February PCH Corral

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Parkway Central High School 369 N. Woods Mill Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017 Volume 60, Issue 4 Feb. 5, 2016

Evenings of art pg. 4 Club spotlights pg. 14

on

Managers play essential role pg. 22

pg. 12

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Photo Issue of the

Seniors Michael Rembold, Brandon Nathanson, Tyler Rosen, and Laurits Soe support the boys varsity basketball team on Jan. 8. Photo by Anthony Zuanich.

Read more online at: parkwaynews.net/ corral

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Students, teachers differ in use of online reading aids pg. 5 Clubs work to gain support pg. 8 Alex’s Appetite: Mediocre Mexican pg. 18

The Rams are leaving: Student groups participate in winter pep assembly Young divers add to team depth Now What? pg. 6-7 pg. 22 pg. 20

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tech Students earn victories in Thespian conference showdown JEFFREY EIDELMAN Managing Editor @jeffey44

Students honored with Spirit of Excellence Awards Eleven African-American students will be honored for their academic achievement at the Spirit of Excellence ceremony on Tuesday, February 23 at the UMSL Touhill Performing Arts Center. Students are being recognized for their academic achievement this school year.

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sed to working under pressure for the school’s theater productions, members of the tech crew showcased their quickchange skills in statewide victories in technical challenges.

On Jan. 6 the theater department traveled to Kansas City, Mo., to participate in the State Thespian Conference. Students attended workshops on various aspects of theater and competed in various events for scholarships and bragging rights.

Fort the first time, students entered technical challenge competitions at the conference, showcasing their skills in impromptu tech theater situations.

Senior Joanna Kolker and junior Jessie Goldberg competed in a quick-change costume competition where they had to put different articles of clothing on a girl.

“We had to change an actress from one outfit to another while being timed. We couldn’t make noise except to ask her to do simple tasks such as ‘Please put your arm in this sleeve’ or ‘Can you step into this?’” Goldberg said. “The goal was to change her outfit in the fastest time possible.”

In another tech contest sophomore Jonathan Scully and senior Adam Cohen had to do the quick change but with props to create a different scene.

“We basically had to change from one scene to another,” Scully said. “The first scene had three place settings and a couple cups and stuff, and we had to change that to other scene with new plates new cups and stuff like that.”

Goldberg and Kolker said they had been practicing for weeks before the conference to ensure they did decent in the competition.

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Vanessa Brooks Erasmus Brown Avery Cooper Tiana Ford Justin Hudgins Carla Minor Shon Nelson Janice Ntimba Jordyn Perry Aliyah Sabir Harper Stoddard

Junior Jessie Goldberg follows her tech script during Fall Play rehearsal. She and fellow theater students senior Joanna Kolker, sophomore Jonathan Scully and senior Adam Cohen used their tech crew skills to bring home first-place finishes at the State Thespian Conference on Jan. 6.

“We spent about three or four weeks practicing, and we asked actors within the department to come in and we found random clothing items from Voss’s collection of stuff,” Kolker said. “We just practiced putting on as many challenging things as we could -- as fast as we could -- and we did it over and over again.”

Unlike Goldberg and Kolker, Cohen and Scully hadn’t practiced at all before their event and tried as best they could to prepare themselves while in line to enter the competition.

“We talked about it, while watching others

THEATER DEPARTMENT AWARDS FROM STATE THESPIAN CONFERENCE >Juniors Emily Kang and Riley Cockerham received a Superior Rating for their Duet Acting. They performed their piece in the final the showcase at the end of the conference. They are qualified to perform at the Missouri Fine Arts Education Day and the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Neb., this summer. >Senior Matthew Kertzman and sophomore Aletha Bastin also received a Superior Rating for their Duet Musical Theatre performance.

They are qualified to perform at the Missouri Fine Arts Education Day and the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Neb., this summer. >Junior Jessie Goldberg and Joanna Kolker won the “Costume Quick Change” technical challenge. >Senior Adam Cohen and sophomore Jonathan Scully won the “Prop Shift” technical challenge. >Junior Emily Kang and sophomore Aletha Bastin were chosen to be in the All-State Show, “Iphigenia,” which will be performed at the state conference next January. Sophomore Jonathan Scully was chosen to do lighting for the show.

do it, and we were prepared in that sense,” Cohen said. “But short of just reading ‘these are your penalties, be sure not to do it,’ other than that, we weren’t ready.”

The students competing in the event were originally supposed to be Scully and Goldberg, but a conflict arose when Cohen went to go hold Goldberg’s spot in line and the event she was doing prior hadn’t ended yet.

“I was going to line up for props,” Cohen said. “But when it came down to the line and Jessie wasn’t ready, we went, ‘Guess we’re doing it.’”

Cohen and Scully said they had performed their very best with what they knew how to do.

Little did they know that they would take first place in a competition that neither of them were originally prepared for.

“After we did our time, the person told us it was the fastest they had seen so far, so we knew we did pretty good but we didn’t know we had gotten first place,” Scully said. “We were shocked by that because we had never done this before and some people train for this all year.”

Both teams ended up taking first place, and both were just as surprised they had won.

“As soon as we finished the competition, the timekeepers seemed very shocked by our time because it was so fast,” Goldberg said. “But when our name was announced in the evening, I was definitely surprised.”

Athletes sign letters to play college sports Six student-athletes signed letters of intent to participate in sports at various colleges on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at a ceremony after school: Natalie Kesselring, Indiana State University (soccer) Lauren Greenstein, Lindenwood University (soccer) Caitlin Magruder, Middlebury College (soccer) Noah Whalen, Webster University (soccer) Josh Konecek, University of Chicago (baseball) Robert Shifrin, Westminster College (baseball)

School board approves updates to 2016-17 academic calendar The school board approved an updated version of next school year’s academic calendar. For the 201617 year, school begins on Wednesday, Aug. 10; first semester ends Thursday, Dec. 22; school resumes Monday, Jan. 9; and the last day of the school year is Thursday, May 25 (barring excessive snow days).

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art nights introduce new evening opportunity PIPER ROTHER Entertainment Editor @thepiedPIPER26

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ednesday nights are usually filled with homework, naps, and Netflix, but what about adding some art to your nights as well, Ceramics teacher David Jafari started up Wednesday Night Art Nights for students to come up and have a fun working environment.

“I just wanted to create a different type of atmosphere where people could come in and make things and possibly bring their friends,” Jafari said. “I was also using it as a time for me to organize and work in here.”

The art nights aren’t just for people who are enrolled in ceramics but anyone who wants to come can.

“I have people who aren’t in ceramics classes now, but who I have had before,” Jafari said. “Kids that just want to come in and work on the wheel or who just come in and make a small project.”

These nights attract many students for it’s just a fun way to hang out and create without being worried about getting a grade or not.

“It’s cool to hang out with my friends and do some art,” senior John Randall said.

“I’m not really good at art so when I go up it’s fun because there is no pressure to be good because there is no grade in the class” Some students even use it as an outlet to get away from school work.

“You can go up there and just get away from homework and all that stuff,” senior Dylan Haley said. “So, I just go up to school and do that.”

With it being open to everyone and art supplies not being cheap one would think that it would cost a lot of money, but Jafari

has found a way to reuse the materials.

“Not really much money goes into it because most of the clay I’ve recycled from previous semesters, Jafari said. “I save all the scraps of clay and put it into a bucket of water and it turns back into a slurry, which is like a mud and then I add some of this dry clay to it and the machines mixes it up and then it’s ready to go again.”

Like the clay, Jafari likes these nights to be relaxed and flexible.

“This past Wednesday there were only like 4 kids there and so it was more relaxed with just small conversations because everyone was working on their projects so there wasn’t much talking,” Haley said.

“Other times there’s 8 or 9 kids there and then it’s just playing music and having fun.”

The whole purpose of these nights is to be fun, laid back and not like a typical school environment, according to Jafari.

“It was funny the first couple nights Kevin Seetharaman would come up and he’d always ask me if he could go to the bathroom,” Jafari said. “I was like yeah, you can go do whatever you want it’s 7 o’clock.”

Senior Dylan Haley takes advange of the art night on Jan. 28th, “I go up to finish projects and to get more one on one time with Mr. Jafari,” Haley said. Photos by: Anthony Zuanichs.

Junior Maggie Vlaytcheva crafts a clay design during Art Night.

Utilizing the opportunity, sophomore Haneal Baik spent her Wednesday Night scultping clay.

school looks to find ways to train students on last step of 4e’s Garrett Lierman Staff Writer @garrett_lierman

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he event of an intruder breaching the school with malicious intent is a prospect that few teachers or students like to talk about. In August of 2014, the staff received anti-intruder training from the St. Louis Police Department following the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. This year, new measures of defense are being taught to students, and teachers are letting on about the existence of the training program. It is apparent that the community is wondering if students should receive the same training as the staff, and whether or not a teacher’s orders are valid in such a situation.

“Theoretically [training students] would be a good idea,” Officer Mark Caswell said. “There are some elements of the scenario that are very stress-inducing and I’m not sure all the students could handle the difference between the training stress and real stress.”

The training programs that the teachers were put through contained simulations as close to real situations as possible. Real firearms were used, firing blank rounds, to simulate the chaos and show the teachers how the situation would sound and feel.

Another purpose of the training program was to show teach-

“I think they need to be able to act with some level of autonomy.”

-- Mark Caswell school resource officer ers how they reacted. They were broken into three categories: ‘runners’, ‘freezers’ and ‘fighters’. ‘Runners,’ who chose to escape as a first instinct, ‘Freezers,’ who either showed more hesitation or failed to act entirely, and ‘Fighters,’ who chose to throw items or generally get physical with the assailant. In one scenario, a desk was thrown at the attacker.

“We have to think morbidly about these situations, although I don’t like to dwell on it,” Caswell said.

If a live, non-drill, call that a shooter was in the building ever went out, within minutes over 100 officers from different departments would be at the building. However, the goal of all of the training for teachers, students, and officers alike is to minimize casualties, not to save everybody. The officers that arrived would not stop for the wounded, and teachers and students are advised to

do the same. The threat would need to be neutralized before the wounded can be attended to.

“Each incident is gonna be different depending on the situation.

If we have a single shooter and we can relay that then we need to follow the teacher,” Caswell said. “If it’s more than one shooter and a lot of unknowns, I think they need to be able to act with some level of autonomy.”

The training that teachers received was designed to be fluid and teach them to evaluate their options rather than follow a strict black-and-white procedure. The need for new training was prompted by 2012’s shooting of Sandy Hook Elementary school according to Caswell. They followed the procedure of locking down and staying put. The procedure failed to protect multiple children and staff members. While now students aren’t receiving the same level of training as the teachers, they are still being taught to evaluate the options presented to them and act according to what is most likely to keep them safe. The training is designed to teach teachers how they react to a situation, not just so they’re aware, but also so they might overcome those instincts. For example, a freezer might now shake themselves out of it and act or a fighter might choose to escape as opposed to engage.

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The Parking Predicament

SOPHOMORES FIND ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO ARRIVE AT SCHOOL DANIEL ROMAN Staff Writer @danielroman1999

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t’s undeniable that a large portion of the Sophomore class can drive, whether they’ve just started or have been able to drive since the summer. Recently, the decision was made to allow sophomores to apply for parking passes in the school lot, impacting the way students, especially tenth graders, are able to get to school.

For some, driving to school is one of the few ways to get there.

In most cases, parents who could otherwise take them have work and leave earlier, or just can’t afford to go out of their way to drop off their child. On top of that, several special assignment students who can’t take the bus had been in difficult situations. The ability to drive is supposed to be an exciting new prospect, able to more efficiently help working parents deal with getting their child to school.

“I think if I drive to school it’s so much easier on my parents that they don’t have to leave work and get me, and the bus is so slow if I ever need to get home quickly,” sophomore Kelli Kinran said. “I think that if you’re able to drive you should be able to park in the school lot.”

Sophomores parking wasn’t always a foreign idea though. Several years ago, the passes used to be sold to tenth graders.

“It’s been four years since we stopped giving sophomores parking passes,” Assistant Principal, Chris Dallas, said.“We ran into too many problems with monitoring them. Some of the sophomores that didn’t get passes started driving and that just created some issues for us.”

Inevitably, there are still ways to park at school. The Aish Ha-

torah parking lot has now become an oasis for sophomore drivers, desperate for a way to get to school in the early morning. Located right next to the school, it allows those not able to purchase a parking pass to keep their cars in the Jewish study center.

“I park at Aish Hatorah,” sophomore Andrew Hollinrake said.

“They made it so you need a parking pass to park there, so I joined JSU and was able to get one.”

According to Dallas, students parking at Aish Hatorah is usually not a problem, but conflict arises when students need to get something out of their cars.

“We’ve had some issues with Aish just because the kids want to run to their cars down there,” Dallas said. “If they forget something in their car and are parked on our lot, it’s okay, you’re still on school property you can go get your stuff, but if you’re parked over there you’re technically leaving school grounds. So, we don’t really have control over that.”

However, that issue hasn’t caused much of a problem in the daily routine. What seems inevitable though, is that eventually that lot will fill up, and it’s important to remember that it’s not exclusively a secondary source for driving high schoolers and Aish needs spots available for visitors. That’s where the conflict arises: if the trend of sophomores parking at Aish continues, the lot will fill up every year, and this is an issue now resolved by the school’s recent decision.

With the recent announcement to reinstall the sophomore parking passes for the rest of the year, tenth graders can now look forward to being able to park in the school parking lot. Whether this changes for the better, or old problems rise anew, the open spaces will now be full of smiling sophomore drivers, possibly relieving the stress and claustrophobic feeling placed on the Aish Hatorah parking lot.

Sophomores often park in the lot next door due to regulations preventing them from parking at school, yet new regulations may ease the stress on the Aish Hatorah parking lot. Sophomore Andrew Hollinrake believes the Central parking lot should be open to all “I think if there’s available parking spots at the school, they should allow Sophomore parking,” Hollinrake said. “I don’t see why not and it could cause so many benefits.”

Here’s what you need to know about the parking passes in case you missed it: “Sophomores who are interested in purchasing a parking pass can pick up an application in the sophomore office. In order to qualify, you must by 16 years old, have a valid Missouri driver’s license, and a reason why you need the pass. The price of the passes will be $40.00. Turn in your application to Mrs. Crylen in the 10th grade office by next Thursday, February 4th...not everyone who applies for a pass will be granted one. Please see Mrs. Mayes if you have any questions.”

online resources provide temptation not to read assigned texts

MITCH BRODDON Staff Writer @mitchbroddon

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eachers talk about the struggle to keep students from using online resources like Spark-notes or Cliffs-notes, and making sure they are reading and retaining the information.

“I don’t like those sites because it takes them outside of the text that we want to focus on,” English teacher Christian Schaeffer said. “It’s our job as teachers to help you read better, and if you’re not going to come in with that minimum effort of not reading the assignment, I can’t really do anything for you as a teacher because we’re literally not on the same page.”

Schaeffer goes on to explain how it’s hard to check if kids are using these sites, or lying about their reading, because they could be lying about it.

“Reading is hard to do a homework check on, it’s not like a math problem where you can say ‘Prove it to me,’” Schaeffer said.

Although it is hard to check, Schaeffer goes on to explain the huge difference between what he teaches in class, and what is taught on the online resources.

“We’re aware that those temptations are out there and we try to fill in elements to the class that discourage that, because Sparknotes might tell you the plot of the story, but they’re not going to help you with close reading aspects and inferences.”

According to English students, such as junior Josh Hylan, reading doesn’t take a first priority to his other homework, depending on his involvement with the book.

Students admit to using online help sites for English, even though most teachers dislike them. “A book is definitely easier to read if it’s in a topic I’m interested,” junior Josh Hylan said. “Otherwise, it’s just hard for me to focus on it.”

“When given a reading assignment, teachers usually give about an hour of reading time a night,” Hylan said. “Most students, including myself, don’t get into the book like we are supposed to, so we rely on outside sources like Spark-notes or Schmoop.”

Not every teacher is 100 percent against the idea of online help with book comprehension. English teachers like Mattie Rudolph believe that those sites, if used correctly, can be used as a helpful

tool, along with reading the assignment themselves.

“I think, especially when it comes to difficult texts like ‘The Scarlet Letter’ or Shakespeare, using sources that help translate it as a learning tool is acceptable,” Rudolph said. “Especially with my struggling readers, to help them get more independent in their understanding, I have no problem with it being a learning tool.”

According to Rudolph, she is worried more about students who only read these sites and completely ignore the actual assigned reading pages.

“Having it be the source of what they read is the problem,” Rudolph said. “Students need to understand it’s supposed to be a tool.”

Some students say that a reason they cannot fulfill their reading requirements is because they are occupied by other assignments during the night. Also, as in the case of sophomore Alexis Poe, the books usually aren’t intriguing.

“It’s really hard because I have sports too, so I come home and have no time to just relax,” Poe said. “Also, if the books are boring, I won’t be interested so I can’t force myself to read it or I’ll fall asleep. If they are interesting then I will read them but it’s hard to stay on pace with the rest of the class.”

Even with its benefits, the department policy still outlaws the usage of online help such as Spark-notes and other sites.

“I stand by the department policy,” English teacher Nora Biggs said. “We’re trying to teach the ability to figure their way through things that are difficult. Not just find the answer, but how do you work through it when it is challenging to develop those skills.”

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1 2 1. Seniors Cooper Lohkamp, Josh Rudman, Tyler Rosem, Michael Rembold, sophomore Alyssa Kendrick, seniors Jessica Randall and Daniella Bursak and sophomore Hannah Mikitin perform during the Guy/ Girl dance.

2. Senior Josh Mannis sings his solo to MAGIC’s song “Rude” with the boys a cappella group OTR. 3. Juniors Charlie McIntyre and Carly Lander show off their throwback outfits for K.I.S.S. Week.

4. Freshmen Amoni Madison and Makaia Andrews and junior Amanda Crawford show off their moves during the High Steppers performance.

5. Senior Knija Kendrick sings along with the music during the step team performance.

6. Senior Josh Konecek dribbles to the three point arc to shoot for the basketball shoot off.

7. Junior Rachel Fine and senior Victoria Wright get the crowd hyped during the Sparklers cheerleading preformance.

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8. Freshman Jordan Nenninger flips throught the gym during the JV cheer performance.

9. Seniors Sean Kim and Valerie Pelts show off their PJ attire for Monday’s theme of K.I.S.S. Week.

10. Senior Jordan Lewis gets flipped by senior Arion Hinson during the break dance team’s performance.

11. Sophomore DeAndre Campbell watches on after throwing an unsucessful alley opp for sophomore Arther Green.

12. Mr. PCH contestants junior Anthony Blatter, seniors Matt Kane, Cooper Lohkamp, Trasean Stepney, JP Byrne, Josh Konecek , Alex Rehr and junior Alex Dubinsky watch the other half of the dances show off their moves during the Mr. PCH dance.

‘Pep’-ing with a Purpose

Libby Archer and Sammy Weber Staff Writers @libbyarcher1, @webbers8817

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Spreading

the Word

Club leaders strive to find the best ways to advertise KAYLA BENJAMIN Features @pchcorral

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ith dozens of clubs spanning a wide range of interests, there is one thing that almost all groups have in common: the need to advertise.

“We try everything, we try everything, to get people’s attention,” Project Help executive board member senior Mirose Song expressed.

This constant challenge of gaining support is not singular to the community service club. All over school, different groups search for the best ways to catch the eyes of the student body.

“Everybody in high school wants to go for the ‘apathetic teenager’ kind of thing, and not seem passionate about anything, with the risk of being made fun of for your passions,” Operation 350 member senior Emma Roberts said.

In addition to attitudes that stand in the way, every group has to fight against the huge amounts of time constraints that pull high schoolers every which way.

“People’s lives are increasingly busy,” founder of the Ballroom Dancing Club sophomore Jackie Blasini said. “So trying to get people to take away an hour of time when they could be doing homework or other activities is really difficult.”

Each club has to compete not only with everyone’s prior commitments, but also with every other club as well.

“There’s all the other that’s going on, that’s like ‘Badminton club! Basketball! Rugby! and all sorts of other announcements that are going on as well,” Roberts said. “It can be overwhelming; you have to filter stuff out.”

The school environment is another obstacle that tests the limits of club leaders’ creativity.

“We use very similar methods every single event we do,” Song said. “We should have different types of advertisement, but school is kind of a limited area to have that much advertisement.”

Finally, to add a whole new level to the struggle, each club faces its own particular roadblocks when it comes to reaching their specific intended audience, schedule limits of the leaders or sponsors, and the time needed to accomplish the club’s goals.

“Whenever you have a diversity club, it’s hard to specifically target your minority group, to make sure everybody knows,” co-founder of the Black Student Union junior Elyse Ellis said.

“Reaching everybody that would be represented in the group gets kind of difficult when you just have a couple of friends who started the group.”

In the face of each of these unique challenges, every group has to adapt different methods of best spreading their message.

Some clubs turn to technology to organize their advertising efforts.

“We started a group chat for the people who have been showing up regularly, reminding them to bring friends,” Blasini said.

Sometimes the best thing to do is get personal.

“A lot of it was word-of-mouth,” Ellis said. “Some people need to actually hear about it in order to feel personally welcome to go.”

In other cases, especially in groups that advertise longstanding projects or many separate events, more assertive or unusual methods are needed.

“Recently, we tried running a game at the pep rally,” Roberts said. “We made an announcement that we recorded, and added fancy announcement music to it. We put posters on the tables.”

Much of the time, the best solution is just to try it all.

“We use fliers, banners; we email to teachers, to parents sometimes; we put it on the morning announcements, or we talk about it during lunch,” Song listed. “We talk to people. We talk to friends, we talk to family, like ‘Hey, there’s an event that’s going on at our school. You wanna help out?’”

Whether it’s Ferguson Youth Tutoring’s bright pink posters or the Colt Cafe’s catchy jingles, every type of advertising requires club leaders to get creative if they want it to successfully grab their peers’ attention.

What’s the most effective way to get your message out?

Emma Roberts, Operation 350:

“The posters that are like ‘You compost this, and that’s it.’ It was in bolder fonts. Keeping it simple and to the point. Simple and concise posters.”

Elyse Ellis, Black Student Union:

“It’s not one method that’s most effective. Different people do different things. At the end of the day, you just have to network.”

Jackie Blasini, Ballroom Dance Club:

“Most effective is probably the posters and the announcements combined, along with the texts, and just inviting people.”

Mirose Song, Project Help

“I think the most effective one is the banner because it’s big, so people can see it easily.”

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corral Editor-in-Chief Kate McNeal Managing Editor Jeffrey Eidelman Features Editor Kayla Benjamin Sports Editor Robert Shifrin Entertainment Editor Piper Rother Social Media Manager Alex Lanson

Illustration by: Dean Randolph

students should model character with lack of formal program STAFF EDITORIAL @pchcorral

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ome say it takes a village to raise a child.

Perhaps, it is because from the time we are born, we begin inheriting attitudes, ideas, and direction in our lives based on the people we spend the most time around. To some adults, there is emphasis on instilling personal beliefs, morals, and ideologies into the mindset of their next of kin, and though all people inevitably will perceive impact and influence in different ways, there is an underlying expectation.

This expectation is the development of character, a growth of understanding in the adolescent

mentality that promotes learning not necessarily academically, but in personality.

For the last ten years, the Parkway School District has actively promoted an initiative by which all levels of education elementary to high school may introduce students to core ethical and performance values. However, Parkway’s formal method of teaching of character education has appeared seemingly invisible. It has been a slow and tedious process to actualize in the curriculum as the district’s leadership had originally hoped it would be.

So, in light of this lack of formal ‘character education’ - the teaching of morals, values, et cetera - we are posed with a personal responsibility, unknowing to the fact that the

responsibility even exists. That, in light of the school’s failure to address what specifically ‘good character’ and ‘values’ means personally to the student body at large, it becomes a factor of our school’s melting pot of morals, backgrounds, and the overall ‘climate’ of the school being what we make it to be.

They say it takes a village to raise a child.

Sometimes, the village is filled with children just like you, all with independent values. But at the focal point of this mess of occasionally conflicting ideas are unarguable cores ideas that make us who we are, and these shared cores, although not explicitly defined, are the things that make the real impact on others whether that is intentional, or not.

We want to hear from you!

Tweet at us @pchcorral

Staff Writers Libby Archer Mitchell Broddon JP Bryne Mike Conger Alex Kaiser Garrett Lierman Daniel Roman Sammy Weber Noah Weidner Sarah Whalen Graphic Designer Dean Randolph Business Manager Mac Rogers Adviser Ms. Tara Stepanek

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 Missourian Publishing.

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.

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stigma of pink academic labpasses clashes with perception of helpful environment JP BYRNE Staff Writer @Byrne_in_Rubber

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ince last year’s initiative to get struggling students more directed help from teachers during Academic Lab, new problems have been introduced: the stigma of needing help and the damage to students’ egos that ensues.

Shocking pink Academic Lab passes are issued to those students who have a failing grade within a class or whose teachers think would benefit from having directed help sessions during lab time.

During a portion of travel time, these students are required to touch base with particular teachers, some for individualized instruction and others for specialized help sessions given by teachers of each department. However, some students are ashamed of getting this extra help because they are being singled out by having to carry these blinding passes through the halls.

To students, neon pink passes for Academic Lab symbolize stupidity -- the “Scarlet F” emblazoned in their hands that their peers can see and equate to their academic success.

While some teachers have said there should be no shame in needing more help to learn, they have not been snickered at while traversing the halls because of a piece of cardstock. And even if students can pocket the unsightly colored card, any adult in the halls

or the teacher they are assigned to who has to sign it forces students to reveal their brandedness.

The school should not implement a system that creates this unnecessary stigma. If students are ashamed of needing extra help, then they simply will not try as hard in these help sessions -- or not attend at all. Then we as a school have created more issues in student accountability and potentially more incidents in the halls during Academic Lab. In order to truly help these kids, we need to recognize they need help, but not single them out at the same time.

Instead, students should be issued the same innocuous light blue passes as everyone else, even if they are labeled slightly differently, but still be required to attend the directed travel sessions.

We should implement a new system that allows for Academic Lab teachers to sign these students out of their class, and once they reach their directed travel destination, the teacher can confirm that the student has reached their room. Teachers have electronic communication means at their fingertips for such uses, and many teachers check in on their Academic Lab students that way as is. This would not single out any student, but still effectively solve the problem of failing grades.

All students should be assigned the same passes to ensure that students are not stigmatized for needing to get help during Academic Lab. Then the school can claim it is working toward achievement for all.

Want more coverage of what’s going on around PCH? Check out parkwaynews.net/ corral for the latest online stories!

Illustration by Dean Randolph

Let’s SAY ‘C YA’ TO C DAYS ALEX KAISER Staff Writer @AlexKaiser22

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n the workplace, you go to work every day, and you do your job every day. You don’t take a day every week just to look over the work you did last week. So why should school be any different?

The fact of the matter is, all C days are good for is checking homework and taking quizzes. With the average school year being

Do we learn on C days?

Yes (28.89%)

No (71.11%)

36 weeks, taking one day out of every week to check work comes out to 36 days wasted in one school year. That’s over seven five-day weeks where little to no new learning is done. That’s an entire grading period of checking work. Instead of having a day wasted in every week in the CABAB cycle we use now, we should switch to an ABABA-BABAB schedule.

Not only would this allow students to learn and teachers to teach five days a week, but it would allow students to put more effort into their work due for Monday, because they have less to stress about. Not only would more time allow for more time to be put into producing better work, it would also allow students more time to explore their interests outside of school, and keep their stress level down if their workload is more spread out.

Every C day I return to my humble abode, my fortress of solitude, my home with an aching pain in my back, upper and lower.

Not only do I have the weight of the world on my shoulders, but now I have the weight of my entire course load on top of that. A history of back problems in my family aside, it is completely unnecessary to put this unneeded stress on my back. According to spinehealth.com, excessive weight in backpacks can cause an unnatural curve of a person’s spine, rounding of a person’s shoulders, and it can cause them to lean forward, reducing balance and causing bad posture.

Parkway North and Parkway South use a schedule of just A and B days and it works well for them, so why hasn’t Parkway Central adopted this new schedule? Looking back at the week of the 25th through the 29th when we had a BABAB week, I managed my time and workload much better, especially without the stress of having work for seven classes done just so I could check that it’s correct.

For a more productive school and a better learning environment, Parkway Central should transition to a schedule without C days.

corral 11 Feb. 5, 2016

pch

opinions

HE SAID...

SHE SAID...

‘Tis the season for sleeves: Vests lack purpose

No sleeves, no problem: Heavy coats should be left behind

JEFFREY EIDELMAN Managing Editor @jeffey44

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his year, as with every year, we welcome the below zero degree weather, snow days, and sickness that winter brings. How does one protect themselves from the freezing climate and coughing/ sneezing that everyone is surrounded by?

The answer is self-evident - sleeves.

There seems to be some sort of fashion trend towards the use of no sleeves in our current climate. The reasons are mind-boggling. I just wonder what the thought process is for the people who wear vests in winter for non-formal events. “I’ll spend 100 dollars on something that doesn’t help me stay warm anyways.”

“Oh this looks nice; a fluffy coat! But they took off the hood and sleeves and bumped up the price 30 dollars.”

Obviously there are always places to get clothes on the cheap. It is still possible to find no-expensive vests. But yet, for the most part, clothes don’t come cheap. And when someone has the option between a clothing item that has redeeming value such as sweatshirt or one with literally one redeeming quality in a vest (comfort), why do people chose the later?

The answer is simple: stupidity. Clothes, especially in the winter time, have a purpose. The bottom line is vests’ accomplish nothing.

Formal events, in particularly for men, are perfect events to wear a vest. You can take off your dinner jacket and will have something fashionable underneath. That’s where the line needs to be drawn in vest wearing. But spending money, big money, on a vest that honestly nobody will care for is staggering. Nobody has ever won a Nobel Peace Prize for wearing a cute, overpriced vest that only a few friends will call cute.

In the end, there should be a vested interest in using sleeves.

KATE MCNEAL Editor-in-Chief @kateisgreat11

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he cold weather fashion statement: oversized sweaters, fluffy scarves, wool socks, warm boots. The best way to top your snow day look? A cozy, stylish vest.

Vests come in many shapes and sizes, and we should love all of them. A classic look that extends far beyond added formal wear under a suit, vests provide an effortless way to make any outfit more stylish. Not feeling like dressing up but want to feel put together? Throw on a vest over your long sleeved t-shirt. Want to add to an already fashionable ensemble? Finish with a vest and your outfit will become functional, too.

Some may argue that the sleeveless aspect of vests detracts from their value. But when it’s 20 degrees and the layers are adding up, take off the second jacket and replace it with a vest. The added insulation keeps you warm outside, and when you’re inside, you can take off the heavy coat and stay cozy without trying to hide how sweaty that jacket is making you.

Unfortunately, brands like Patagonia, North Face, and Columbia have vests that carry a hefty price tag. But luckily, more affordable vests from Target and Old Navy make them more accessible to everyone.

And because of this, the “paying for no sleeves” argument is invalid.

Skip the puffy coat and make today the day to invest in a vest.

12 corral Feb. 5, 2016 pch

cover story

district pushes for implementation of respect, responsibili Alex Lanson and Noah Weidner Social Media Manager, Staff Writer @wutangclanson, @futurtopia

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RASH! You just dinged up a car parked next to you. You get out and exchange insurances, apologize, and try to make it as right as you can. But why didn’t you just keep going? You might have gotten away with it. You could have saved a decent amount of money too.

You stay there and do the right thing because that’s the respectful and responsible thing to do -- that’s what you’ve been taught.

SPLAT! The person next to you trips and goes flying in the hallway, scattering his books and other possessions. You help pick up his stuff and make sure they’re okay. You could have just kept walking, but you didn’t.

Something inside of you said that you should go back and help him.

That something is respect and responsibility, two qualities that -- most would agree -- are important.

However, where we learn those societal values is in question in schools across the country.

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midst the demand to succeed in academics, an initiative often remains silent and unnoticed in the classroom. Its presence, nonetheless, has become known as character education. While some may learn character in a family room instead of a classroom, experts believe qualities such as responsibility and respect must be required learning for a successful school.

“In order for our schools to form a good community and for kids to feel safe at school we need students to learn to be good citizens and have a good democracy at school,” Dr. Erin Schulte, Parkway’s Coordinator of Guidance, Counseling, and Character Education said.

Schulte is one of two people in the district who are

“We are all so focuse d on grades and competing with each other but we never actually have tim e to help each other out with differe nt things.”

-Ashley Berghoff (10 )

responsible for the organization of Parkway’s character programs.

She adds that district takes this initiative seriously, with the intent of the program to teach what is important without overstepping its boundaries.

“We’re not teaching morals, it’s the traits of being a good citizen,” Kristen Pelster, the director of Professional Development at CharacterPlus, a local organization that encourages the teaching of character education in schools, said.

In various case studies, it has been proven that students from state schools with some form of an on-campus character program scored higher on state tests and performed generally better as students. One such campus was Lindbergh High School, which has an extensive character education program.

“If you look at the data -- it was a 10- or 11-year climb [for Lindbergh’s scores] -- they were not good,” Dr. Marvin Berkowitz, an endowed professor from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an emphasis in character education and educational psychology, said.

“There were 10 or 11 years that they got slowly better and they did it with character education.”

Other Missouri schools have followed suit with their own character programs and had similar success. “[Character education] is proven to raise academic scores,” Pelster says.“When we started it, while I was a principal at Fox School District, our scores increased.”

Pelster notes that a character program changes the culture and climate of a school.

The key to success for those schools, Schulte claims, is getting everyone involved.

“Schools like Lindbergh have been successful because they have done a good job of getting everyone on board,” Schulte said.

h and take what “If you just tell the trut than telling lies ter bet is it e com to is k of what you and having to keep trac ) (12 lton Wa ey odn said.”-R

W

ith the success of character ed programs in the St. Louis area, Parkway has attempted to create a program of its own. Because of having many more

schools than Lindbergh or Fox, Parkway has taken a slightly different approach to character education.

“Rather than our district saying, ‘you need to teach these values,’ we have left it up to the schools to figure out from students, parents and community members what is important to them,” Schulte said.

The schools in return have been reaching out in order to develop a character education program.

“I think the first step is creating opportunities for just dialogue between students and with myself,” building principal Tim McCarthy said. “I have some ideas, and thoughts, and have different conversations, but I think that’s a part of the challenge.”

Schulte said that having an administrator on board is key, which is why it has encouraged professional development for administrators and teachers through classes, seminars and other opportunities.

“The administrator has to set the tone for the staff, who needs to set the tone for the kids,” Schulte said.

“An administrator has a much greater chance to change the school culture than a teacher does.”

Set among these loose guidelines specified by the district is a responsibility that leaves administrators to lay the groundwork for a successful character education program in each building. However, as of now, students aren’t seeing the results.

“I don’t think they teach it well enough,” Ogchi Okpara said.“There are a lot of people at school who don’t show respect for others or teachers.”

According to McCarthy, a factor of making progression with character education in the district -- but specifically, Central -- falls to the adults. “[Character education] is really sort of two prongs, where there’s a student piece and an adult piece,” said McCarthy,“As a school, if the student piece is at rest but the adult piece isn’t, it can be messy.”

The responsibility that falls on adults to talk about and encourage character education has not been addressed as well as McCarthy and other administrators would like due to the lack of time.

McCarthy attributes this to the pace of school for students and staff members in completing academic and extracurricular responsibilities as well

“If people were more courteou s things would be a lot easier and Cent ral would become a happier and more peaceful place.”-Kayla Branigan (12)

as addressing stude school day.

However, the d successful characte high schools.

“You can’t just z Schulte said. “It has bottom to top.”

D

espite the la a character approach ha students.

“It [character ed and expectation,” s teachers throughou good example of th Teachers believ ing a healthy schoo “Educators have ter education and h ant and how it ben Joann Shaw said. “I in their life, then th receptive to charac Though the dist should be taught fo ment, little of it con posed by their peer hold in light of the For now, the di education has a lon curriculum.

But in the mean continue to place th values are most imp community at large

corral 13 Feb. 5, 2016

pch

cover story

ity training

ent needs in the limitations of the

on

district hopes to eventually get a er education program running in all

zip into this and have it work.” s to be built top to bottom and

ack of formal implementation of education program, the informal as already resonated positively with

ducation] is taught through example senior Nick King said. “I think my ut my time in Parkway have been a his.” ve this modeling is key to maintainol environment. e to demonstrate the value in charachave to show kids why it is importnefits them in life,” reading specialist If they don’t understand the impact hey are probably less likely to be cter education.” trict has vague instruction on what or character within a school environncerns most students. The examples rs and teachers have inevitably taken e lack of formal teaching. istrict’s expectation of character ng process to actualization in the

ntime, the school community will heir varying perspectives on what portant and relevant to our e.

Throughout the school day we learn about and , but when do we learn or ?

“People are different and sometimes we expect them to be one thing and we need to acknowledge that they are not and take them for face value” -Lain Sherstoff (10) with Paulina Runge (10)

“You need responsibility in order to take care of others and responsible people get their work done.”

-Stephen Unk (9)

“In a diverse school like ours, with many different people from different countries, it is important that people respect each other by being nice and making friends with others.”-Song Vu Nguyen (12)

pch

14 corral Feb. 5, 2016

features

club connections

Freshman Sofia Martinez, freshman Sohyun Jun, senior Max Baron and sophomore Ashley Berghoff work together to practice for their upcoming competition.

“Sometimes I wish we had longer practices, so we could get more stuff done at each practice,” Berghoff said. Working together helps the club achieve the needed materials at each practice. Photo by Alyssa Kendrick

Project help supports community through continuous service work

CARLA MINOR Guest Writer @pchcorral

mock trial begins P competition season ALYSSA KENDRICK Guest Writer @pchcorral

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ompeting at the St. Louis County Courthouse on Jan. 22 and winning one round over Clyde C. Miller Academy and losing one round against SLU High, members of the Mock Trial team have spent hours preparing to compete in their inaugural season.

“We worked feverishly to finish all of our questions and scripts, but the biggest thing is becoming familiar and close with the trial to give the judges the best we can,” club leader and English teacher Kemba Metropoulos said.

As a club, the students prepare to exhibit their skills to the best of their abilities, hoping to reach their overall goal to win competition.

“Our goal is to annihilate every other school in the mock trial competition,” Metropoulos said. “Also, for my students to have fun and look at this as a career pathway that they might want to explore and get a look on what lawyers really do.”

With competition season in full swing, the students are working to solidify their knowledge and skill in presenting their case -- this season on school bullying.

The students compete one side of their claim in the first competition and the second part of their claim in the second competition.

“I am excited about the upcoming competitions and ready to give my best script and best performance to the judges,” freshman Sofia Martinez said.

With 16 students involved in the club, each student fulfills a role presenting two sides to a case. The trial results in a bully on the defense side and a bullied kid on the plaintiff side.

“I am Gabriella Rodriguez, a counselor at the school where the kid was being bullied,” sophomore Ashley Berghoff said.

“I am a witness, which means I have to witness in the trial and memorize the trial to answer questions as a witness would.”

Martinez also prepares for the plaintiff side, working hard to finish all her work before the big competition as well.

“I am the lawyer for the bullied kid; I directly examine the plaintiff side and support their claims,” Martinez said.

Although the students in the club all work together to reach there overall goal, the students joined the club for different reasons and hope to get something out of the club.

“I’m learning a lot about law, but there are scholarships involved that I’m interested in and hoping to get,” Berghoff said.

roject Help strives to improve the school community and outside community by providing students with time and opportunities for students to get involved in service activities.

“I’m able to see upfront what goes on and all of the preparation that goes into it,” senior Reina Kim, President of Project Help said. “It is very nice to watch that all happen.”

Kim has been an active member since sophomore year and was elected into office this year.

So far, the committee has participated in Beautification Day, concessions at the football games, and basketball games, as well as hand stamping.

Project Help members prepare a poster to motivate participation in the Cinderella Project. “We are trying Upcoming events include helping out Ronald Mcto help seniors who can’t attend prom,” freshman Kris Ahn said. Volunteers and donors work together to Donald House and the Magic House. provide free dresses to girls who are not able to buy a dress.

At the meetings, Kim is in charge of informing the group of the upcoming events and tasks which that she has spent in Project Help.” need to be delegated for the day. Then the group disperses and “It makes me happy to give back to people and help people in spends time getting things done. With around 15-20 members the community,” Livers said. Livers specifically is also hoping for present each Wednesday, the group meets in the commons next to new ideas to spark, and to bring back services that worked before, the school store after school. such as drop off boxes for charities. While the group accomplished “In the beginning, I was here for the community service hours,” several things this semester, they hope to spread out more publicifreshman member Kris Ahn said. Project Help provides students ty, and recruit more members. with community service hours that can also be applied to govern“I would hope that I can rally up a good group of volunteers ment classes. Over time Ahn has decided to follow through with that will stick with us,” Kim said. She has noticed that after the first Project Help for new reasons. semester, a lot of people do not return to the group.

“Now, I come to relieve stress and still feel productive,” Ahn As a senior, she also wants to find quality volunteers make sure said. To many who have been involved with the club this year, the that she leaves Project Help in good hands. reasons why they participate have changed since they began.

“Being in this group has inspired me to become a bigger part of “It used to just be about the football games,” junior member it,” Kim said.

Taliah Livers said. While her opinion has changed over the time

students ‘go’ again with half marathon training ALLISON BROWN Guest Writer @pchcorral

Both students and teachers are training for a half marathon in April by practicing both inside and outside of school with the benefit of a healthy lifestyle and a new pair of running shoes.

Students on the Go! is in its second year at school, providing students support in their training and racing goals.

“It’s really fun to train with a team because I always have someone to talk to during practice and because there is always someone better than me it helps me push myself to train harder so I can be better than them,” said Erin Brosek, freshman Student on the Go! participant.

When training for a half marathon, one must begin training early so you have time to work up to the 13.1 miles at a slow, safe pace. If one tries to run too far before one is ready, one may get hurt and then won’t be able to continue one’s training.

“I don’t really like that we started training so early,” said Brosek.

“The half marathon is in April and that is pretty far away, so it makes it hard to be able to do a spring sport and do Students on the Go! at the same time.”

They have an opportunity to meet and run together everyday after school. They also have the option to run outside of school and track their running on MapMyRun. “My favorite part is that the training is very flexible and you don’t have to practice everyday; you can run on your own and track it on the app MapMyRun to get practice credit,” said Brosek.

Many people want to run and become more athletic, but do not have the motivation, but by running in this club with a team, one will have support from peers and trainers.

“I chose to join because I have wanted to do a half marathon for a while and it sounded especially fun because you get a free pair of running shoes for doing it,” said Brosek. Also, I did cross country and I really liked it, so I figured I would like this.”

corral 15 Feb. 5, 2016

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features

Long-time dancer adds new perspective SOPHIE BARON Guest Writer @pchcorral

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ancing for the school’s JV team, Chloe Chamberlin juggles school, dance team and studio

Chloe Chamberlin stretches out her legs in the splits to better her skills and her performance level. Photo by Sophie Baron

dance. Chamberlin has been dancing almost her whole life and brings a different aspect of performing to the team.

“She has contributed amazing energy and technical skills to the team,” JV coach Lindsay Brockmeier said. “She is a hard worker, super funny and always has great enthusiasm.”

Chamberlin loves to perform, and has ever sense she was little. But, dancing isn’t the same now as it used to be. Her mom’s side of the family owns Dance Inc., a popular studio in the St. Louis area. She has been doing different dances ever since she was little and still continues today.

“My mom told me when I was three all I would do was twirl around the living room with this big hot pink tutu,” Chamberlin said. “So my mom decided to put me in the Tiny Tot ballet and tap class and she says I loved it. As time passed I signed up for more and more classes and now I take every class that is offered to me.”

Chamberlin not only participates in school and studio dance but also has experience performing in the Muny.

Chamberlin was in “Buddy

Holly”, teen ensemble for “Beauty and The Beast”, and was a Muny teen which performs a 30 minute show two times a week before the main show.

“My favorite part about performing is the moment right before,” Chamberlin said.

“Your head is really clear yet you still get these little feel good butterflies.”

Between dance team and studio, Chamberlin has around 25 hours of dance practice and memorizes up to 15 dances a week.

She has learned her routine and is able to balance her school work along with her dancing.

“I have very little time before dance each night, so I normally have to do some homework in the car.” Chamberlin said.

As a sophomore, this is Chamberlin’s first year at Parkway Central. Before attending here, Chamberlin went to Grand Center Academy, a 5 year old art charter school.

At that school, instead of taking an elective class, she was able to take fine art classes. The school is right across from the Fox theatre and provided studies surrounding the fine arts along with regular core class subjects.

“I loved Grand Center, but it wasn’t as organized as I would like it to be,” Chamberlin said. “Then I saw what an amazing school Parkway Central was, and was excited to start here.”

sophomore aims to be like pro athlete, even in name LIAD LERNER Guest Writer @pchcorral

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odeling his game after six time NBA all-star Kevin Durant, Junior Francis Ntimba’s basketball skills have earned him the nickname “KD.” “I was one of the youngest guys at the open gyms freshmen year,” Ntimba said. “I made my first shot and all the upperclassmen started calling me ‘Durant’ and ‘KD.’” Ever since that day two years ago, the nickname has caught on.

“He always wears Durant stuff and Jarrett started calling him ‘KD’, so now everyone in basketball does,” Junior Adam Boonshaft said.

Ntimba draws similarities between himself and the Oklahoma City forward.

“I like his offensive game, the way he uses his size to score and his shooting skills,” Ntimba said. “Shooting is my best skill as well.”

Improving his passing ability and reducing his turnovers is what Ntimba looks to focus on this season.

“I need to keep my head up and look at the court ahead while handling the ball,” Ntimba said.

Ntimba has been playing basketball for ten years, including three seasons for the school.

“It’s more competitive with the school,” Ntimba said.

Ntimba is looking forward to this year especially, because it is his first year on varsity.

Junior Francis Ntimba has been playing basketball for ten years including three seasons on the school team. “He’s a team player and has the heart of a lion,” junior Adam Boonshaft said. This will be Ntimba’s first season on varsity.

Lee Johnson discusses a concept with XXX Tiffany Huang work together on making sure she is ready for her first semester Honors Chemistry final. “ You can always come in and ask me question, I’m here to help.” Johnson said. Photo by Kennedy Devlin

teacher gives beyond his science classroom ZOE HAHN Guest Writer @pchcorral

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ee Johnson, Parkway Central High School Chemistry teacher, has a lot going for him, as he not only dedicates himself to teaching, but also giving back.

“What I like most about teaching is interacting with students,” Johnson said. “I have been teaching Science for six years now.”

Dani Gottlieb, current honors chemistry student of Johnson, says that he has contributed to making an enjoyable freshman year so far.

“I like how when I don’t know something, he goes out of his way to make sure I get a good understanding of the topic,” Gottlieb said. “Even if it means coming before school and staying after school, he makes time for me.”

Johnson also donates to the St. Louis half marathon group and participates in the running training every Monday.

“Running is a way for me to disconnect from everything else,” Johnson explained. “Everyone needs to find a way to deal with stress and relax. For me, running helps me cope with any anxiety I am dealing with.”

Gottlieb also participates in the St. Louis half marathon training. She enjoys the company of Johnson, along with all the other participants.

“Mr. Johnson is a sponsor,” Gottlieb said. “He is actually really good! He beat me at the mile!”

As well as making his kids successful, and donating to charity, Johnson tries to volunteer as much as possible. Every Sunday morning that he is available, he serves breakfast to women at the crisis center in downtown St. Louis.

“It is important for people to realize that we can give back a lot to others,” Johnson said.

Johnson shows that not only is he a good teacher who invests in his students’ success, but is also a man with good in his heart which he spreads onto others.

entertainment

pch

16 corral Feb. 5, 2016

Rapid Responses to Quick Questions ALEX KAISER Staff Writer @AlexKaiser22

Name (grade)

Who would you never want to meet?

What is your favorite childhood TV show?

Preston Chen (9)

Kim Kardashian

Jimmy Neutron

Edye Hansen (10)

Mya Petty (11)

Donald Trump

Being friendly

What have you learned today?

What should be taught in school that isn’t already?

Chromebooks are extra helpful

How to treat people equally

How to deal with your car

The Suite Life of Zach and Cody

Memorizing useless information

It’s easier to sleep in your clothes so you don’t have to change in the morning

The Fairly-Odd Parents

Talking

Don’t come to school the first day you have a concussion

How to take care of ourselves

How to become famous

Katie Heitz (12)

Oprah

The Suite Life of Zach and Cody

Making up songs

John Randall’s birthday is January 15

Mr. Stout (English)

Donald Trump

Masters of the Universe (He-Man)

Making pizza

An Alan Ginsburg poem

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3

Mike’s Music of the Month Mike Conger Staff Editor @Mike_Unifish

A dinosaur

What are you really good at?

I’m known by many names: “Mike the Man,” “Mike ‘Marty McFly’ Conger,” “DJ Unifish,” but most importantly, “Music Mike”. This is because I listen to more music, and know more about modern music than anyone you’ve ever met. You’re reading Mike’s Music of the Month.

David Bowie

Macklemore

Grimes

Creativity

The Books

Blackstar

White Privilege II

Flesh Without Blood

Free Translator

In the context of his recent passing, David Bowie’s recent album provides much more than what lies on the surface of his lyrical content. Blackstar is sad, haunting, and frightening, but also offers a sense of inspiration, determination, and contentedness. By creating an entire album addressing his death, listeners are forced to take a look at their own mortality, and think about how our own lives will be remembered when they are gone.

White Privilege II is a sequel to a 2005 Macklemore song released on his debut album. Both songs address the implications of being a white hip-hop artist, a genre of music that is a key part of african american cultre.

Being the most popular white rapper since Eminem, Macklemore asserts that it is extremely important for him to support the black community, espiecally right now, during the #BlackLives Matter movement.

Grimes comes off as one of the most genuine artists in music right now. Her music is confident, playful, and odd. Flesh Without Blood is a single from her new album, Art Angels. The album is a wild combination of electronic, punk, and pop using synths, drum machines, and a young, lispy voice that has received acclaim from critics across the board.

The books are musical duo from New York. Combining folk instrumentation with strange and obscure scraps of sound and speech, their music is extremely unique and unusually entrancing. Free Translator is a song that comes from their 2010 album, The Way Out. With its stuttering cello samples, esoteric lyrics, and yearning melodies, Free Translator, stirs a sense of nostalgia and warmth that stays with you for long while.

corral 17 Feb. 5, 2016

6-part serial

Part 4: “The Disappearance of Katherine Greene” DANIEL ROMAN Staff Writer @danielroman1999

H

e jolted up, surrounded by darkness.

Confused, ears-ringing, Detective O’Brien looked over to his right and instantly felt a wave of nausea over him.

His partner was laying there, void of soul.

“Oh my god,” breathed O’Brien. “I did this…”

A slow burning started to make its presence as O’Brien noticed his right arm was pounding. The pain of the bullet that had passed through him combined with the nausea as well as the realization that he had just killed a man. The detective stumbled over to the clearing and threw up, shaken and terrified of the situation around him.

After regaining himself, O’Brien sat in his car, starting to put together the events of late. The entire police force knew what was happening in the woods, they were behind Hall and his actions. They’d be after O’Brien for his murder solely to cover up Hall and their role in the corruption.

A couple hours later, O’Brien pulled over at a barn besides a clearing. No one knew where he was or what had happened.

Knowing the state of the police department, his status could become an advantage, allowing him to investigate the corruption and its extending branches without being

pch

entertainment tailed every second.

Having earlier stopped at a department store, O’Brien pulled out a number of supplies from the trunk and set up a web of information and began to mold plans.

“What is happening?” Thought a flustered Hubbard.

The police chief hadn’t heard from Hall since the night before and he had no clue what had happened, where he was, or where O’Brien was. He had no idea where Hall was either. Beginning to lose focus, Hubbard packed up his things and headed to his car, trying to relax and thinking about how to find a solution.

“It’s all about O’Brien now,” he thought.

“I gotta find a way to get to him.”

Within seconds, a classy 1975 Ford Gran Torino was rolling out of the station lot with it’s final destination set on the O’Brien household.

A knock on the door startled Mrs. Debra O’Brien who was in the middle of making several phone calls to the police station of her husband’s employment. Anxious, she ran over to the door, fearing the worst that could possibly accompany a missing detective husband.

“Yes?” She opened the door.

“Mrs. O’Brien, I’m Police Chief Sam Hubbard.”

“What happened to him?”

“Ma’am, I can’t confirm anything to you yet.”

“Can’t confirm anything? I have a son, my husband is missing, what do you mean you-can’t-confirm-anything.”

A young boy emerged, startled by his mother’s desperate tone.

“Listen, ma’am, Detective O’Brien and Detective Hall were investigating a drug case last night, completely unrelated to Katherine Greene and that whole missing person endeavor,” said Hubbard. “I can’t confirm anything because I don’t know if they’re alive... or dead.”

The woman in front of him transformed, melting onto her hands and knees like a wild animal as her legs gave way.

Blood-curling screams rang out through the house as the young boy behind her, terrified with his mother, was conflicted on whether or not to comfort her, or scream and cry himself.

The police chief slowly backed away towards his car, aghast at the scene he had created.

The somber sun had sunk for quite some time now as Ziegler Financial Firm looked

To continue reading this chapter, go to www.parkwaynews.net/corral Stay tuned for part 5 in March!

App of the Issue: Evernote

a barren landscape. Mark Ziegler sat in his desk, puffing a cigar and waving away maddening thoughts. He was always the first man in the building, and the first one out, primarily to be able to do some work regarding Hubbard and the people in the woods. The sound of a door shutting alerted the businessman as he had made sure that no one else was still in the building.

“Hello?” He called out.

His face hit the desk as a blinding light and sharp pain took over his body. He couldn’t see anything and suddenly felt a snap in his right arm... He screamed out, but there was no one to heed the cries.

“What’d you do to Hall?” Said O’Brien, knocking Ziegler off his chair, hair a frenzy and fire in his eyes.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he stammered, sliding away from the fuming detective, “I’m not dumb,” said O’Brien. “You know as well as I do somethings going on.

T-t-those things in the woods are there because of the police department…”

“I’m not the police, man, I don’t know what you want me to do.”

Ziegler flew across the room, propelled by the force of the frustrated detective. The businessman, who was so unused to being placed in such an undermining position, hit the desk behind him, sucking the breath out of his body..

“Alright!” He screamed, panting hard while the feeling of terror began to wash over. “Here’s what’s going on...Hubbard, you know Hubbard, the Police Chief, his dad was part of those things you saw in the woods.

I don’t know their name, I don’t wanna know their name, but they’ve been around for a part, usually harmlessly. Hubbard’s dad kept trying to get his son to join. The Police Chief, being the fantastic man that he is, refused, but he did accept to keep them safe and look over them, making sure no one ever found out about the people in the woods. But now, they’re getting anxious.

They’re short on followers and they no Hubbard refused them, so they’re taking it out on him. You know how Hall was beat half to death on the side of the road? That was...

ANTHONY ZUANICH Staff Writer @anthonyzuanich

PCHtv on YouTube!

Scan at your own risk.

O

ur phones are some of our most powerful academic tools, yet for most of the day it sits in our pocket in sleep mode. Aside from the traditional texting, social media and the emergency calculator, our phones have the potential to make school life a little less stressful and a lot more organized. One of my favorite app to stay on top of notes, handouts and everything in between is Evernote.

It can do the basic cloud saved notes that all note taking apps can handle, but what sets Evernote apart is what it does on top of that. If used to its full potential Evernote will serve as a hub. You can scan in handouts from your phone’s camera, annotate your images, save what’s written on the whiteboard and even save business cards.

With Evernote, it’s possible to keep everything important to school life safe and in a convenient place.

I found Evernote most helpful in English.

Freshman year, I was able to take notes on “Romeo and Juliet” in a whole different way. Not only was I writing Post-it notes in my book like my peers, but I was able to save voice recordings of important explanations my teacher said. I even would scan important pages of my book and annotate them in Evernote. Come time to study, I had all my notes with me.

Although Evernote is super easy it does takes dedication to the app to obtain the organization and productivity that Evernote has to offer, it helps to start with one class and then slowly work it into others.

entertainment

pch

18 corral Feb. 5, 2016

Alex’s Appetite

Pollo palapa

Mexi-can’t separate from the pack ALEX LANSON Social Media Manager @wutangclanson

I

n a dark strip mall off Clayton Road is a authentic Mexican restaurant called Charro. The almost-empty eatery has orange walls covered with different kinds of artwork, many featuring a man with a sombrero. The atmosphere gave a the feeling of a warmth and summer despite the weather outside.

The restaurant was silent except for the few other customers.

Because of this lack of customers, we were seated immediately and brought chips and salsa. The chips were warm and you could tell they were made in the restaurant, but were much thicker than a regular chip and could use more salt. The salsa was painfully ordinary, a simple puree of tomatoes, jalapeños and other regular salsa ingredients, creating the typical medium salsa. As I chowed down the chips, they were refilled instantly along with the drinks, perks of being one of the few souls in the restaurant.

We were swiftly brought our food, my plate consisting of two chicken breasts covered in cheese sauce, fries, and a small salad.

The portions were huge, with the plate filled from edge-to-edge with food.

The chicken needed a lot of work. The two succulent pieces of meat were perfectly moist, but that’s where the compliments end for the over-seasoned poultry. While the seasoning might have been good in moderation, it tasted as if they dumped an entire spice jar on the ruined pieces of chicken. Added to the already salty chicken was a cheese sauce making my blood pressure jump from the amount of sodium I was consuming. While the cheese sauce would have been a great addition to any normally seasoned piece of meat, it didn’t mesh well with the poorly prepared chicken.

Because of this, I was reaching for my cup of water after every bite.

The fries, contrary to the chicken, were not bad at all. Finding it odd that such a traditional Mexican restaurant would serve French fries, I figured I would order it. The well-done fries had the perfect amount of crunch to them, yet were not too oily. However, ironically, the one thing these fries were lacking was salt. It had

the perfect texture and crunch, but didn’t have enough of a taste to them. Still, I had a much better experience with the fries than I did with the chicken.

The salad, if you could call it that, was disappointing to say the least. While I wasn’t expecting an intricate salad, I was expecting them to put some effort into it. What I received as a “salad” was shredded lettuce with cheese and a glob of sour cream on top. I will admit, the sour cream was useful when cooling my mouth down after eating a bite of the sodium-filled chicken, but when you advertise a salad on the menu, I’m expecting a salad, not typical Mexican sides stacked on top of each other.

While the service was excellent, I would not recommend this to you guys. Ultimately it comes down to how good the food is, and at Charro, the food was severely lacking. The only piece that was halfway decent were the fries, which doesn’t belong at a Mexican restaurant anyways. If you’re looking for some Mexican food on Clayton Road I would suggest sticking with Qdoba instead of venturing out to Charro.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Chips

While the atmosphere (left) provided a nice Mexican feel, the food (above) failed to meet the expectations of a restaurant worth returning too. Photos by: Alex Lanson.

Sophomores Create new Basketball team dynamic ROBERT SHIFRIN Sports Editor @brightfuturerob

P

ushing forward with a set of fresh faces and a unique dynamic, the boys varsity basketball team is building on a winning season.

“Because of our youth, you’ve got to teach them like they know nothing,” head coach Rick Kirby said. “Our motto is ‘youth is no excuse’.”

Often including 3 or 4 sophomores in the starting lineup, the team’s current record of 11 and 4 accurately reflects their motto.

Kirby hopes that his team will stay hungry as the season continues.

“I think they’re up for the challenge,” Kirby said. “I know I am, that’s why I do this, I love it, and I’m ready to go to war with those guys.”

A returning starter, and last year’s newcomer of the year, sophomore DeAndre Campbell has taken on a key role. Despite still being an underclassmen, teammates say that Campbell’s leadership and talent resemble that of a veteran.

“Being a leader is a hard thing, you can’t teach a kid to be a leader,” Kirby said. “I think the guys respect DeAndre for his effort, he tries so hard. He would literally run through a wall for me.”

Bursting on to the scene along side of Campbell has been sophomore Arther Green. Campbell and Green currently average a combined 26.1 points per game. The sophomores believe in the importance of a positive mindset, and say that their daily goal is keeping is the team upbeat.

“We don’t want anyone to have a negative attitude during practice because that brings the whole team down,” Campbell said.

“Positivity in practice translates to positivity during the game.”

Potentially disadvantaged by their lack of experience at the

corral 19 Feb. 5, 2016

pch

sports

Sophomore DeAndre Campbell races past his defender in an attempt to reach the basket against Parkway North on January 8th. Photo by Karis Kim

varsity level, Campbell and his teammates have one unique quality that has been essential: brotherhood.

“We will all get better and grow together as a team,” sophomore Devin Rice, a starting player recently moved up to the varsity team from JV, said. “We push each other at practice and encourage one another. We look after one another.”

Being around each other so often, the team’s sophomores have become accustomed to working with each other.

“It’s important that we are all on the same page when it’s time to go out and play,” Arther Green said. “We all have to be focused and ready to step up on defense.”

The sophomores feel that they’ve meshed well with their se-

niors, and are eager to continue growing on the court.

“I think DeAndre and Arther are great players, and they’re going to be really good by their senior year,” senior guard Monta’ Cummings said. “DeAndre does a good job of taking control on the court and getting the team together, and keeping us all on the same page.”

The core group of sophomores say that while they rely on one another, the elder presence of senior starter Josh Konecek has been highly influential. Nicknamed “Konnie”, the senior forward is referred to by Kirby as the team’s glue.

“The seniors inspire me to do my best because they all go hard and put 100% effort into everything,” Campbell said. “Konnie is probably the hardest worker that I have ever met.”

Konecek isn’t a scorer. Yet leading the team with 35 steals, his defensive presence has been proved through his winning defensive player of the year last season, and the praise he receives from his teammates and coaches.

“When he walks in the gymnasium, he puts a little smile on his face, he kind of gets a little hop skip and a jump, and for two hours he’s just pure hell competitive,” Kirby said of Konecek. “He’s just one of my guys, he’s one of my players, that’s the way I like them.

He just competes to the max and brings it every day and that’s why he’s as good as he is.”

Konecek says that his focus is solely on winning basketball games, at all costs.

“It doesn't matter to me if I get the points as long as we get the win in the end,” Konecek said. “I will do everything it takes to win.”

The team has 8 remaining games in regular season play, heading into the district tournament in early March.

sports

pch

20 corral Feb. 5, 2016 

 

 







titans

colts

 



 









 

would you rather have defense offensive or defensive player of the year?

offense























Yes, I’m in it for the long run

No, that sounds like a lot of losing

in Texas

outdoors

 

“California Gurls”

“Before He Cheats”

It’s painful, but I understand

jaguars

texans

Cardinals, they are proven winners

Blues, even if they suck in the playoffs

I like a team with a little edge

bengals 

dolphins

could you root for an emerging team?

blues or cardinals?



Release him immediately

Can he still play? Keep him

OK, they need to put an end to it

ravens



real football is played... doesn’t matter

It was when I grew up



one of the players on your team gets a dui. what should the team do?

what if it’s  half the team?

2005-2011

the offense suck

the amazing defense

the high-flying offense

the Super Bowl

browns

 



They get angry

jets

steelers 

They cry

No one is watching, so why should I care

Everyone is watching, and I’m nervous



how do people  react?



which song do you prefer?

what do you think $!@#^% of kroenke’s decision to move the rams?

why?

you remember watching...

I like the underdog

I cheat

patriots

afc south

2012-2015

which part of the greatest show on turf?

I accept defeat

what if you’re up against a pro?

I just suck why are you mediocre?

bills

afc north

what was your favorite period in rams history?

1999-2004

in the middle

last

I was better in the ‘90s

why are you last?

Russia

t-shirt and jeans

my fanciest stuff

when you play golf, what place do you finish? first

100 degrees and cloudless

When I go out in public, I wear... 

Chile





red 30 degrees and snowy

ALEX LANSON Social Media Manager @wutangclanson



WHat country would you rather visit?

Which climate do you prefer?

Now that the Rams are leaving, who should I root for?

AFC East

blue

with the FLOW

Start Here: red or blue?

where do you like to watch?

at the stadium for that game-day feel

on TV, it’s cheaper

corral 21 Feb. 5, 2016

pch

sports

























cowboys

What is the most important part of a pizza?







eagles

lions

bears

packers 









workhorse running back or superstar quarterback? quarterback



American made 



what kind of car do you drive?

running back











vikings

redskins





























 















extroverted

i am... introverted

falcons

deep-dish crust







depends on the day

foreign whip





saints

spaghetti and meatballs

buccaneers

cheese

kind of important

how important the only important thing are super bowls?

panthers

cajun chicken

crab legs

the best villain

giants

chiefs

I brag too much

I may have hit them

I don’t know, they just do

Are you not really sure?

What sounds the best for dinner?

both

stand there and hope for the best



chargers

boo and throw stuff

broncos

in a comic, you are the... hero

“misery”

“home”

no

maybe a jersey

the freakier the better yes

Your team is losing badly. You...



Why do they hate you?

yes



seahawks

They love me

awful

it doesn’t

you are an OK bowler. you tell people you are...

OK

when i say “missouri,” you think...

a ton

keep the team where it is

playoff time

hockey season

don’t care

can’t stand them

the louder, the better

be a decent person

yes

January is...

nfc north how much does a team’s history matter to you?

have a winning team

brains, brawn or beauty?

brains



What do people think of They hate me you right after you meet?

No opinion

the owner of my new team must...

Bratwurst

Cheese steak

birds

brawn

Atlantic 

What sounds good for dinner?

nfc south

birds or mammals?





Pacific

I quit and find something else to win at

no, it’s too much

raiders

49ers

history/English

nfc east

are you color blind?

What is your favorite subject?

What if you’re not winning?

afc west

football game attire?

science/math

beauty



I keep trying

Which Ocean is nicer?

what do you think of loud noises?



no, I know when to stop being cool

I’m resilient

I’m a winner

Could you handle another of your teams relocating?

cardinals

rams



My greatest quality is...

yes

mammals

nfc west

Is that your greatest weakness?



I’m loyal



sports

pch

22 corral Feb. 5, 2016

Diving team develops new group SARAH WHALEN Staff Writer @skatherine123

D

iving into a new activity, five girls got their feet wet and joined the swim and dive team with no prior experience.

“I chose diving this year because people told me to do it,” sophomore Marissa Brady said. “I used to do gymnastics so I was busy with that, but I ended up taking a break from gymnastics and I was like, ‘I’ll give it a try.’”

Divers need at least six different dives to compete in meets, and some meets require up to 11.

“The scariest part is doing things that aren’t particularly normal, and the possibility of hitting the board or smacking the wall when doing something new,” freshman Madeline Lee said.

Preparing for meets can take up a fair amount of time, considering that practices last about 2 hours every day.

“We have dry land, which is where we condition and build our muscles and then we start off by doing just regular jumps,” Brady said. “Then we just go straight into our dives depending on if we have a meet the next day, then we practice the dives for that next meet and if we don’t have a meet, then we are practicing making those dives better or learning new dives.”

The diving coach, Natalie Vonarx, is also the diving coach at North, so the diving team sometimes practices with North’s team.

“There are five of us and if the North kids are there, then there are about ten of us and we have to wait

our turn because we can only do one dive at a time,” freshman Emily Ortmann said. “Then you get back in line and it’s really constant feedback from your coach instead of just swimming.”

Brady explained that different exercises are required for different dives. For the twister dive she usually twists her body before the dive to get prepared.

“The best part is when you get something right that you’ve been working on for a long time and then finally getting it,” Madeline Lee said. “That’s really satisfying.”

Diving is a new group this year, and they are encouraging everyone to get out there and join the team.

“I would definitely say that if someone is thinking about diving next year they should because I started the year without even knowing how to jump off the board right,” Brady said. “I was completely scared, and I thought I wouldn’t even be able to do a regular dive and I got this far. I think that anyone that wants to do it should because we are a really small team but we’re really close so it’s really fun.”

Sophomore Marissa Brady holding her form as she flips into the water on Jan. 21. Photo

by Alex Lanson.

Wrestling accomplishes new feats SAMMY WEBER Staff Writer @webers8817

T

he wrestling squad believes that as a result of stronger chemistry, the team is finding more success in their tournaments and individual performance than in years past.

“The team has become more of a family, we have gotten along very well throughout the year and we have had more humor within the team and the coaches,” sophomore Pablo Espindola said.

With seniors leaving from last year and people having to stop due to injury, the want to have a stronger connection within the team has had a stronger presence.

“There are a lot of new people because there were a lot of people out from injury this past year,” sophomore John Kim said. “But since there are more people this year the team is more interactive with each other.”

Espindola says that when a team works better together you get better results out of your teammates.

“The whole team has done pretty good, in every tournament our team has had two placers and there has been other tournaments that our team has had five placers,” Espindola said.

Senior Tucker Jesse has been wrestling for seven years and is the captain of the team. Jesse believes he is a leader and that he has done good to make the team better.

“My record now is 27 and 7 and I have been placing at every tournament which is where I wanna be performing at,” Jesse said.

Jesse believes that him doing well on his individual matches helps the team score.

“Winning your match gives you points that add to a team score so performing well on your own will help out the whole team

and it will give the team a better chance of winning the whole tournament,” Jesse said.

For his first year of wrestling Espindola has learned the tips and tricks to wrestling. He also learned how much the team has changed in the past year.

“From what I’ve heard from last year is that the coaches have increased the level of intensity of practices. This year there has been a lot more conditioning in practice than practicing skills, moves, and technique,” Espindola said.

Competitive wrestling is a very hard sport according to Espindola. Espindola says that if you want to wrestle you have to keep a specific weight throughout the season. Also on the off season you need to make sure you don’t eat too much or eat too little.

“It’s really hard to keep your weight because you have to really control how much you eat. I’ve been doing that by eating smaller portions of food and drinking a lot of water in the day but not before a tournament,” Espindola said.

According to Espindola the best way to get better at wrestling is to jump onto the mat and get into some live wrestling. This year the coaches have made a strict schedule of what will be done in practice. During the wrestling team’s practice, getting better with skills and technique isn’t the main focus. Conditioning is what the team works the most on.

“For half of the practice we really work on skills, moves, and takedowns we also work on scoring moves. The other half of practice is a lot of hard conditioning with station work and sprints,” Espindola said. “At the end of practice you really are sweating a lot.”

Jesse believes that this year the team has really worked well together and they have been pretty balanced. Jesse still thinks that the new wrestlers are learning and the older more veteran wrestlers and doing really well.

Gavin VanHoogstrate wrestles an opponent during his match on December 10, 2015. Photo by Corral Staff.

“Some people with prior experience (wrestling) before high school and before this year do a little bit better but that’s just because they know their way around the sport better,” Jesse said. “We really only have major success when the whole team does good.”

corral 23 Feb. 5, 2016

F

or the most part, they aren’t seen. They aren’t scoring the buzzer beating shot to win the game in double overtime.

They aren’t diving in to anchor the relay. Yet, team managers provide a continuity and support system that is important to the players on the team.

“It’s been unbelievable having Natasha as our manager,” junior basketball player Paige Wallis said. “She brings such a positive spirit to the table and she really improves our team dynamic. In the past, we’ve never really had managers that are as committed as she’s been, and it’s great to know that we can always count on her.”

Senior Natasha Popenkova is the current girls basketball team manager. Although claiming to be shy, Popenkova enjoys going to the game to show support.

“For boys basketball I see a lot of people coming,” Popenkova said. “But for girls not as much. So I’ll make posters and support them in other ways. The coach says that I don’t need to go to the games, but I always respond that I need to go to support the team.

Before I became the manager, I didn’t know much about the rules.

Now I am very familiar and love watching the game.”

Popenkova’s job includes recording the games for the team, and she wishes that she would have taken the opportunity earlier in her high school career.

“I didn’t originally pick basketball, but now that I have managed it, I wish I would have done it freshman year,” Popenkova said.

“I’m too scared to play, but looking back, I wish I would have been manager.”

According to Wallis, the team values the passion and hard work Popenkova puts into her job.

“Natasha shows up to nearly every single game, even when we played Seckman which was an hour long drive,” Wallis said. “She also made a sign with glitter and everything that she holds up at

“She brings such a positive spirit to the table and she really improves our team dynamic.”

-- Paige Wallis, junior every game and it really gets everyone so pumped and it makes us feel so supported.”

From the court to the pool, this school is keeping it cool. Similar to basketball, the girls swim team managers received high praise from their constituents.

“I think the managers really help us at meets because they’re able to time and do everything that we don’t have time to do,” junior Annika Hofer said. “They help the meets run smoothly and we wouldn’t be able to do it without them.”

Seniors Adam Barr and John DeStefano are two of multiple team managers. They run the clock, time, and announce during home meets.

“We just make sure the meets run smoothly and that Mrs. Meyer can coach the girls and doesn’t have to worry about how the meet is running,” DeStefano said.

Barr and DeStefano had similar reasons for volunteering for the job.

“I do it because I saw those girl managers that came and managed our swim team,” Barr said. “I thought, ‘you guys are the best, thank you. I’m going to manage your team.”

DeStefano also goes on to credit how close of a group both male and female swimmers are. However, he believes that there could be another reason for the need of multiple managers.

“Central doesn’t decide to fund the pool as much as it probably needs to be to function properly enough,” DeStefano said. “So if there are extra people it’s good to have them help.”

behind

the

JEFFREY EIDELMAN Managing Editor @jeffey44

pch

sports

Scenes Team managers prove to be crucial

Beffa prepares freshman for future on the court MAX OLESKA Guest Writer @pchcorral

C

ontinuing to work with freshman, coach Todd Beffa has a unique coaching style for both the freshman girls basketball team and the freshman boys soccer

Freshman head coach Todd Beffa has been freshman girls basketball coach for five years. “Starting with the basics is important, it’s what is used in everything,” Beffa said. “Defense wins championships, something that I always need to consider when it comes to sports.”

team.

“I like to start with the basics, then I alter my coaching style to match the players on the team,” Todd Beffa said when asked about his coaching style.

Beffa has been developing his coaching style since the age of 16, when he first started coaching for a soccer team.

His style for basketball was born 5 years ago when he had his first coaching job for basketball, which was the girls freshman basketball team.

One of his players, freshman Kennedy Devlin, had something to say about his coaching style.

“He’s a good coach, he really helps us improve, and we have fun while practicing,” Devlin said.

Beffa is a little more laid back when it comes to freshman teams then he is for JV and varsity, because JV and varsity are more competitive. With freshman, he is preparing the team for the next level. This laid back coaching style he has for freshman allows for more fun, and also helps players enjoy the sport more.

“He isn’t strict like some coaches, he let’s us play at times but also keeps us on track,” Devlin said.

Coaches start coaching to get closer to a sport that they love and the people around them, which is the same reason why Beffa got into coaching.

“I really enjoy working with people which is one of the reasons I started coaching,” Beffa said. “I also started coaching because sports are a real passion of mine.”

While coaching can be fun, it also has its inevitable

“He’s a good coach, he really helps us improve, and we have fun while practicing.”

-- Kennedy Devlin, freshman downsides that go with it.

“I really don’t like the parts unrelated to coaching, like the paperwork,” Beffa said when asked about his least favorite part about coaching.

Beffa’s coaching has also cut into some of the personal aspects of his life, as it takes time to do everything that needs to be done.

“Coaching has forced me to give up time with my family, because of the practices, games, paperwork, and other things that I have to do,” Beffa said.

Beffa often runs a drill about ball control, one of the basics, with one of his players in front of the rest of the team.

“Starting with the basics is important, it’s what is used in everything,” Beffa said.

This coaching style that Beffa uses focuses on the basics because they are the central of basketball.

“Defense wins championships, something that I always need to consider when it comes to sports,” Beffa said when asked about his game plan.

Some of the drills that Beffa ran during practice involved defense, as defense is something that always needs to be improved on to win games.

spotlight

pch

24 corral Feb. 5, 2016

Painting

outside

the

Lines

Senior takes talent beyond classroom MIKE CONGER Staff Writer @Mike_Unifish

R

ecently, outbreaks of creative talent have turned social media into an online art gallery. Photos of drawings, sculptures, and paintings showcase the talent that young people have to offer independent of the classroom.

One of these students is our school’s very own Rachel Givens.

After taking Design Arts 1 her freshman year, Rachel decided she would like to continue creating art, but not within the confines of school.

“In the classroom, painting is very close-minded,” Givens said. “You are doing specific projects, techniques, in specific timeframes; I don’t like having to do it on a specific idea.”

According to Givens, creating artwork at home offers much more than having to adhere to the boundaries of a syllabus.

“When you paint at home, you can paint whatever you want,” Givens said.

During her junior year, Givens began to take her art more seriously, and her paintings in turn became more serious.

“Junior year was a very stressful time for me,” Givens said. “I had family stuff going on and things were emotionally hard. Sitting at home by myself and just painting was helpful getting through those times.”

When it comes to growing as an artist, Givens has first and foremost relied on lots of solo practice, however, she has not stopped taking art classes entirely.

When she believes her technical skills needed some brushing up, Givens goes to the Dick Blick Store in the Delmar Loop, where art classes are hosted in-store. She can take a guided class when necessary, but can work independently the rest of the time. This method ultimately offers the most opportunity for creativity, and independent expression.

Givens recommends to other students who are unsatisfied with the traditional method of learning to paint to remain patient.

“If I had to give advice to aspiring painters, it would be to practice as much as you can, and just keep painting.”