration the distance between her new school and her old home. “He is my family now,” Beaver said. Overall, most high school couples can agree that the constant questions on when they and their significant other are breaking up, can really get on your last nerve. “People doing this little awkward thing where they go “so what is going to happen?” and what they are really saying is “are you going to break up or not? ”This is one, not their business, and two very annoying,” Beaver said.
Left to right: Senior Mackenzie Beaver and her boyfriend of 3 1/2 years, at her junior prom. Seniors Sam Pannett and Sydney Holett at their junior prom.
15CORRAL
FEATURES
FEB. 13, 2018
SIGN LANGUAGE COMING TO PARKWAY SCHOOLS SYDNEY STAHLSCHMIDT STAFF WRITER
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ASL bridges the communication gap between deaf and hearing people and is currently the third most used language in the United States,” Parkway West ASL (American Sign Language teacher Tiffani Simmons said. There are many people around the world who have a loss of hearing. In Missouri alone, 60,000 people are hearing impaired. To meet this demand, Parkway Schools decided to make an online virtual ASL class. According to Amy Belding, Parkway’s modern and classical language coordinator, there has been a huge increase in students enrolling in and requesting for ASL classes. Parkway thought this would be a great way for students to learn more about the sign language culture and for another unique language to take to increase knowledge and complete college language requirements. Lecturer in Audiology and Communication services at Washington University, Justine Preston, said this course will not only teach students the language of ASL but will help with the real world environment. “Those learning ASL will become more attuned to others’ facial expressions and body language, as well as looking for actual signing,” Preston said. A sign language course might also provide a bigger comfort for deaf peers in a school environment. “For some students who know ASL or are deaf, it might provide them with a sense of community, in that some of their peers are learning about an important part of their every-
day lives, and respecting it as a valued language,” Director of Parkway Central French teacher, Lori Turnage said. Deaf Education Studies and Associate Professor of Otolaryngolo“Taking any language allows students to reflect on gy at Washington University, Heather Hayes said. how messages are communicated. Words are important no matter However, while Hayes and Preston think that this is verbal or not. They also learn about the people who use the a very important course to be teaching at a public school, the language, and learn about themselves and beliefs in the process,” online aspect may not be as beneficial for the learning of the Turnage said. overall aspect of ASL. While only an online option currently for almost all “My first Parkway schools, Parkway West offers instinct is that a face-to-face class. Mostly, because online is a little less West has the largest amount of the deaf desirable. A teacher population of students in Parkway at in a classroom is their school, but if the popularity of this able to walk around course continuously grows they will most and see what each likely consider making an in person class student is doing --Justine Preston, district-wide. and correct their According to most of the counhand movements Lecturer in Audiology and Communica- selors not many students are considering or show them signs taking the class so far. However, there tion Services at Washington University are students who would be interested in from several angles,” Preston said. learning more or are curious about the AccordASL culture. ing to Preston and Hayes, ASL culture is equally important for “Hearing there would be a sign language course I imstudents to study and understand. With all languages to fully mediately thought I wanted to do it because I think it would be understand the language you are learning, you have to know an interesting language to learn,” freshman Kaylee Canoy said. the culture behind all of it. Preston said before working with While sign language is an extremely popular and deaf students, she never would have known about their unique largely used language, it is not universal. They have hundreds of behaviors, beliefs, and more, that are different from those of the different dialects around the world. There are also many other hearing. unique traits that separate ASL from other languages. This course will not be much different from learning “It is visual, not spoken, and their is no written form. a language like Spanish, French, or German. No matter what, It even has its own grammar and syntax. But it does focus on when learning a new language their will always be difficulties, expressive production just like other world wide languages,” because you are not experienced in the history of that language, Simmons said.
“As many people don’t know, while we call them ‘deaf’, they call us ‘hearing.”
16 CORRAL
FEATURES
FEB. 13, 2018
LUKAS SCIGLIANO: MADE IN GERMANY CLAUDIA SANDERS STAFF WRITER
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ukas Scigliano was only in 5th grade when a teacher told him that he would never learn English and would be unsuccessful in an English-speaking country. “She categorized me as ‘talent-free’ and would remind me of that at least weekly,” Scigliano recalls. This could have discouraged him, but instead he chose to be resilient and let this negativity fuel his desire to learn. “I heard about St. Louis for the first time in April and only three months later I was already on the plane to the US. I will never forget how he [Scigliano’s Dad] walked into my room on a Thursday night in May saying ‘Lukas, we’re going to America!’” Scigliano has always been the kind of person to seek adventure and change so he was excited about the possibility of moving to a new country. Although Scigliano loves Germany and being around his friend and family, he was ready for a change in scenery.
different,” Scigliano said. As soon as he realized that he wasn’t as fluent as he thought, he took matters into his own hands. “I decided to work hard and do pretty much everything in English from that day on. TV, books, phone, basically everything in English,” Scigliano said “It took about a year and a half and I was almost fluent.” At age 10, Scigliano received the gift he had been asking for since he was 7 years old; A brand new drum set. “I remember my dad watching a live recorded “SlipKnot” concert and I happened to see Joey Jordison’s drum solo. His speed, the accuracy, and him spinning around on an upside down platform just never let go of me.” Ever since, Scigliano has been in love with many genres of music, practicing the drums for an hour and a half everyday. “I’d say first of all it’s just a challenge that I love to face and an amazing passion to me. Besides that it’s always been a type of therapy for me as well. Whenever I get really upset or stressed because of whatever I take care of it with drumming. Hitting up to 210/220 beats a minute is a great way to get rid of any tension.”
“Moral of this story is to
never listen to anybody telling you that you can’t do something. It’s all up to yourself, whatever it may be.” - Lukas Scigliano(12) “All what us Germans know about teenage life in America comes from what we see in the movies,” Scigliano said. “Central is big… and I just had a good feeling about it.” When the Scigliano family came to the U.S. on July 25, 2015, Lukas ultimately chose to come to Parkway Central over going to Priory so that he could have the ‘American teenager experience’. He still considers his decision to come to Parkway Central as one of the best decisions of his life to this day. Scigliano soon realized that there was definitely a language barrier between him and the other students. “I was always pretty self-confident and never really had problems with going up and talking to new people. But without being able to talk and express my way the way I want to it was
Music is a big part of Scigliano’s life and he has been a hobby of his since he was a little kid. As he nears graduation, Scigliano is very passionate about psychology and plans to study medicine in college whether in the United States or in
Germany. “For now I actually just got the opportunity to stay in the states again,” said Scigliano.“This decision is very difficult though and won’t be easy to make.” Scigliano plans to graduate Parkway Central High School in the spring of 2018 and when he does he can’t wait to send that 5th grade teacher of his a letter showing his hard work and dedication ending in a success. “All I’m gonna say is that I’m very excited to send her an email with my graduation picture along with the words of discouragement she would put me down with in grade school.”
Scigliano’s love and passion for music gives him the ability to practice for 90 minutes a day with his undivided attention.
Valentine Balloons Sale
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Valentine’s Day Balloon sale! $3 balloon Delivered on Valentine’s Day (in students’ 2nd blocks) All funds benefit the International Club
Balloons will be sold during all lunches Feb 8-13th!
17 CORRAL
FEATURES
FEB. 13, 2018
STUDENTS BATTLING ILLNESS FIND NORMALCY NANDHINI SIVA STAFF WRITER
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t this very moment scientists from all over the world are in an invisible race. Some are racing to find a missing chromosome and some are losing time trying to find the scientific justification for the Bermuda triangle. Sophomore Blair Dubinsky was one of the many racing for her life--she had cancer. “I got diagnosed, but the doctors didn’t know about it until later on,” Dubinsky said. “I guess they didn’t really have a way of knowing, but my mom knew because one day my legs suddenly couldn’t move...like at all.” Dubinsky was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, which is a type of fatal cancer, mainly targeting children in the small glands of the kidney, which can then spread to many other places. For Dubinsky, it involved terrifying tumors on her spinal cord. “I had tumors that I needed to get removed and I was in mission for weeks,” Dubinsky said. Over the years, neuroblastoma has become more and more common among young adolescents. However, as this disease progresses so do the doctors who treat it. Doctors from all over the world have noticed the rapid increase in blastoma, and have been looking into new techniques and medicine to treat it. While Dubinsky didn’t have to go through radiation, she did have to sit
Sophomore Blair Dubinsky was diagonesed with cancer when she was just a baby. Xray image above shows Dubinsky’s spine after her surgery for Scoliosis. Photos courtesy of Dubinsky.
through many surgeries and it didn’t come without its toll. “Because I had so many surgeries on my back, I quickly developed scoliosis.” said Dubinsky. Scoliosis is when the spine develops an abnormal curvature of the spine, which if untreated could lead to major heart and lung impairment. Fortunately, Dubinsky, did not lead to that path nor does she have to fear cancer again. “Yeah so, the doctors put rods basically in my back so it’s impossible for my scoliosis to come back or my cancer, so I’m pretty happy about that” said Dubkinky. Even though Dubinsky is living a joyous and for the most part happy life, (she informs us that homework is always a pain) it wasn’t a easy ride to lead that life. “I couldn’t really do anything till I was 13 years old and by that time I didn’t really know how to make friends and it was really hard to make friendships develop,” Dubinsky said. Anyone who has gone through middle school can tell you that it’s not a easy transition and some would argue that it’s almost impossible to go through without friends by your side. “I had to wear these huge leg braces and they made me really self-conscious, and it made my self-esteem come down, which at that moment I did not need,” Dubinsky said. Considering the hardships Dubinsky has been through, she still manages to have a positive attitude towards life, in fact Dubinsky does more than that. “I speak at events to cancer patients to motivate them and give them like hope and try to inspire them...and what’s appealing about it is that the events I speak at they aren’t in hospitals they’re at art shows,” Dubinsky said. Even though though cancer is an aggressive illness, Dubinsky has shown that it is possible to come out on the other side, being happy and living life to the fullest. In the late 1900’s, the New York Times and other media sources assured us that it was only a matter of time until these sought after cancer cures will be a reality. Yet, here we are today, in 2018, still watching the news report pharmacy brand after brand, claiming to cure all sickness. For those of us not affected by a severe illness, this may not have that large an impact on our lives. But, what about those who are? Blood drives are an easy way for healthy people to help sick people. Many have given blood or had blood drawn, but some people can not do that. Junior Erin Brozek knows what that is like. “I was diagnosed with the condition called spherocytosis when I was really young,” Brozek said. Spherocytosis is the severe medical condition where there is a shortage of red blood cells in one’s body and can lead to many other serious illnesses. Over the past few years, it has been a disease that has been deeply investigated by scientists and doctors. Who try and find more manageable ways to treat it. Since it has not only grown in numbers, but is the most common type of inherited anemia. In Brozek’s case, spherocytosis has taken her life and given it quite a few twists and turns. “Because of spherocytosis, I had to have my gallbladder taken out,” Brozek said. “I think I was in the third grade then. I remember being really scared.” Not only has Brozek had her gallbladder removed, but her doctors informed her that her spleen had to go as well. “Because my spleen was getting too big (which was a result of my blood disorder), my ribs weren’t protecting it and it was killing my red blood cells,” Brozek said.. The spleen is a organ in your body that is in charge of producing and removing red blood cells, which is also a key way your body forms it’s immune system. Many would debate that one surgery is enough for a lifetime, however that’s not what Brozek what got handed.
“Due to my condition, I got by jaundice and my skin turned yellow,” Brozek said. “That’s when I finally knew that something was wrong. I got really nervous.” In many cases of spherocytosis, jaundice is a very common thing to occur. It’s when the skin turns into a very pasty color of yellow and so does the whites of the eyes. In 2017, Medical News Today stated that juandice can cause extreme levels of fatigue and vomiting because of bilirubin; a yellow-colored waste material that stays in the bloodstream because iron is erased from it. As a result of this, jaundice tunrs victims skin and eyes a pasty yellow. Luckily, has Brozek has come on the other side with everything just A-okay. “It doesn’t hurt or feel any different without a spleen, but after I removed it the whites of my eyes and skin turned back to normal so that was a major relief and change” said Brozek. After having two major surgeries and a blood disorder to fight with all life, Brozek’s friends are sometimes surprised when they hear of this. “Yeah they’re always like ‘Um why don’t you have a Spleen?’ or ‘What’s a Spleen’ so I have to explain it to them either way,” Brozek said, laughing. Between surgeries and having a serve blood disorder, Brozek states that she leads a pretty similar life to her friends: “for me it’s as normal as it can get.”
“I couldn’t really do anything till I was 13, and by that time I didn’t know how to make friends,”
-Blair Dubinsky (10)
Even though Sopomore Erin Brozek has a severe Blood disorder, it doesn’t stop her from doing what she loves, such as Cross Country. Photo by of Athena Stamos
18CORRAL
FEATURES
FEB. 13, 2018
DEBATE TEAM MAKES WAY FOR NEW LEADERSHIP A: “A big one is confidence in public speaking. I was ter-
FUNMI AYENI STAFF WRITER
Central’s Speech and Debate team is making way for new leadership this semester. Here’s all you need to know about the new coach, Mr. Schaeffer. Who was the former coach and what prompted the change? “Mr. Proffitt was the former head coach. My understanding was that he wanted to coach baseball and that didn’t really allow for both Speech and Debate and baseball.”
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Were you specifically chosen for the position? “Not exactly. We had a conversation about it when he announced that he would be stepping down. I had last year worked with two speech and debate students, Maddie Scanel & Jennifer Hyman who had done very well in speech and debate over the years. They had independent study with me for a semester last year so I got to learn a little bit about the debate side of things from them. When Mr. Proffitt announced that he was stepping down he came to talk to me because he knew I had experience as an English teacher.”
Q: What do you like about debate? Is it a passion of yours? A: “It’s honestly all very new to me. What I am passionate
about is seeing our students be thoughtful, be precise in their language and to ask productive questions of the topic. It dogtails really nicely with the classes I teach because those are things that I work on a lot. For instance, how do you make an argument? How do you use the best evidence to support that? The words you use and the tone you use are all part of that.”
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What are the post-benefits of being in speech and debate club? What skill sets do you earn from it?
rified of speaking in public when I was a high school student. I admire students who wish to spend their time not just in research and argument making, but in the presentation piece. It’s vital to a debate student’s success. Also being able to construct an argument that uses logic and fact. It teaches us how to devolve in an argument that doesn’t involve yelling and screaming at each other. Learning how to have an informed and respectful argument is a lesson we can all learn.”
Q: A:
Will you change the way debate is taught? Will your teaching styles differ from Mr. Proffitt’s? “I would say yes but I’m still getting used to the flow of things. Mr. Proffitt has been extremely helpful in this transition and is a great resource for me. I’m guided both by his experience and some of the older varsity students who have been in speech and debate for a while. I asked them on the first day what I need to know about this because it’s not just a simple position.”
Q: A:
have to think around, “what is a likely rebuttal to my statement or how can a person disagree? You have to consider many possible sides to an argument.”
Q: Is Speech and Debate in any way opinion based? A: “What I find interesting about debate is that it’s not
really opinion based at all. Debate students have to be ready to argue either side; pro or con argument. They don’t get to say they firmly believe in everything they argue, and that’s just good rhetoric. Your opinion matters less than your ability to find good research and support that enough so that it’s convincing.”
Q: Do you think the kids will like you? A:
“I have no idea. I’m lucky that I’ve taught a lot of the students already so that’s a real benefit going in. My goal is to help them continue growing the great program that Mr. Proffitt has put together. He’s set me up with a good group of students who are passionate. I think any coach would have success with the squad that we have right now.”
What are your qualifications? Are you bringing anything to speech and debate.” “I think I bring something to the table. For the past five or six years my focus as an English teacher has been based around argument and rhetoric and composition, kinda shifting away from straight up literature. Like in composition class, evidence, tone of voice and organization all play parts in good speech. Those components will be the focus.”
Q: What makes a good argument or counter argument? A: “What I like about the way speech and debate is set up
is that you really have to listen to your opponent carefully and be strategic in how you respond. In an English class, I always instruct my students to always think around the corners. You
New Speech and Debate coach Christian Schaeffer speaks with Sylvia E (10) on her scores from a Debate competiton held in Jefferson City. Photo by Funmi Ayeni
Legal Curfew Matters To Some Families But Not To Others ABBY PRYWITCH STAFF WRITER
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nthony Klein, sophomore got in big trouble when he came home past curfew. “I have gotten home later and it was not good. I wasn’t able to drive for about two or three weeks and I just got yelled at really bad,” Klein said. When most teens get to the age where they can drive, curfews become more relevant in their lives. Weeknight or weekend, curfews help keep students on track. Whether you have a curfew or not, there is a legal curfew that everyone must follow, but not everyone knows about. According to the St Louis County, Missouri Ordinance Guidebook the curfew for unsupervised minors under the age of 17 is 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on Sunday through Thursday, and 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The curfew hours do not apply if a minor is with their parent or guardian, or where the minor is on an emergency errand or legitimate business directed by his or her parent. “On the weekends my curfew is like 1:00 and on school nights it’s like 10:30,” Klein said. A majority of teenagers have a curfew past 12:00 a.m. and don’t realize that it is against the law for them to be out. From a poll conducted on a group of the juniors, only 9 of 48 have their curfews are correlated with the legal curfew. The legal curfew comes to concern when teenagers are worried they are going to miss curfew, so they speed to get home which can lead to accidents and getting pulled over. Now parents may take more precautions when it comes to their child’s curfew. Senior Lauren Hanser’s parents even have a tracking app to know where she is at all times. “I don’t like it because you can’t do anything because they know everything and when they track you have to follow the rules,” Hanser said.
Her curfew is 12:00 a.m. on weekends, and if she gets home later than that she will have to be home earlier the next day. For sophomore Lindsey Ormant, her curfew depends on how tired her parents are, because they want her home before they go to sleep. Ormant’s parents go to bed pretty early and they like her home before they go to sleep, so her curfew is earlier. Which means a curfew between 10:30-11:00. “I don’t think I’ve come home later than that because I’m kind of scared of my parents. I think they would just get really upset with me and if it was just constantly than they would probably ground me,” Ormant said. For sophomore Jacob Stone his curfew depends on who he is with. “When I’m with the boys probably midnight, Stone said.” If Stone plans on staying out later than that, he will usually just spend the night out. Stone explained if he would continuously come home past his curfew there would be some repercussions and he would probably get his car taken away, but so far he has not been home past curfew. “I don’t play around like that,” Stone said. School Resource Officer Mark Caswell feels curfews are necessary because it is good for parents to have boundaries other than the legal curfew. “For someone under the age of 17 there is no need for them to be out [past the legal curfew] unless of course they’re working or coming home from an event sanctioned by their parents,” Caswell said. Caswell explains that if a teen was caught out past curfew the consequences would depend on where they were coming from. If they’re coming from a school dance or something like that they will probably just be told to go home. If they are just out running around then the parents will be contacted to come get their child and then they are referred to the family court. “The family court will touch base with the family and make sure there is nothing going on with the family that may create an unsafe environment for the child,” Caswell said.
“Nothing good happens after midnight,”
-Officer Mark Caswell
Photo illustration by Abby Prywitch.
19CORRAL BINGE WORTHY SHOWS ON NETFLIX
OPINION
FEB. 13, 2018
SAM KELLER STAFF WRITER
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et’s be real here, we have so much time we don’t even know what to do with it all. Netflix has become the go-to time-killer for many of us, who want entertainment-on-demand. We can watch so many different kinds of shows on Netflix and there are so many to choose from it’s hard to pick just one. We all know the popular shows on there but there are some less known shows that are just as absolutely amazing as those more famous shows. “Mindhunters” is the story of two FBI agents in the 1970s who track, capture, and study serial killers. It is a dark and mysterious show with an interesting time period that makes this in incredibly suspenseful thriller. Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff), who is a young FBI agent and his partner Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), an old fashioned FBI agent work as FBI trainers who work with local police forces, but in their spare time they investigate an unknown classification of criminal the serial killer. This dark crime thriller is a Netflix original with 10 episodes with a second season in the works. “Peaky Blinders” is an intense crime thriller about the Peaky Blinders a gang in 1919 Birmingham England. With murder, betting, and lawlessness, the boss of the Peaky Blinders Tommy Shelby wants what everybody wants, to rise in the world and take what is his. With four seasons already available on Netflix this is a show that will
take you a long time to binge all of it. “Peaky Blinders” will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time you watch it. “The Crown” is another Netflix original about the English royal family. This is an intense drama focusing on what’s happening behind the curtain in the English government in the mid-1950s. There is deceit and backstabbing throughout the English government. It focuses on the story of Queen Elizabeth and her story during her time as queen. Their are already two seasons available and on Netflix right now and more will be produced in the future. “Planet Earth II” is a show produced by the BBC and was made by David Attenborough. Planet Earth is a documentary show about all the different types of places in our world like the ocean, deserts, and grasslands and the animals that live there. It talks about how they adapted to their environment and how they continue to survive in this ever changing world. With six hour long episodes, this is a fairly short series but is one of the best documentary series ever produced. These shows are some of the best Netflix has to offer and with so many choices these are just a few to pick from. So grab your popcorn and get ready for some amazing tv shows.
Top: Netflix’s MindHunter on Netflix with 1 season already available for you to watch. Photo by Sam Keller Bottom: BBC’s Planet Earth II on Netflix with 6 episdoes for you to be able to watch. Photo by Sam Keller
Investment Services And Apps Offer Financial Growth Opportunities NOAH WEIDNER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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inancial America is booming. It seems like every other day, the Dow Jones is hitting new heights or some twenty-something in his basement is becoming a billionaire because of Bitcoin. A lot of people, seeing the recent media rage surrounding financial markets and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, are feeling increasingly motivated to invest. Good for us, it’s never been easier and as an added plus—it’s a fun and interesting way to make some extra money. That said, here’s a few ways how you can start to turn your pockets of change and overdrafted bank accounts into real gains.
BEST APP FOR EASY INVESTING:
Acorns
Micro-investment service Acorns offers a unique proposition: invest your spare change. Whenever you swipe your debit or credit card, the spare change from your transaction is automatically invested in over 700 different diversified investments: ETFs, mutual funds, private funds, you name it. The app is a great entry-level investment app because it takes away the hassle of having to choose and keep an eye on your portfolio. However, this comes at the expense of choice and selection. Nonetheless, Acorns is a stellar app for turning what would otherwise be small amounts of change into a hefty chunk of saved cash.
BEST APP FOR AUTOMATIC INVESTING:
Wealthfront
If you’ve got $500 and don’t mind forgetting about it for awhile, Wealthfront be the ideal investing service for you. The service has you set your risk and financial goals and then lets the computers do the work for you by investing in a large amount of ETFs
and funds. Over the last few years, Wealthfront has averaged nearly 9% annual returns. So if you’re looking for a long-term way to invest, Wealthfront might be your new best friend.
Sign up for Robinhood You’ll get a free share of a stock
like Ford or Apple for joining, and for referring your friends.
BEST APP FOR CRYPTOCURRENCY:
Coinbase
Though cryptocurrency is a relatively difficult investment class, U.S-based cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has made investing in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies easy. You can buy cryptocurrency with your credit or debit card or with your bank account and manage it from one convenient website and app. Coinbase also offers a large-volume exchange called GDAX for those savvy individuals looking to get a greater understanding of finance by the use of specific orders (stop limit, limit order, etc) and order books.
BEST APP FOR MILLENNIAL TRADERS:
Robinhood
Robinhood is a nifty brokerage app with no fees. You can trade stocks, mutual funds & ETFs, and other assets on their app without paying a single cent. Deposits are easy and instant, and the app is beautifully designed in such a way that even beginners can easily navigate and understand it. In February, Robinhood will be launching cryptocurrency trades—starting with Bitcoin and Ethereum trading—in five states including Missouri. That said, Robinhood is easily one of the best investment brokerages out there and if you sign up or refer someone with a referral link (like the one below) you can get a free stock.
http://share.robinhood.com/noahw247 This list is not exhaustive, but it might be a good start for new and old investors alike. That said, many brokerages—a place or service you use to buy or sell stocks, cryptocurrencies, or other assets— and financial services require you to be 18 years of age. However, a few brokerages might allow you to open an account with parental supervision. That said, before you get started investing any amount of money: it is essential that you understand the risk of doing so. Talk with your parents, financial advisor, or read up on finance before jumping in. Especially in turbulent markets are these risks inclined, but with a thorough understanding of the services and options available to you, you stand to see tremendous growth in your portfolio. That said, good luck.
The Parkway School District & Corral student newspaper are not responsible partly for the investment decisions of readers. All investments made are uninsured and can result in a substantial loss of your principal. Consult a financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
20 CORRAL
ENTERTAINMENT/OPINIONS
FEB. 13, 2018
ALBUM STUFF DAVID AMIRDJANIAN STAFF WRITER
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oichi Terada is a Japanese electronic music producer, well known for producing the soundtracks for the classic Playstation hit series, “Ape Escape.” He originally made a name for himself as an underground Deep House producer in the late ‘80s and early 90’s. Soichi gained additional popularity around the world with his most recent album, “Sounds from the Far East.” Sounds from the Far East starts off with the track “Saturday Love Sunday,” where the low and gritty bassline hits you hard from the very beginning. The hypnotizing synths in the back kick in right after the beat develops into a repetitive chant of each of the days of the week. Very creative sampling done in the intro to this album. My favorite track on this album has to go to the third song, Sun Showered. From the get-go, the song sounds like it’s straight from a Playstation 1 era Gran Turismo game. It gives me such nostalgia. This entire song is super bouncy and incredibly energetic. The progression of this song is fantastic with the long, stretched out,
and almost heavenly sounding synths in the background interlacing the looped base beat of the song. CPM is the most danceable song here, with the uptempo piano over an incredibly basic but effective bass-line. It’s honestly the most replayable song on the album. The echoey vocals intertwined with the masterfully produced beat give this song so much personality. The easiest way to describe this album is just “90’s House” with a nostalgic vibe made by one of the old underground masters of the genre; I hands down recommend to listen to this album all the way through if you’re feeling adventurous. There isn’t one bland song on this album, and even from the first time listening to the record, you can sense how much personality each and every song on it has. On top of that, it goes so strangely well as background noise to anything you might be doing throughout the day. The hidden gem Soichi Terada deserves the recognition, but seems to not get enough of it.
GENRE: CHIPTUNE, JAPANESE HOUSE, DEEP HOUSE YEAR: 2015 FAVORITE TRACKS (IN ORDER): “SUN SHOWERED,” “CPM,” “RISING SUN UP,” “LOVE TENSION,” “DO IT AGAIN,” “GOOD MORNING,” “PURPLE HAZE EDIT.” MEH TRACK(S): VOICES FROM BEYOND LEAST FAVORITE TRACKS: N/A RATING: 9.5/10 VERDICT: CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THIS ALBUM!
Should You Commute To This Film? BRETT SMITH ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
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true acting legend, Liam Neeson has been cranking out classics for nearly four decades. From Gawain to Qui-Gon Jinn, Neeson has proven his worth in nearly every field and genre, making quite a name for himself in the process. And at the start of the new year, he welcomes a new film into his already extensive resume: “The Commuter”. Will it stand up to his past work, or is this a rough start to a year packed with possible blockbusters? Liam Neeson is back baby! And he honestly kills it in this incredibly entertaining film. A high-action thriller, “The Commuter” is a fresh and exciting movie filled with twists that promise to keep you on your seat. After getting fired from his job, Michael MacCauley (Liam Neeson) commutes home like every other day when a woman approaches him on the train. The woman, Joanna (Vera Farmiga), delivers to him an interesting hypothetical that quickly turns into a deadly game of “Guess Who?”, threatening the life of everyone onboard.
There are two main points that I love about this film. First off, “The Commuter” is not one of those cases where the movie is an hour of backstory and character development that could lull you to sleep, and then the action you see on posters and in trailers only happens to be about 20 minutes of the film. This film does not take long to kickoff, but it doesn’t just throw you into it blindly. There’s plenty of time for the backstory of Michael to develop, and it’s incredible watching Neeson’s character change over the course of the film. The second thing I like is that there’s not a whole lot of variety in the locations of the film. Most of this film only takes place on the train. And while in some films having most of the movie in one place can drag on and become sluggish, that’s not at all the case in this film. Liam Neeson keeps you on your toes as he searches up and down the train cars, eliminating suspects one by one. The movie itself also does a great job of keeping the audience’s attention by introducing various levels of the investigation, with different variables revealing themselves overtime. Overall, this is a really entertaining movie,
and a great way to start off this incredible year of films. If you haven’t seen it, you are definetely missing out. Whether you’re a lover of suspenseful thrillers, and even if you’re not, this movie has so much to offer you. “The Commuter” an 8.5 out of 10.
21 CORRAL
ENTERTAINMENT
FEB. 13, 2018
2020 Election: Oprah For President? DANNI SCHNEIDERMAN STAFF WRITER
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prah Winfrey, 63, made a remarkable and unforgettable speech at the 2018 Golden Globes after she received the Cecil B. DeMille award. This award is an honorary Golden Globe Award given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment”.
“We also know it’s the insatiable dedication to uncovering the absolute truth that keeps us from turning a blind eye to corruption and to injustice.” -Oprah Winfrey Winfrey is best known for her talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show, but is also an American media proprietor, actress, producer and philanthropist. Up on stage Winfrey took the opportunity to use her platform by saying,“it is not lost on me that at this moment, there are some little girls watching as I become the first black woman to be given this same award”. Her speech has impacted many people, including quite a few at Parkway Central. After interviewing several people, I truly got to see the effect that her speech had on individual lives. Junior Chayse Williams, is involved in many organizations
such as The Superintendents Social Justice Leadership Advisory Council and Brave Space. “Oprah’s speech honestly empowered and warmed my heart. I have never had someone in the media who is so well known and outspoken about the situations affecting me and people that look like me,” Williams said. For Williams, Oprah’s speech was inspiring and essential in order to speak out about topics that get pushed under the rug or misrepresented. Junior Avery Cooper, does what she can to stand up for herself and to not let others push her down. There are many different ways to do this and everyone expresses their empowerment in different ways. Cooper expresses herself by what she wears and how she treats people. “I wear whatever I feel comfortable in and what I want to wear, not what other people say I should. I also don’t let others push me down or make jokes about how girls can’t do this or that. Oprah’s speech made me feel really inspired and glad that there are movements that empower women who have felt belittled or inferior,” Cooper said. Regarding the media, Winfrey believes that the media could potentially give a false representation of what’s going on, or even a lens or filter of reality. ”To -- to tyrants and victims, and secrets and lies. I want to say that I value the press more than ever before as we try to navigate these complicated times, which brings me to this: what I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have,” Winfrey said. Social media has been a major source of news for teenagers and young adult. “You get news instantly, especially with the rise of social me-
dia, plus, you get multiple filters over stories or events that may give the public an inaccurate image of what’s being reported,” junior Alex Edelman said. Social media has a big influence on the youth of the world. “Oprah for president” has been a growing catch phrase. “I’m thinking she is not going to be running for president,” Winfrey’s best friend, Gayle King, said on CBS. “I do think she is very intrigued, and I also say, as I’ve heard for many years on the ‘Oprah Winfrey Show,’ you always have the right to change your mind. But that is certainly not something she’s considering right now.”
Oprah Winfrey backstage at the 75th Annual Golden Globes at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles
MALWARE OUTBREAK PUTS NETWORK AT RISK SAM KELLER STAFF WRITER
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ur school has massively expanded its computer services in the recent years. With the recent addition of the school Google accounts and the school WiFi they have had to moderate and increase the protections on our school’s firewall. Our school’s technology has always been behind the curve on technological innovations and because of this we are vulnerable to many viruses. In November we were hit with a virus that spread very rapidly through the school and stole many faculty, staff, and students private information when they used the school WiFi, or computers. This virus knocked out the school computer service and WiFi for around 2 weeks. They were able to fix it after a while, but some computers were still experiencing some problems after those 2 weeks. The virus got in through an accidental download on one of the computers. The school firewall obviously needs an upgrade. A virus was
able to get in and spread incredibly quickly through the schools Internet. This has happened before on singular computers and it has only really affected that computer and not any other. This virus damaged the entire school computer system. There obviously needs to be a massive overhaul of the firewall system and the response to the virus. Our school has never had something happen to it like this before so it’s understandable that the response would be slow and with caution. This virus taught the school how to react to a crisis like a computer virus spreading incredibly quickly and allowed for us to respond better in the future. “They have added new virus protection plans and all I did was reimage the machines so that they have a standard image for them,” said Molly Cumiskey, PCH technology specialist. This virus showed us that we need to get our stuff together so we can be better prepared for the next time that this happens, whether that is tomorrow or next year. By increasing and strengthening our firewall and quickening our response time to the crisis we can ensure that we are prepared for the next time something like this happens.
Above: The type of email recieved by some students after the virus logged into students accounts. Below: The offical email sent out by the school about the spread of the virus.
22 CORRAL
OPINION
FEB. 13, 2018
SHAKE SHACK LIVED UP TO THE HYPE
Archer's Atmosphere -Dining in Style-
LIBBY ARCHER EDITOR IN CHIEF
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or the first time in Archer’s Atmosphere history, I am not here to completely wreck your favorite new restaurant; I actually really enjoyed Shake Shack. I hopped on the bandwagon and went down to the Central West End to try out the new Shake Shack location. Shake Shack is not your run-of-themill burger joint; they have locations across the world and finally chose our city. Usually greasy fast food is not my forte, but shake shack pleasantly surprised me. Order online. I went on a Tuesday at 4 p.m., about a month after the grand opening, and still had to order beforehand. Thankfully, Anthony Zuanich informed me that I needed to download the app. I strongly suggest downloading the app which shows you all of the options and saves you so much time after you actually get there. While the rest of my party waited in the horrendous line, which stretched out the door, I was sitting there in my nice warm booth, chomping down on my burger. The rest of my group spent at least a half hour waiting in the line. This hopefully is not an issue for people planning their visit now, because it’s been a few months since the opening, but I would still suggest ordering beforehand. I wish you could reserve tables, because after skipping the line and grabbing my premade food, I had to stand and wait for a table to clear. It’s pretty easy to move about the restaurant, but with that, there are fewer places to sit. I still would suggest spending the time to get a seat because the actual dining experience is quite cute. Every person there looked like a self-proclaimed hipster so I fit right in when taking pictures of my food. For some reason, everyone I saw was dressed in the same sort of outfits as Alex Kaiser.
We went around Christmas Time so the whole restaurant was lit up with fairy lights. Perfect place to express your inner basic white girl. We took a lot of instagramable pictures. This restaurant is a must for my vegetarians out there. I got a Shroom Burger and it was amazing. It actually tastes like a burger which is very hard to find, especially in St. Louis. It had the greasiness that I’ve missed in the last few years that I’ve been meat-free. This also just reminded me why I am not a vegan. If you are in fact a vegan, you are screwed here because, along with mushrooms, the inside of the “burger” is filled with melty cheese. Next I had a peanut butter shake. Whenever I see peanut butter anything on a menu I choose it, so my expectations were a little too high for this one. It was just your average shake, which was a little disappointing seeing that shake is in the name. These shakes were just as good, and took just as long, as Steak ‘n Shake. If you are a first time Shake Shacker, you still need to try out the shakes because their flavors and drink varieties were pretty good for fast food. Fries were average. They were the kind that taste kind of soggy and look like crimped hair. They were similar to the ones you can get at basketball games. Jake Burstein, one of the people in my group, got the fries drenched in cheese but I was still unimpressed. I believe that Shake Shack is worth the drive, but not the line. If you order online and skip the line, then I think you will really enjoy the experience. Vegetarians will really enjoy this. I am amazed by the shroom burger and since it was only about $7, it would be something that I would Postmate to my house. The whole experience left me feeling full, warm and happy, and I’m in a rush to return. I suggest a run to Shake Shack but make sure you have plenty of time. 8.5 out of 10 stars. I would recommend. My beautiful veggie burger, shake and bag. Product placement. This is not a sponsered article. Jake Burstein holding a cheese covered fry. He is the true definition of beauty and grace.
23 CORRAL FEB. 13, 2018
Recipefor WESLEY HENSHAW
STAFF WRITER
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Safety
t’s St. Louis. On Monday we have 50 degree weather, on Tuesday we’re in the negatives. To keep you prepared, here are some tips to stay safe and be ready for the worst.
Keep Ahold of Your Ingredients
You never know what will happen in bad weather while you’re driving. You should always prepare for the worst. The best way to do this is by keeping an emergency kit. This should be kept in your back seat or your trunk, where you can get to it in an emergency. You should keep a variety of items in this kit. While you might be satisfied with a kit full of car maintenance items, i.e. jumper cables and a car jack, you should also keep in mind various non-car related items. For example, if you don’t plan on wearing warm clothing in the winter, it would be beneficial to keep a change of warm clothes and even a blanket in your backseat. It would also be a good idea to keep a bag of a kitty litter in your car at all times. While unconventional, kitty litter can get you out of a slippery situation. “You can use it if your car were to slip off the road or get into a really bad ice patch,” Senior Jack Allen, a car enthusiast, said. “You can actually use the kitty litter to get traction to get out of the problem.”
Take Care of Your Utensils
Your car will give out on you if you let it. It’s necessary to get all the changes and checkups that your car needs. Some important things you want to pay attention to are tire pressure, making sure to keep it at whatever your factory says it should be, and your fluid levels, whether it is oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, or windshield wiper fluid. Windshield wiper fluid in particular is very important in winter conditions. If you don’t have enough windshield wiper fluid, during snowy or icy weather you can find their windshield obscured and even frozen over. “If you run out of windshield wiper fluid and you get a bunch ice or sleet or something on your windshield, you can’t get it off.” Allen said. “So having full fluid is going to help you with visibility and different driving conditions.”
Plan Out Your Meal
It’s always important to know where you’re going, especially when the roads get bad. As driving conditions worsen, it’s inevitable that you’re going to encounter a wreck that backs up traffic. Make sure you keep tabs on the road conditions of your route. Naturally, you’ll want to avoid icy roads so that you can avoid the ensuing traffic and dangers. On top of maintaining general knowledge of your route, you want to afford yourself more than enough time to get from point A to B. If you think it will take you ten minutes to get somewhere, you might want to leave anywhere from five to ten minutes earlier, just to be safe. If you get stuck in traffic, there’s nothing you can do but wait.
ENTERTAINMENT
Due to some nasty weather this season, here are some car care tips for the winter season and beyond.
Ingredients*
• First-aid kit- In case of injury. • Fire extinguisher- For if your vehicle catches fire, or you encounter one. • Road flares- Allows drivers to see you if you’re doing roadside maintenance. • Jumper cables- Can rescue your battery in a pinch. • Rain ponchos- Pack some rain ponchos to ensure you stay nice and dry if you have to do roadside maintenance in the rain. • Tarp- Covers your car if you can’t find an indoor place to park during bad weather. • Flashlight with extra batteries- Helpful if you find yourself in a roadside emergency in the dark. Extra batteries ensures the flashlight doesn’t give out when you need it most. • Various rags- These can be used for cleaning up small spills, as well as gripping various items. • Duct tape- Can provide a wide array of temporary repairs in the case of an emergency, giving you time to get home. • Scent-free baby wipes- Good for cleaning up interior messes. • Drinking water and non-perishable snacks- You need to keep yourself hydrated and fed. There’s no telling how long you may be stuck somewhere. • Multipurpose tool- Useful for maintenance. • Ice scraper- For when ice gets on your windshield. This is a potential life saver. • Cat Litter- Can provide traction and even soak up oil spots in the driveway. • Blankets and warm clothing- Especially important if you don’t wear warm clothes anyway. Should you get into a predicament, you’ll need to stay warm. *Emergency kit items according to dmv.org.
Don’t Miss the Icing
Black ice is a thin layer of ice that could easily be mistaken as just the pavement. It forms quickest on overpasses and bridges, and in places with lots of shade. If you catch yourself on black ice, a good way to ensure you don’t start slipping around is to keep your steering wheel straight, your foot off the accelerator, and your foot off the brake. If you start steering wildly, it becomes a lot easier to lose control. Keeping your feet off the accelerator and brakes ensures that your car slows down naturally, decreasing the likelihood you’ll lose control.
Don’t Overestimate
Not overestimating is perhaps one of the most important tips so far. Not overestimating is a key part of preparation, maintenance, and route preparation. When driving in cold weather, and you see you’re low on gas, don’t pass that gas station thinking you’ll make it. At any given time you should have at least half a tank of gas. When you see that your car needed their routine checkups weeks ago, don’t think it’ll make it a few more. You should keep up to date on all checkups. When you know there’s bad traffic along the route, don’t overestimate yourself. You should grant yourself plenty of time and even look for another route just in case. An example of a pre-made emergency kit. Items included are jumper cables, a bungee cord, a multipurpose tool, a blanket, a safety vest, a pair of gloves, reflective cones, a “Call Police” sign, a small booklet for car care, a poncho, a first aid kit, and another emergency blanket. Photo by Wesley Henshaw.
24CORRAL
SPOTLIGHT
FEB 13, 2018
Ole’ Reliable Leonard
JENNA LAZAROFF STAFF WRITER
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ushing out the door, Lindsay Dehn hustled to get her car started. Only thing that stopped her is that she can’t find the other half to her key. What made her morning worse is that it started to rain, and her drivers seat window still wouldn’t roll up from the night before. You could consider this her worst day ever, but really it’s just a common morning for her. “I’ve been asking for a new car for about 3 months now,” Lindsay Dehn said. “The problem is I’ve gotten in two car crashes before so my dad won’t get me a new one for that reason.” Having a car comes along with responsibility, but sometimes it’s hard to meet those expectations. “A lot of my friends have newer functioning cars, and sometimes it’s just tedious that I’m stuck with a car and the window won’t even roll back up,” said Dehn. On occasion everyone’s check engine light or tire pressure will come on, but for
her case there’s four lights on in her car and she doesn’t even know what they mean. Making her window not rolling up one of her lesser problems. “It’s honestly kind of dangerous. I don’t know if my car actually needs to be checked or if the lights are just deciding to be on for the day.” When your car doesn’t always work 100% it sometimes can get in the way of day to day life. “Numerous of times I’ve been late to school because my car won’t start,” Dehn said. “One time during the summer I was driving and my sunglass holder just fell down out of the ceiling.” Dehn has only had this car for a year and four months but she is definitely not the first owner. “I’m not positive but I think there must’ve been many previous owners,” Said Dehn. Although her car isn’t the newest around the block, and despite all his flaws she still loves her car for who he is. “His name is Leonard,” Said Dehn. “I have lots of amazing memories and his flaws make him special and different.” For more information on car safety and road side assistance during the winter visit page 23.