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Parkway Central High School 369 N. Woods Mill Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017 Volume 60, Issue 5 March 15, 2016
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? ? Board votes ‘yes’ on new sex ed curriculum pg. 3 District hosts ‘risky behaviors’ program pg. 4
How we
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PCH by the numbers pg. 20
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02 corral March 15, 2016
Photo Issue of the
Nhi Nguyen, Noah Walen, Taiki Yamashita and Adam Barnes support a classmate on the climbing wall in the lobby above the pool in Adventure Pursuits class 8th block on Feb. 25 while observed by teacher Sue Keller, Jackson Roberts, Jacob Province, Traci Baron and Caroline Rodgers. Photo by Devon Ware
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Pizzazz ends competition season on top pg. 6 Theater students wrap latest play pg. 7 Behind the scenes of the district’s Twitter account pg. 8 How coaches mentally Inside the role of a food service worker prep for sports seasons pg. 5 pg. 23
Alex’s Appetite: Barbeque blitz pg. 19
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Board of Education approves new sex ed plan amid opposition KAYLA BENJAMIN Features Editor @pchcorral
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mid controversy and tension, the Board of Education voted 4-3 to ratify an expanded sexual education curriculum on the night of Wednesday, March 9. The meeting, which was held in Central Middle School’s commons, was crowded and lasted several hours. The curriculum is intended to update content on “healthy relationships, sexual orientation, sexual harassment and safety including social media, online predators and sexting,” according to district media. “I think the board reflected what I’ve heard from everyone, whether they be opponents or advocates, and that’s that we want the best for students,” Ron Ramspott, the district coordinator of health and physical education and the man who organized and oversaw the years-long revision process, said. “They made the right decision.” The curriculum revisions have been in the works for more than two years. In a previous vote in October, a new health and physical education curriculum was passed but without the controversial revisions to the sexual educational program. The sex ed changes faced opposition from many parents, including a group that calls itself “Protect Parkway Students.” The organization is run by Parkway parents who are in opposition to the plan. Their mission, as stated on their website, is “to equip Parkway students to enjoy the benefits of lifelong sexual integrity.” The organization has organized events, including presentations to district board meetings and community gatherings such as the day of fasting and prayer held the day before the vote. Multiple letters from parents opposed to the plan were sent to the Board of Education, and even threats of lawsuit had been made to the district, should the plan pass. Matters escalated when, just days -- and even hours -- before the meeting, many community members in the district received a recorded phone message condemning the proposal and urging action. Some assumed the highly-opinionated automated call was from the district itself. But the tone of the meeting did not match the opposition leading up to it. In speeches limited to one minute, more than 20 community members expressed concerns about and disapproval of the new plan, citing a variety of reasons. Multiple medical professionals testified about experimentally demonstrated benefits of abstinence and abstinence-based teaching. “Abstinence is the current recommendation of the Centers for Disease control,” Dr. Zulekha Jalal, a pediatrician and Parkway mother who has done independent research on the topic, said. “Com-
prehensive Sexuality Education is not an abstinence-based approach.” Religious leaders spoke about the conflict between the curriculum and their beliefs. “I believe God wants all human beings to flourish,” Pastor Doug Merkey said. “This curriculum opposes His design. It untethers sexuality from marriage.” Other arguments made included that the program was in violation of Missouri law because of alleged ties with Planned The front page of ProtectParkwayStudents.org includes a link to a petition, a video explaining the Parenthood; that the group’s stance and a list of events. plan’s introduction of various types of sex to also spoke in favor of the plan. A wave of strong seventh graders was not developmentally approprisupport came from district employees, many of ate; that parents should be entrusted with teaching whom were included in the long task of creating their children about sex; that the view of gender the new curriculum. Employees connected with as a spectrum is too subjective and would exclude different aspects of sexual education all spoke for students with differing worldviews; and that the the plan; there was one representative each for program needed more time in order to work out the nurses, PE teachers, high school and middle school contested aspects and, if passed now, would only counselors, as well as other involved administrators. serve to divide the community. Those working on the project said that the Board of Education director Deborah Hopper expanded curriculum is more accessible and inclarified in a concluding speech that a “no” vote clusive and presents a focus on giving students the would not stop the work on revamping the sex ed language and confidence to talk to trusted adults curriculum; it would just provide more time. Hopabout their needs. per later voted against the plan. Lisa Merideth, assistant superintendent of teachOther community members, ing, learning and accountability said that much of however, firmly supported the plan the curriculum would remain the same, and that -- including numerous students from it would actually add emphasis to the benefits of around the district. Several students abstinence and consequences of sexual activity. from Parkway Central spoke for Merideth said the curriculum draws from the plan, saying that it would better multiple different sex ed program models; it is not address issues of LGBT inclusivity, abstinence-only, nor does it completely adhere sexual assault, STDs and pregnancies, to the set of standards known as Comprehensive and give students access to essential Sexuality Education. Merideth also stressed the information they might not receive influence of teacher, parent and student feedback in at home. addition to the program’s being “thoroughly vetted “I am for the sex ed changes by professionals.” because I feel that every kid deserves The program was audited three times during its to have the same education,” said creation by different health education companies. freshman activist Andrew Bennett. “This is one of The process used to create the curriculum also the most important issues in education.” served as a strong argument for the program. EmMany parents echoed that sentiment. They ployees and parents from both sides of the debate mentioned the unfavorable alternative of learning praised the district’s transparency, deliberation and about sex online; the danger of sexual ignorance of dedication to hearing every perspective. STD’s, and pregnancies and sexual assaults on high Superintendent Keith Marty stated in a concludschool and college students; the option offered for ing speech that a report on the implementation of parents to have their children opt out of lessons; the curriculum would be available on year after it and the prejudice faced by LGBT youth. starts, and that the sexual health curriculum would “Public education is meant to make informed be reviewed every six years. citizens,” father Ben Gleason said. “And it’s time “I commit to ensuring that our communication we acknowledge that kids who are lesbian, gay and is parent friendly, and is updated in a way that transgender exist.” allows people to find information and encourage A doctor and a representative from a church conversation,” Marty said.
“I am for the sex ed changes because I feel that every kid deserves to have the same education. This is one of the most important issues in education.” -- freshman Andrew Bennett
News Tidbits
Art student wins “Best in Show” at Florissant Valley Art Show At the conclusion of this year’s Florissant Valley Art Show, Junior Myra Dotzel was given the “Best in Show” award.
Speech and Debate team members qualify for state Six Speech and Debate students have qualified to the MSHSAA state speech & debate contest. Jennifer Heiman - Public Forum Maddy Scannell - Public Forum Shanuck Mailarpwar - Policy Abby Flynn - Policy Emily Pfau - Radio Ariella Mahoney - Poetry and Dramatic Interpretation
Senior scores perfect score on SAT Sharanya Kumar received a 2,400 on the SAT. According to Prep Scholar, only 0.03 percent of students who take the test get a perfect score.
Students honored in “Spirit of Central” Awards 63 students received a Spirit of Central award on March 2 and 3, nominated by their teachers for outstanding performances in a variety of areas in and out of the classroom.
Teachers receive awards from Special School District English teachers Jason Lovera, Nora Biggs and Anilise Loomis were given the Special Ambassador Award by Special School District for their work with special needs students in their classrooms.
Special education teacher Mike Feit was named a Key to the Classroom by Special School District. The award honors top teachers for their innovation and dedication to the students in their classes.
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04 corral March 15, 2016
district hosts seminar on ‘risky behaviors’ LIBBY ARCHER and SARAH WHALEN Staff Writer Staff Writer @libbyarcher1 @skatherine123
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he district hosted a Risky Behaviors Seminar on Wednesday March 2 in the Central Middle School atrium to educate parents, students and community members about dangerous student choices. Three speakers came to teach Parkway students, teachers and other community members about specific “risky behaviors” such as drug abuse, internet safety and unsafe games, such as the choking game. “What I hope parents take away from my presentation is that it’s important to talk about internet safety topics the same way we talk to them about all the other safety topics,” Jason Rooks, director of technology innovation, said. “We talk to our kids about ‘don’t do drugs’ and ‘don’t drink alcohol’ and ‘don’t smoke’ and the danger of those things, but we seem to feel free to let our children on the internet without going over those same safety measures.” Tim Corteville, Parkway West health teacher, attended to show his support of the event.
“I’ve listened to a lot of these folks speak before, and they have guided me to be a lot more honest with students in class,” Corteville said. “I try to combine the honest truth of what drugs to do people in terms of their positive effects with the science on what can happen on the unhealthy side of the human body in hopes to get kids to trust you and in the message you’re trying to send.” Multiple foundations, such as The Crossroads program, Center Pointe Hospital, Alliance for Healthy Communities and others set up booths with information about the risks and spread awareness for their organizations. Many parents who attended the seminar gathered information from these groups and from the speakers in hopes of being able to better educate their children about the risks that some behavior trends carry. “I know there are a lot of challenges that middle school and high school students face, and as a parent I want to be as informed as I can be,” Kate Smith, a Parkway parent who chose not to share her last name to protect her daughter, said. Mike Weiland, counselor in The Crossroads Program, talked about these challenges, specifically
the different drugs and substances that are abused by younger people. Weiland shared with attendees that he believes that marijuana is the worst drug people could put into their bodies. This topic and others presented that evening resonated with many in attendance, who came for a variety of reasons. “I just wanted to be a good representative for the high school and learn more about the community and what’s going on with this topic,” senior Josh Konecek said. Konecek supports the district’s decision to host this event for the broader Parkway community rather than simply educating students through health classes or other outlets. “Risky behaviors, to me, are just a threat to the good things that a lot of the kids are choosing to do,” Konecek said. “It’s something that everyone needs to be aware of -- including parents.”
Jason Rooks, director of technology innovation for Parkway, talks to groups of parents about internet safety on Wednesday, March 2.
low-key science team excels JORDYN TOBIAS Guest Writer @pchcorral
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PCHtv on YouTube! Scan at your own risk.
ciences students successfully applied their knowledge on a variety of science subject matter outside of the classroom at the Science Olympiad on Saturday, Feb 2 at Lindenwood University. “It’s not things that you learn in a textbook or a teacher teaches you,” junior Tony Chen said. “You have to research it and teach yourself. I think that’s a lot cooler than just reading it in a textbook.” Chen along with senior Jinghang Zhang placed first in the Wind Power competition. Together they researched, built and calculated the efficiency of a wind turbine. “It was a lot of fun to apply science knowledge to make things with my own hands,” Chen said. The duo also competed in Air Trajectory, and Zhang competed with junior Supriya Ellina in a physics category about time. The Science Olympiad team is entirely student run and does not have a structured preparation environment, according to Zhang. Students had to prepare for their events with combined knowledge and research. Because of this, some students struggled with preparing ahead of time for their competition. “We didn’t have too high of expectations going into it because we procrastinated preparing until the very last possible minute,” junior Josh Adams. “But somehow we still managed to get second place in Protein Modeling which is a very confusing event we knew the least about.” Still, Adams is proud of his team’s efforts at the competition. “I am pretty glad that we did so well despite not preparing at all,” Adams said. Adams placed second in Protein Modeling with his teammates junior Amy An and senior Gajan Kumar, in which they created three-dimensional mockups of proteins and then completed a written test about
Juniors Claire Huang and Alex Luckerman built a bridge as part of the Science Olympiad competition on Feb. 27 at UMSL. Photo courtesy of Claire Huang.
protein models. Adams and Kuma also participated in Chem Lab. “I wasn’t as prepared as if I would have started earlier, but we just used the science skills we learned from school and dominated the competition,” Kumar said. Kumar said the skills he learned from elementary school to present came into play at the competition. “Our success was due to our great science teachers,” Kumar said. Other members of the team competed in other categories: junior Yuan Gao competed in both Fossils and Astronomy; juniors Claire Huang and Alex Luckerman completed in Bridge Building; juniors Jessica Sun and Souradip Ghosh and senior Emma Roberts participated in different pairings for Disease Detectives, Cell Biology and Green Generation; An did two solo activities.
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Food service overcomes obstacles to feed schools KAYLA BENJAMIN Features Editor @pchcorral
Nancy Lehmkuhl seasons a new batch of fries a few minutes before the start of the lunch periods on March 2.
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he food service team churns out fresh food to feed four elementary schools and two middle schools -- not to mention, the high school where the workers are stationed. “We’re feeding like 2,000 kids a day,” food service assistant Tim Marlotte said. “There are 16 of us working, and we get all that food out -- and almost always on time -- and it’s nutritious. Putting out that value, it’s a lot of work; it’s hard.”
Hustle, Hustle, Hustle
The kitchen is kept stocked with cans, bottles and boxes of ingredients. Tim Marlotte and Kelly Smith use a bucket of oven cleaner on March 2. Photos by Kayla Benjamin.
Combatting challenges
Feeding so many students means tons of food that needs to get onto buses in time to get to the other schools. The workers say the heavy and fastpaced workload every day can become as tedious as it is difficult. But the schedule changes daily and weekly, so that no one person has to do the same thing too often. “We rotate around every week, daily on the prep, so we don’t all do the same thing every day,” Marlotte said. Careful planning is necessary to manage the quick pace, shifting jobs and intense workload. That’s where Pam Weiberg comes in as the assistant regional manager for the lunch program. “I plan the food for here, I make the menu,” Weiberg said. “I do the job assignments, I do the prep sheets, I plan the work, I plan the food, I watch the time.” Even with such scrupulous scheduling, the workers have found some things are hard to prepare for in advance. “The biggest challenge is probably to figure out what students are going to eat,” Michael Preis, food service assistant, said. “We make a lot of stuff and you don’t eat it, or we make a lot of stuff and you eat a ton. We just don’t know quantity.” Other unpredictable things occur that can make the day more difficult. “Sometimes the dishwasher breaks down, and that means you have to do it by hand,” food service assistant Connie Gunther said. “We get everybody’s pots and pans back from all the schools, plus ours. That’s a lot of pots and pans.”
The health rules
Another, more long-term, development that has a huge impact on food service is the new federal health regulations. “No salt, no frying,” Marlotte said. “Very tight on how much starch you can use, how much protein you can use, how many carbs -- especially in baking. It’s all whole-wheat flour.” There are other issues with the regulations, in addition to the extra challenge they presents in creating recipes. “So many kids will take a sandwich, a bag of chips, and a fruit because they’re required to,” food service assistant Lynn Schreiber said. “We are literally made to make them go back to get a meat, a fruit, or a vegetable. They come, they pass through our line and all they want is the bag of chips, so they throw the fruit and the sandwich out.” The efforts taken to solve this food-wasting problem have not been entirely successful.
To get everything done each day, the food service team has to follow a busy schedule. 7:00-7:30-- serve breakfast
“We provide those silver boxes for them to put their things in,” Schreiber said. “And someone else could take it for free then, but instead of doing that, they throw it in the trash. After we just spent all that time to make these sandwiches, and the fresh fruit all chopped up, to see it go in the trash -- it’s very disturbing.” The rules also present a conundrum of how to make food that is both nutritious while still appealing for high schoolers, especially since the regulations have a large effect on lunch buyers. “Our lunches aren’t as big, the profits are down -- the money coming in is down,” Marlotte said. “There’s a longer line for the microwave some days than there is for our food because people are bringing their own lunches.” Looking at the bigger picture, the district was well-prepared to implement the new guidelines in their program. Wheat bread, for example, was a staple in the school lunch even before it was required by the government; while many schools struggled to find vendors to provide bread that fit the new regulations, the switch was relatively easy for the district. “Parkway is pretty pro-active on what’s coming down through the government,” Weiberg said. “Parkway was already prepared; we didn’t have to make a lot of changes because slowly, over 10 years, they’ve been making little changes all along. By the time they get the rule, we’re already complying with the rule.”
Cooking creatively
Despite the tricky specifics, the food service team strives to provide the most possible homemade meals and fresh produce. “I like when we bake from scratch,” Preis said. “We do the cookies, the rolls, the cornbread. We’ve done apple strudel. That’s all from scratch.”
The team says that it is difficult to foresee what materials will be in stock, so making the homemade foods that feature on the hot bar each day can require some quick thinking. “For hot bar, it’s not a standard recipe, it’s nothing we have normally,” Marlotte said. “You have to be creative and figure out what to do with it.” Even with the added difficulty, working on the hot bar is a favorite for some. “I like the hot bar; you can create, you can do something different instead of something like ‘cook off 20 trays of chicken tenders,’ which is a lot of work, and it’s not very exciting,” Marlotte said.
Perks of high school work
Many of the food service assistants have backgrounds in the food industry and have been through culinary school. But working at a high school offers some perks that the restaurant business does not. “Most of the kids I went to culinary school with are now working country clubs or big hotels, and they work seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” Preis said. “We get summer vacation, spring break, Christmas break.” Defined hours and benefits are also important advantages. “We come in at a set time, we leave at a set time,” Schreiber said. “We don’t take work home, and we have benefits.” But, for many, they also get satisfaction out of working with high schoolers. “I like the children; they’re the best part of the job,” Weiberg said. “We have the best job to make them smile, out of the whole day. All their stress, they come down for some socialization and get food, and they’re always happy. That’s the best part.”
8:30-- first bus goes out, stocked with food for Highcroft Elementary, Claymont Elementary, and Parkway Middle 9:30-- second bus goes out to bring food to Shenandoah Valley Elementary, Green Trails Elementary, Fern Ridge Elementary, and Parkway Central Middle 10:00-- lunch break 10:53-- serve first lunch 11:23-- serve second lunch 12:00-- break 12:23-- serve third lunch 12:53-- cleanup begins 1:00-1:50-- buses bring dishes back from other schools to be cleaned 2:30-- go home
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06 corral March 15, 2016
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Pizzazz claims victory at recent competition PIPER ROTEHR Entertainment Editor @thepiedPIPER26
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ringing excitement to the stage is Pizzazz’s specialty, and on Feb. 27 in O’Fallon, the team took home (almost) everything; Pizzazz got first place in choreography, band, vocals, and grand champion . But the group didn’t expect the win, especially since the day before the competition group members said they had a pretty rough rehearsal. “Since the day before the competition we had a really bad rehearsal, we all went into competition like ‘Alright, we’ve got to get our stuff together,’” senior Jennifer Wade said. “We all thought in the back of our minds that this wasn’t going to be it, and we were all kind of down on ourselves, so when we did win, it was shocking to us, but Silvermintz wasn’t surprised at all.” With that final practice not going as planned, choir director Ben Silvermintz was harder on the group in hopes Pizzazz would rise to the potential that he
Juniors Sam Schneiderman and JR Robinson along with senior Ashley Wilson pose with the trophy they were awarded in Mt. Vernon on Jan. 23. (photo courtesy of JR Robinson)
claimed they all had. “It was probably necessary to give us the edge that we needed,” sophomore Chase Coleman said. “We needed to be pushed to do the best, and Mr. Silvermintz being hard on us was not him being mean; it was him being motivational.” Many members of the group felt they had let their director down in their performances that week and wanted to prove to him they could do better. “It hurt us that we hurt our teacher, and that he knows we can do better and we knew that we could do better,” Wade said. “That gave us a drive to want to take it all.” That drive took them to the top, where their name just kept getting called at the awards ceremony. “The announcing of the awards progressively got better and was more and more surprising,” junior Will Harold said. “We were overjoyed that we won everything.” With the success of the group there were more struggles with the last performance than just with the last practice. Senior Dominique Tolliver had to stand up and sing his solo of “Man in the Mirror” with a busted ankle and avoid all of the dance numbers. “I wasn’t able to really perform,” Tolliver said. “I was able to come on for our ballad, but after that, I had to leave.” With lack of interest in pizzazz from the upcoming grades, this year is the last year that pizzazz will be a group and next year it will transition into jazz choir. “We tried not to make it too big of a deal that it was our last competition ever,” sophomore Sophie Orlet said. “Silvermintz told us to save our emotions until we were on stage so we would have more meaning to our performance. We were really determined to make this last one our best one.” Hard work and detication paid off for the group as they were victorious in their preformance. “We won grand champion and that was just amazing it was basically a fairytale ending,” Tolliver said.
Pizzazz Awards Throughout Season
Rock Bridge Show Choir Festival 4th Runner-Up Outstanding Male Soloist (Anthony Blatter) Mt. Vernon Mid-Winter Classic Grand Champion Best Vocals Outstanding Male Soloist (Anthony Blatter)
Senior Anthony Blatter preforms a solo of the Disney song “Dig a Little Deeper” for cabaret night on Oct. 16.Sophomores Libby Archer and Sophie Orlet warm up at the Troy competition on Feb.6. “I was just starting to fall in love with this group and what we all meant to each other,” Orlet said on pizzazz not happening next year. (photo courtesy of JR Robinson)
Seniors Brooke Pottinger and Matthew Kertzman dance hand in hand to “Dig a Little Deeper” on Oct. 16
Troy Show Choir Invitational 5th Runner-Up 3rd Place - 5A Division Most Outstanding Diction O’Fallon O-Town Showdown Grand Champion Best Vocals Best Choreography Best Instrumental Combo
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ANTHONY ZUANICH Staff Writer @anthonyzuanich
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1. Junior Rebecca Velasquez, playing mother Judith Bliss, envisions her future as she tries to seduce Richard Greatham, played by senior Matthew Kertzman, at the dress rehearsal on Feb. 25. 2. The maid of the household, Clara, played by freshman Jen Harry, unenthusiastically opens the door for Kertzman when his character comes to stay for the weekend. 3. Junior Emily Kang, who plays Sorel Bliss, laments growing up wealthy with artistic parents to Dom Doray (10), who acts as her brother Simon. 4. Freshman Mercedes McGonigle, who plays Jackie Coryton, tries to buddy up to Kang as she feels uncomfortable in the house. 5. Senior Nathan Dettlebach, who plays father David Bliss, tries to make a move on junior Riley Cockerham, who plays Myra Arundel. 6. Alex Kaiser (10), who plays Sandy Tyrell, chats with Velasquez, after just arriving to the house. Photos by Jessie Piles.
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08 corral March 15, 2016
#NewStrategies
In the current world of up to the second news and 140 character stories, it is imperative for organizations to have a social media presence. Parkway realizes this which is why they have three employees in charge of, among other things, their social media accounts. We talked with Derek Duncan, one of those three people, who mainly runs the Parkway Schools Twitter account.
An interview with... Derek Duncan
< How often are you on Twitter?
We are on Twitter all day. I have it streaming on my phone constantly. Both personal and for the district.
What process did you go through to get verified?
Since we are a government institution as a public school district, there is a process where you can email Twitter and fill out a form. Then they get back to you and have to verify through your website that you are in fact a public institution. Once they do that, they give you verification and a blue checkmark, which everyone seems to love.
You tend to tweet a lot during snow days. Do you have any inside information, or do you know as much as we do?
We know as much as you. Obviously our superintendent, Dr. Marty, makes the call, usually around 5 a.m. when he meets with the other superintendents and talks about it. We don’t have any inside information at all.
What effects have you seen from the increased interaction with high school students
We have analytics on our Twitter page where we can track and see how many people have engaged, liked, retweeted, or replied to our tweets. We have noticed our engagement has gone up on a lot of these fun posts. Some of our tweets have his 20 to 30 percent engagement, which is great. Most corporations and businesses that are a lot bigger than Parkway have an engagement rate of 2 percent, while our engagement rate overall has been hovering around 6 to 7 percent.
Many organizations run an interactive Twitter account, but most are done for marketing purposes. What is the purpose of running your account this way?
We want to inform people on things that happen in our district and showcase the great things that happen at Parkway. At the same time, we want to build relationships with the parents and students of our community through social media. That’s part of the reason we also recently launched an Instagram account, to connect more with our younger parents and students as well. We want to meet our students where they already are.
Why is it important for Parkway to have a social media presence?
It’s important for our community. We want to connect with parents, our community members who aren’t parents, and our students. Social media is a great way to build trus and relationships with them.
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What negative effects do you see of being more personal with students online?
There can always be a negative effect, but we haven’t seen that so far. If we did see that, we would use it as an opportunity to talk about digital citizenship and being responsible on social media.
Who is your audience for your tweets?
Our main audience is the parents in our community, but we realize that students are an important audience. While not our primary audience, we still want to connect with students and build that relationship. What we have tried to do recently is to engage students more in a way that can be fun and at the same time still be responsible.
How do you think students’ social media accounts exemplify their talents more than you may see in a traditional classroom environment?
Everyone has talents in different areas. Social media is just another way for students to tell about the great things they are doing and how involved they are in certain things.
What kind of response have you gotten from teachers and parents from being more interactive with students?
I’ve seen some parents and community members tweet at us saying they love that we are having more fun. It should be fun.
Alex Lanson Social Media Manager @Wutangclanson
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10 corral March 15, 2016
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Madeleine Van Leunen
bout 25 percent of all teens suffer from anxiety, and 30 percent being teen girls. Senior Madeleine Van Leunen has spent her last few years overcoming her anxiety, that had once taken over her life. “It started in eighth grade when I was walking down a hallway,” Van Leunen said. “I felt an overwhelming fear for no reason. I later realized that big open spaces started to scare me.” Later on, Van Leunen started to get frequent panic attacks and they started to get in the way of her everyday life. “My first panic attack was freshman year choir during my singing test. I started shaking, sweating, and having spasms,” Van Leunen said. “I felt like everyone was looking at me and began to get very uncomfortable in many situations.” In order to conquer her anxiety and be comfortable in these situations, Van Leunen started to get help and find new ways to be able to stand strong. “I learned what triggered my attacks and what made me anxious,” Van Leunen said. “I started taking pictures and hiking. Other than medication and my therapist, breathing is also how I overcame it. I listen to music while I drive now, and try to picture myself getting over a situation while thinking of things that make me feel comfortable.” After spending a lot of time stressing over pinpointing the source of the anxiety, Van Leunen feels proud and looks back at how far she had come to get to this high point in her life. “I am proud because I thought that this would continue in my future and especially at college and in choir,” Van Leunen said. “ I realize everything I’ve been doing to treat this, how far I have come, and I measure my improvements.”
FACES ofPCH Everyone has a story. The members of PCH Publications try to tell those stories every day in a variety of media forms, but we don’t get to everyone despite our best efforts. Here we feature a few more students who make up the Faces of PCH.
- Kyra Tarlas
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ichael Zhou is in a class all by himself when it comes to solving a Rubik’s cube. That is why it is surprising that he recently started solving the cube. “I first learned how to solve a cube in seventh grade summer school,” Zhou said. “I saw someone bring in a cube, and he solved it in just two minutes. I thought that I could easily do that.” Now Zhou can solve a Rubik’s cube in just 18 seconds. To Zhou, his Rubik’s cube helps him with many things. “Solving the cube helps me practice my quick thinking, and the speed of my finger movements,” Zhou said.
- Kevin Koerner
Michael Zhou
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ver since he was 12, senior Jaylin Kite has aspired to be a chef when he grows up. “When I was little, I would always watch my mom when she’d be cooking in the kitchen,” Kite said. “When I was 12, she asked me if I would make dinner.” Kite plans to pursue his dream of being a chef and make it big in the real world. “I would love to have my own chain of restaurants,” Kite said. “It would be amazing to create a restaurant that all of the celebrities would come to.”
-Paige Wallis
Jaylin Kite
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eading her Temple Youth Group as a sophomore, Zoë Rosenberg has been involved with NFTY, a jewish reform youth group, since seventh grade. “Even though I am younger, my board still listens to me. The age difference isn’t really an issue,” Rosenberg said. “It was harder at the beginning of the year when we didn’t know each other very well, so I had to earn their respect.” The North American Federation of Temple Youth has a goal to provide young jewish teens with a meaningful youth experience and Rosenberg is preaching the same. “My favorite part of being president of United Hebrew Temple Youth Group is interacting with members and seeing everyone engaged,” Rosenberg said. “It is an incredible thing to see someone who has never been to an event or a lounge night get involved.”
Zoë Rosenberg
- Rina Gersten
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STAFF EDITORIAL @pchcorral
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pen Instagram and click on the “Trending” feed. Pictures of models in bikinis, body builders flexing, and even peers showing off what is believed to be the “ideal” body flood the screen. Encouraging comments like “Wow, you look so good” and “Dang, you have such a good body” build up the poster, but force the other viewers to think, “How do I look compared to that?” Social media provides a unique outlet for teens to share the things that they do and love. But rather than a shame-free place to see what your friends have been up to, every post is meticulously edited before being posted, inspected to ensure the picture is as flattering as possible. The use of editing apps ups the ante, allowing posters not only to blur out imperfections but also change their body shape and appearance. Because of the pressure to look perfect in every post, social media has become another place for teens to feel self-conscious and another place to be judged. Nowadays on social media there are “right” times to make posts in order to get the maximum number of likes. The more likes one receives, the more accepted that person feels. We as a society should not be defined by how many likes we have on a post. The entire point of social media is to share unique experiences and opinions, not attempt to fit into a stereotypical body in order to feel accepted. And the problem with trying to fit into stereotypes is not that stereotypes are untrue but that they are incomplete. They make one story the only story. No one can be defined by one post or one experience. Everyone has layers, and everyone has different qualities that cannot be shown in one tweet or one Instagram post. To seek validation from others who often times unconsciously “like” the ideal body is wrong. An understanding must be reached that all people have value, no matter how they look. Gaining confidence from receiving a record number of likes isn’t a bad thing, but it shouldn’t define self-worth and definitely should not be a weapon to damage an individual’s body image. Social media’s influence is inevitable. But instead of it negatively influencing how we view ourselves, it should solely be a way for people to share their lives, without the fear of being judged for how they look. The world is everchanging; and people are
by raphic
Dean
becoming more and more accepting of different cultures, ethnicities, genders and many other things. Now is the time to begin accepting those who don’t fit the stereotypical “ideal body.”
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Don’t get squeezed in: students should avoid social media trap regarding body image
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 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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12 corral March 15, 2016
seeing
body image impacts
ourselves A reflected in others
A
s social media becomes increasingly popular and teens see more and more pictures and posts of their peers, the need to have the “perfect” image has also risen, bringing with it even greater insecurities among teens about how they look.
JEFFREY EIDELMAN AND KATE MCNEAL Managing Editor, Editor-in-Chief @jeffey44, @kateisgreat11
s a result of the media’s influence, along with the constant comparison to other people’s bodies, teens often find it harder to accept their own body image. When senior Jennifer Wayland was a freshman, she won Scholastic’s “Breaking Barriers” contest. Her essay, titled “Just a Number,” discusses the struggle she faced with her body image and the need to have what she felt was a “good” body. “I always felt that I wasn’t attractive and didn’t like my body, and then I started restricting what I ate and exercising a lot and trying to lose weight even though I was underweight to start with,” Wayland said. According to Wayland, striving to become skinnier played a large role in her life. “I was cranky all the time because I was hungry all the time,” Wayland said. “It was affecting my mood, and I thought about food all the time.” While there are stereotypes for what the “perfect” body is, Nancy Bradley, a registered dietitian nutritionist, licensed dietitian, and a certified diabetes educator, notes that the “ideal” body image is an individually developed concept. “I think the concept of ‘ideal’ changes over one’s lifespan,” Bradley said. “What is important to you changes over time. Some people strive for an ideal body, some strive for a healthy body, and some strive just to be healthier.” Although what someone believes is the best body may be a personal value, barriers have developed separating those on both ends of the weight spectrum. “Society may be conditioned on how not to look,” Brad-
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ley said. “There is a terri obese. There is an attitud people who are overweig Senior Tyler Rosen, a that he is overweight, ag may have a perception o ance does not define a pe “It’s not really about “It’s really about seeing y you see or don’t.” Rosen declares he is h and even banters with w to support him. “If I make a joke abou a person, not because I h joke. If you have good fr ple are going to be nice t
Making Change
I
n an effort to improve make changes to their activity or diet adjustm Deciding to become a more Hannah Briggs now health. “I feel cleaner,” Brigg you feel disgusting some eat healthier food, you fe Briggs acknowledges against animal cruelty. “When you first start healthy, you do lose wei Ultimately, Briggs fee her health and recomme stop eating meat, saying
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corral 13 March 15, 2016
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self-confidence, lifestyle
ible prejudice against people who are de that it is OK to be prejudice against ght or obese.â&#x20AC;? a football player who acknowledges grees with Bradley that while society of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;right wayâ&#x20AC;? to look, that appearerson. what anyone else thinks,â&#x20AC;? Rosen said. yourself and whether you like what
happy with his current appearance, what he claims is a strong friend group
ut myself, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because of who I am as hate who I am,â&#x20AC;? Rosen said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a riends and you are a good person, peoto you no matter how you look.â&#x20AC;?
es
e overall health or body image, teens r lifestyle, including increased physical ments. a vegan for a ethical reasons, sophow sees that her choice has ensured her
gs said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you eat unhealthy food, etimes, and when your only option is to eel better.â&#x20AC;? the health benefits to her decision
t and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not used to eating so ight,â&#x20AC;? Briggs said. els that the change in diet has helped ends taking it slowly if one wishes to it is best to go in steps, from vegetari-
an, to pescetarian, then adopting a vegan diet. Bradley agrees with taking on a diet in steps, stating that diet can play a large role in body image, and that it can affect how people feel about themselves. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The biggest diet change would be to eat a healthy diet with a daily intake of fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy products, whole grains and lean protein,â&#x20AC;? Bradley said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Decreasing intake of sugared beverages, sweets and high fat snack and fast foods would be a great start.â&#x20AC;? For other students, diet is not as much of a factor in their image or health as their level of physical activity. Sophomore Andrew Mannis works out at least four days a week in order to stay fit. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I work out to stay in shape because I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t play a fall or winter sport and wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t play a spring sport this year,â&#x20AC;? Mannis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like to have some sort of physical activity during the day.â&#x20AC;? When Mannis works out, he mainly does weight exercises, but will also attempt to fit running in as much as he can. However the reasoning on why he works out goes deeper than just staying healthy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Being healthy and having a healthy fitness base and lifestyle is very good for your future,â&#x20AC;? Mannis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It keeps my energy and attitude up. It makes me happier, and at this point in my life, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a part of my routine so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weird if I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do it.
making Progress
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hile struggles with body image provide a large obstacle to overcome, Bradley states that talking about the issue, getting help from others, eating better, and physical activity can help people find it possible to feel better about themselves. Bradley works with those suffering from medical conditions like celiac disease, diabetes and obesity; she educates clients on what is right to eat for their condition and helps patients
change their behavior. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I try to be compassionate and supportive,â&#x20AC;? Bradley said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If I think they need additional help, I encourage them to see a therapist, or if they have an eating disorder, I will recommend they seek counseling from professionals that specialize in eating disorder.â&#x20AC;? Part of that support, Bradley states is helping her clients to do things that boost self-confidence and ultimately improve their body image. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think it is important to work on oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s self-esteem and focus on activities that make you feel good about yourself,â&#x20AC;? Bradley said. Wayland echoed this idea, stating that enjoyable physical activity that made her feel good helped with her body image, along with trying to stop focusing on comparing herself to other people. Wayland said that also means ignoring the thousands of social media posts that can damage peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s view of themselves. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think social media can be incredibly detrimental to someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body image because social media is crafting your whole life and your whole appearance on there,â&#x20AC;? Wayland said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not real, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not what your life is really like.â&#x20AC;? Wayland found that taking a break from social media helped her focus less on possible judgments from others. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I noticed not only that I had a lot more free time, I was feeling better about myself; I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feeling as worried about how I looked or what other people thought of me,â&#x20AC;? Wayland said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That made me realized that when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on social media, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re unconsciously comparing yourself to everything you see, being like â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Wow, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re so pretty, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re having so much fun.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Wayland acknowledges that many people may have concerns about how they look and how the world perceives them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s normal to struggle with your body image,â&#x20AC;? Wayland said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not something to feel embarrassed about.â&#x20AC;?
food for thought
5 in 100
american women naturally have the body type portrayed in advertising as the ideal
Source: National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
9 in 10
teenage boys exercise with the goal of bulking up
?
?
đ&#x;&#x2019;Şđ&#x;&#x2019;Şđ&#x;&#x2019;Şđ&#x;&#x2019;Şđ&#x;&#x2019;Ş đ&#x;&#x2019;Şđ&#x;&#x2019;Şđ&#x;&#x2019;Şđ&#x;&#x2019;Şđ&#x;&#x2019;Ş Source: National Eating Disorders Association
8 in 10
women said images of women on tv and in movies made them feel insecure
đ&#x;&#x2019;ťđ&#x;&#x2019;ť đ&#x;&#x2019;ťđ&#x;&#x2019;ťđ&#x;&#x2019;ť đ&#x;&#x2019;ťđ&#x;&#x2019;ť đ&#x;&#x2019;ťđ&#x;&#x2019;ťđ&#x;&#x2019;ť Source: Just Say Yes
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14 corral March 15, 2016
‘Grease: Live’ Exceeds Expectations of tv-made musical production
SARAH WHALEN Staff Writer @skatherine123
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rom reality to live, the way we watch TV is constantly changing. If you didn’t catch Fox’s “Grease: Live” on Jan. 31 then you missed out. “Grease: Live” was one of the most intricate shows I’ve seen. 38 years later, recreating a classic such as “Grease”
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what should we review next? books? movies? tv shows? tech gadgets? food? let us know on twitter @pchcorral
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could’ve gone either of two ways: it could’ve been a huge disappointment and terrible, or it could’ve resparked this generation’s love for a classic. I assumed it would be somewhere in between. “Grease: Live” completely blew my expectations out of the water. I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out because they were having actors that in the past were normally lead roles as a supporting actors, such as Vanessa Hudgens who played Rizzo. Hudgens was forced to persevere through the show after her father passed away the night before from stage four cancer. Hudgens dedicated her performace to her late father. Hudgens did an amazing job as Rizzo. She was edgy and she nailed the songs; her song “There are Worse Things I Could Do” was wonderful. She had emotion and feeling and she was fantastic. I think having child actors as main characters was a way to get the younger generation interested in “Grease.” Julianne Hough, who played the lead role of Sandy perfectly, has previous-
ly been a professional dancer on “Dancing with the Stars” and is currently a judge, played Ariel Moore in “Footloose,” and many other roles. Hough has a wide variety of experience in singing and dancing which has helped her in a scene where she is constantly kicking and dancing at cheer tryouts. Hough did an exceptional job of adding emotion to the dance moves. Compared to Olivia Newton-John, who played the role in the original, Hough did a wonderful job. Danny Zucko, the male lead, was played by Aaron Tveit who has experience in musicals as well; he played Enjolras in “Les Miserables.” Tveit did a good job, but I don’t believe he played the role as well as the original Danny, John Travolta. In order to keep things new and innovative, directors had to modernize a few things. They put in new songs such as “Freddy My Love” and “All I Need is an Angel.” I thought that the way they mixed it up and didn’t just have the same “Grease” that everyone’s seen was a way to keep it fresh, and it flowed very well. But they changed the “Hand Jive” scene, and I didn’t appreciate it. It is now a haunting variation of the original 1950’s dance in the gym. One of my favorite parts of “Grease: Live” was that Vi, the diner waitress who gives Frenchie a big inspirational talk about going back to school and not being a high school or beauty school dropout, was the same actress who played Frenchie from the original “Grease,” Joan Blondell. Throughout the show there were malfunctions and mess ups, but they were able to persevere.
Deadpool entertains but relies on crude humor GARRETT LIERMAN Staff Writer @garrett_lierman
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t finally happened, someone made a movie of the pop culture comic book hero (using the term hero loosely), Deadpool. A shooting, swearing, invincible creation of Marvel. The film follows Wade Wilson, played by Ryan Reynolds, a mercenary of sorts who is diagnosed with terminal cancer. When he is approached by a strange man, he is promised a cure but is horribly mutated through torture. His mutation gives him extreme regenerative healing capabilities, making him virtually immortal. With his new powers, Wilson dons the red and black suit any Deadpool fan is familiar with to hunt down the people who tortured him. The film is gory, crude, and over the top. Surprisingly, however, it actually delivers laughs and depicts the character in a way that’s very true to the comics. It doesn’t just show the shooting, swearing, and silly side of Deadpool. The film actually tries to show the darker side and self-consciousness of Wade, and it does a pretty good job of it. Reynolds melts into character making you forget that he ever starred in 2011’s scarring, awful title “The Green Lantern.” TJ Miller plays the hilariously blunt bartender, Weasel. Miller does his usual
‘lovable idiot’ shtick with the character, but doesn’t make us like him any less because of it despite it’s arguable overuse. With lots of fourth wall breaks and X-Men references, this movie lets you laugh but also take it seriously. It’ll give you the old bait and switch and have you laughing, cracking jokes to your friends and repeating lines long after the film is over. Unlike most Marvel films, the after-credits scene isn’t just advertising the next movie, but a beautiful reference to another wonderful movie, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Despite the occasionally misplaced swear, Deadpool hits it out of the park, then shoots it, then stabs it, then questions what ‘It’ is. The film follows up on it’s continuity, all set pieces and props stay in the correct location from scene to scene. If a hole is shot through a wall, that hole stays there. If a hole is shot through Deadpool’s suit, and consequently Deadpool, the hole stays in the costume. The film doesn’t set up any jokes that it doesn’t fully intend on following up on. It constantly acknowledges the world that it is in, even going as far as to make a joke about how the X-mens’ mansion is seemingly destroyed every couple years by a new movie. Overall the I enjoyed the movie very much and look forward to the sequel.
This movie is rated R.
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school ‘Hay Fever’ play cast impresses with Comedy, shines with Characterization Libby Archer Staff Writer @LibbyArcher1
“H
ay Fever,” written by Noel Coward, was presented by the Theatre Department from Feb. 25-27. The light-hearted comedy accurately depicted the theatrics of living with artists. The play takes place over the span of a weekend at the Bliss family’s country house in Cookham, England, in 1925. The story follows Sorel Bliss, played by Emily Kang, and her hopes to be a part of a “normal family.” She invites prim, proper Richard Greatham, played by Matthew Kertzman, to come stay with her and her family for the weekend. Sorel finds out immediately after the play begins that her brother Simon Bliss, played by Dom Doray, had invited promiscuous Myra Arundel, played by Riley Cockerham, to the house as well. Somewhat separated but still married, Judith (Rebecca Velasquez) and David (Nathan Dettlebach) Bliss both invite love inSandy Tyrell (Alex Kaiser) meets Myra Arundel (Riley Cockerham) for the first time at the coun- terests to the house for the try house during play rehearsal on Feb. 25. same weekend. Alex Kaiser
6-part T
plays boxer Sandy Tyrell, who starts a relationship with Judith, unaware of her current marriage to David, who invited bashful flapper Jackie Coryton, played by Mercedes McGonigle, and forgets about her immediately, giving all of his attention to his son’s love interest. Maid Clara, played by Jenn Harry, narrates what we are all thinking throughout the show, as well as adding some comic relief to even the most exasperating situations. The play is filled with romance, lust, awkward interactions and plenty of drama. Velasquez was an obvious crowd favorite with her stimulating performance. With her flamboyant and expressive facial expressions, anything she could have said would had been hilarious. Judith Bliss (Rebecca Velasquez) over reacts to a statement by her daughter Sorel (Emily Kang) during play rehearsal on Feb. 25. Every actor brought a hint of their own style into Richard; you could feel his discomfort from across the room. their parts, which kept the audience’s full attention throughout the Any loss of lines due to thick accents was positively overshadshow, dreading that they might miss even a second. In the scenes owed by the immaculately dressed set. The play was full of life and when all of the guests meet each other, you could feel the tension in the room, especially in the scenes where Judith tries to seduce had little to no dull moments throughout.
DANIEL ROMAN Staff Writer @danielroman1999
serial
Part 5: “The Disappearance of Katherine Greene”
he Police Chief pulled up to a clearing, secluded from society but still known to the world. “Where is he?” The clearing had no hint of Hall ever being there, but as he looked over, a single car stood eerily. Moving closer to the car, he feared the worst, inching towards a bush on the edge of the clearing. He pushed aside the shrubbery, revealing a decaying body and a horrifying smell. “Oh my God…” he scrambled over to his car, grabbing the radio. “Put out an APB on Leonard O’Brien and a 1190 Chevy Caprice, as soon as possible.” The Police Chief sank next to his car, trying to breathe easier, trying to relax. Suddenly, he saw a figure across the clearing, walking into the woods very oddly, as if he was hurt. “Hey!” he screamed across tohe clearing. The face of Noah Calvin turned around and looked the Police Chief square in the face, before turning back again and continuing his walk into the woods. Hubbard stood up and sprinted over, desperate to talk to the kid. Moments later, after scrambling through the woods, bruising what felt like every bone in his body, he began to hear a chanting noise. Hubbard ducked down behind a fallen tree, peeking over
to the sight of the men. Noah stood in the middle, men in antlers standing over him lowering a crown of deer antlers onto his head. Hubbard turned away and reached for his gun, but it wasn’t there. Worried, he stood up to walk away slowly and heard a snap under him. Hauntingly, the Police Chief felt the stare of a legion of men behind him. A tall, brooding man, radiating power and menace stormed into the headquarter building. Defined by his stylish attire and regal posture, Mark Ziegler was as intimidating as they come. “Where’s Hubbard?” he yelled out. No one replied. In fact, no one had any idea where the police chief was and it was a surprise in itself that this man had come in looking for him when the chief’s disappearance was all over the news. The assistant chief, Donald Heidegger, approached the businessman. “Good afternoon, sir. I’m the assistant chief of police. Haven’t you heard about Hubbard?” “No,” Ziegler replied coolly. “He’s been missing for a while now, no one knows where he is...sent out an APB on Leonard O’Brien was the last we’d heard of him. I’m sure you’ve heard of Leonard O’Brien?” Ziegler shuddered. Of course he knew O’Brien, but it sounded like the man was referring to him on a noteworthy scale, as if he had been involved in something big, something on the news as well. “No, I haven’t actually.”
“O’Brien’s a cop here, connected with the murder of Officer Martin Hall. He’s on the run. Don’t you watch the news, man?” Ziegler had had enough and swiftly turned around, looking to leave and get back to business as quickly as he had come in. Obviously he was under an incredible amount of stress and sooner or later this would get back to him. The sling on his arm still bothered him, a battle wound tarnishing his professional appearance. He had to get off the grid sooner or later...if O’Brien didn’t find him again, the people in the woods would. “They have to be the ones behind the Police Chief,” he thought out loud. Miles away, a man lay in the middle of the forest, uncoscious and under the observation of a crowd of horned men. Suddenly, he shuddered a wake, alarming the seemingly leader of the group. Hubbard was still drowsy and had no idea where he was, the last...
To continue reading this chapter, go to www.parkwaynews.net/corral Stay tuned for part 6 in May!
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16 corral March 15, 2016
They are heartless
the happy
they are a “Gold Digger”
what are you celebrating?
“...the Jungle” Living a “Hell of a Life”
We have “Lift Off”
“...Heartbreak”
What part of Kanye do you “gotta have?”
His dope raps
Why would you drop out of school?
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
808s & Heartbreak
The Life of Pablo
We don’t care
People “Bring Me Down”
His collabs with other artists
“His awesome beats”
My “Big Brother”
“Monsters”
No one, I’m on “Love Lockdown
“Real Friends
Who do you listen to music with?
Who are you partying with?
“New Day” Kanye
“Late” Kanye
During the“Coldest Winter”
what Kanye do you like more?
When I’m partying and see “All of the Lights”
some “family business”
“welcome to...”
they are playing the blame game
“Diamonds from Sierra Leone”
“Drive Slow”
I see an ultra light beam
What What do you say when your “Spaceship” goes up?
Why did you breakup with your girl/guy?
the “stronger” ones
“Power”
What would you rather have?
When do you most enjoy listening to music?
who will survive in america?
Just Chilling with the people I love
ALEX LANSON Social Media Manager @wutangclanson
Being a famous rapper
What Kanye West album are you?
Being president
with the FLOW
Start Here: What Do you Consider the “good life?”
Graduation
Yeezus
Watch the Throne
Late Registration
College Dropout
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Rapid Responses to Quick Questions
Whats the first What was the last What was your first Who is your What do you often thing you notice thing you binge take for thought this celebrity crush? about a person? watched? granted? morning?
ALEX KAISER Staff Writer @AlexKaiser22
Claudia Sanders (9)
How tall they are
Grey’s Anatomy
Do I still have time to go back to sleep
Harry Styles
Going to school
Devonta Long (10)
How they look
Sons of Anarchy
I missed my ride
Rihanna
School
Sofia Vergara
How many friends I have that I can talk about anything with
Shaan Moheet (11)
Their teeth or how they act
The Office
Nely Peshlova (12)
Their eyes
Parks and Rec
Stanford Coleman (12)
Mike’s Music of the Month
Their personality Blue Mountain State
M
3
MIKE CONGER Staff Writer @mike_unifish
I’m known by many names: “Motorbike Mike, “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Conger”, 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.
I’m really tired
I want to be back in Chris Pratt or Ryan Boston Reynolds
It’s gonna be a fun weekend
Kylie Jenner
The sacrifices my parents make
Education
Ayub Ogada
Charli XCX & SOPHIE
Kanye West
Grimes
To kick off this edition, we will sail to the East African Coast, where Kenyan artist Ayub Ogada was born and raised. Surrounded by musical family members, Ogada soon learned to play many musical instruments, including the lyre, an instrument which is prominently featured in Kothbiro. Roughly translating to “Rain is Coming,” Kothbiro is a captivating piece of music which offers a snapshot of life in rural Kenya. The haunting melodies on this track are both relaxing, and faintly foreboding.
Singer-songwriter Charli XCX and producer SOPHIE have teamed up on a 4 track EP titled Vroom Vroom, and on it are some provocative pieces of pop, electronic, and hip hop music. On the fourth track, Secret, Charli’s in-yourear vocals are enough to make any song interesting, but in combination with SOPHIE’s squeaky production, they create a song that’s dark, sensual, and strange. On social media, both artists have promised more music to come.
At long last, Kanye West has released his eighth full length album, The Life of Pablo. Amidst much controversy surrounding the release of the album, Kanye West has yet again delivered a diverse body of music that has received widespread acclaim and criticism. West gets extremely personal on many of the tracks on this album. FML deals with themes of depression and frustration, and by the time The Weeknd is finished with his performance on this track, listeners are enthralled.
After his breakout single, Dream Girl, there has been much anticipation for Josh Mannis’ next project. Turn Out the Lights is Josh’s debut album. All nine songs are instant classics, but one that stands out amongst the rest is track 8, Gone a Little Crazy. Like Dream Girl, this song instantly gets stuck in your head and stays put for the whole day. Josh’s sounds is similar to that of Michael Buble, Ed Sheeran, and Keith Urban together, but don’t be mistaken, Josh Mannis is 100% original.
Kothbiro
Secret
FML Gone a Little Crazy
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18 corral March 15, 2016 ALEX KAISER AND DANIEL ROMAN Staff Writers @alexkaiser22, @danielroman1999,
T
he obsession with keeping up with the “cool thing to do” and staying in touch with the world has constantly impacted the way we live our lives, especially through the influence of popular culture, fashion, even politics. Each generation has a number of trends that defines them and serve as a nostalgic reminder of the countless changes in technology, fashion, music, and life in general.
2016
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s this generation grows, the trends of our time begin to announce themselves even more, detailing the life we’re currently living. A recurring theme seems to be the impact of advanced technology and screen time on our generation. “There’s definitely multiple screens that are used a day before school, at school, and when you get home from school,” sophomore Andrew Mannis said. “Phones, computers, TVs. It’s a very technology based society nowadays.” Technology is used for everything now. Blue light is emitted from phones, computers, televisions, the list goes on and on, all of which have an important part in how we function. “The idea of wearable technology, like smart watches, is really cool,” junior Michael Caradine said. “But I do think that as more people use them they’ll start to focus on that technology more and more. They will look down at their watch, but not look up at the world.”
Trends over time
A majority of the fads and jokes in teenage life also appear through social media. “I don’t like all of the new trends are so attached to the social media,” sophomore Eric Gershilevich said. “If you don’t keep up with it, you get kind of lost and don’t know how to deal with what’s new.” Another recurring theme of this generation has been the recycling of past fads and ideas, with an obsession on the “retro” and “vintage” factor. “I feel like the 60’s influenced modern life as in the mood of the time right now. Dances, music, stuff like that, even record players now that everyone is buying them again,” Gershilevich said. “I also think the 80’s really impacted the way some people dress, specifically leggings. Leggings won’t go away now they’re way too popular.”
1996
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oy bands, MTV, grunge, Britney Spears, Friends. These are a few of pop culture’s favorite trends. Although it was around 20 years ago, the 1990’s still influence life today and serve as wonderful nostalgia for those that experienced it. “Early 90s was total grunge era so it was all open plaid shirts, Nirvana was big and that kind of started the grunge trend,” Business teacher, Sarah Leuken said. “Bright neon colors were trending and Full House was big. Side ponies and scrunchies were big as well and Old Navy was just coming out.” Nineties music is still prominent today and has influence on what we listen to today. Modern day boy bands like One Direction, 5 Seconds of Summer, the 2006 Jonas Brothers all have
elements of those 90’s classics like Backstreet Boys albeit they lack the cheesy dance moves that represented the boy bands of the past. “The world was a lot less connected when we didn’t have cats on the internet, Facebook, and youtube,” Choir Director, Ben Silvermintz said. “When the internet first popped up AOL was a huge thing. I remember coming home from school and getting ‘online’, which was a big deal then, so I could talk to friends and other people.” Unfortunately, the Internet also has had a part in damaging the face-to-face relationships that are so crucial in life. “I think friendships were a little more organic back then because you actually had to meet them, where as know you go online and you meet this person online and you say you’re friends with them,” Lueken said.
1986
With strong influences from pop culture like Pretty in Pink, fashion looked very different from the following generations, but it hasn’t found its resurgence like the 90s. “Most women wore sweaters and jackets with big shoulder pads.” Krone said, “At the time I thought this was a great look, now I look back on pictures of myself wearing these and laugh.” And of course, the internet began its rise in prominence, quickly becoming a worldwide trend that has become a staple of our lives today. “One of the biggest trends/ideas that dominated life during this time was global internet - a huge tech advancement at the time, that looks like it’s here to stay,” Kazanecki said.
The 1980’s was home to a lot of different styles that were shown through hit sitcoms and new genres of music. Movies from the time had a huge role in defining the generation’s asthetic as well. “A normal day in 1986 saw Ronald Reagan as President, the t.v. show Cheers was popular, ‘Walk Like an Egyptian’ by the Bangles was playing on the radio,” English teacher, Cynthia Krone said. “Madonna was very popular, Pretty in Pink and Top Gun were hit movies, and the Cabbage Patch Kids and Pound Puppies were popular toys for kids. I still have a couple of those.”
corral 19 March 15, 2016
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entertainment
Alex’s Appetite
8-ounce brisket sandwich
Sugarfire Smokes the Competition ALEX LANSON Social Media Manager @wutangclanson
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or the latest installment of Alex’s Appetite, I went to Sugarfire Smoke House, a rustic barbecue dive in Olivette. Around 7:30 on a Saturday night, I was only able to take a few steps inside until I was met with the lengthy line trapped behind a wooden barrier, separating it from the rest of the restaurant. As the line moved relatively quickly, I walked passed trophy after trophy along with random retro objects on top of the barrier. The rest of the restaurant continued the dive theme with random items: license plates, soda cans, and stickers to name a few. The dining area consisted of mismatched tables and chairs randomly placed on a unfinished basement-esque floor throughout the large smoke house. All of this combined to create a random overkill collage -- typical of many dives. When I eventually reached the front of the line I could view the menu written in chalk above the counter. I ordered a brisket sandwich with macaroni and cheese. I handed the workers a large tray with a piece of paper over it and was served my food cafeteria style. I then found a wooden booth to sit in. On the table were 10 different barbecue sauces labeled with a piece of tape and a Sharpie; the variety and exoticness of sauces is a staple of Sugarfire. I tried three of them: Cran-apple, Honey Badger, and Tootie Frootie. The out-of-the-box Cran-apple stayed
Rating:
4 out of 5 Sandwiches
true to its name, adding both apple and cranberry flavors to a sauce already rich in flavor. It mixed very well because both the apple and cranberry were subtle, allowing the sauce to keep its true smoky barbecue-sauce flavor without having to compete with the extra sweetness. The more traditional Honey Badger was much spicier than most honey barbecue sauces but still had the extra sweetness that the honey brings. The only complaint I have about this sauce is that it had a slightly bitter aftertaste, although that may have to do with the spiciness the sauce included. The exotic Tootie Frootie sauce was extremely sugary and fruity -- the only thing that made it like a barbecue sauce was the color. It tasted much more like a cranberry relish you eat at Thanksgiving than a barbecue sauce. Because of this, it overpowered the brisket it was on, which caused it to taste too sweet. The sauce would have probably been decent on turkey, but it would be a mistake to put it on brisket. In a rectangular, red plaid paper carton that looks like it belongs in a carnival laid Sugarfire’s macaroni and cheese. While they actually used rotini noodles in their mac ’n’ cheese, it was pretty hard to tell with the glob of cheese smothering the noodles. If there’s such thing as too much cheese in macaroni and cheese, then this side definitely has that problem. The cheese sauce, which tasted a lot like the Velveeta cheese bought at the grocery store, added a savory, yet cheap taste to the noodles. While it made my mouth water looking at it and smelling it, the noodles ended up being disappointingly average. The brisket sandwich wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty good. The piping hot sandwich was seasoned very well, adding some wholesome flavor without making it too salty. The meat itself, however, did not have enough flavor. It definitely needed one of the barbecue sauces mentioned earlier. Along with this, the meat was very fatty. While a small amount of fat is needed for brisket, the exorbitant amount of fat on this sandwich made it greasy and took away from
the otherwise very good texture of the meat. Despite my nitpickiness about the meat, the sandwich put together with barbecue sauce was delightful. Although it may have had some flaws, if you are looking for a casual barbecue joint, Sugarfire should be at the top of the list.
While the mac ’n’ cheese looked much better then it tasted, the Honey Badger and Cran Apple barbecue sauces helped enhance the flavor of the brisket sandwich. Photos by Alex Lanson.
entertainment
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20 corral March 15, 2016
CENTRAL
664
The days missed due to suspension this school year is
Values
The cost of a letterman jacket is
$206
JEFFREY EIDELMAN and ALEX LANSON Managing Editor, Social Media Manager @jeffey44 @Wutangclanson
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uying lunch, going to the restroom and winning a championship are all possibilities here at school. But how many titles specifically have we won? How many places are we able to use the restroom? How many people have been arrested that go to school here? We took a deeper look at anything and everything Central.
51
Students
suspended this year
14
24
attendance
35
drug related arrests in the past two years
languages on the welcome wall
01 Lacrosse Championships
94% urinals
2
Cheerleading state championships
Volleyball, cross country, golf , wrestling and softball state titles
3
4
Water polo conference titles
Boys basketball conference titles
5
Wrestling conference titles
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30,015 $
pent on school food in Febuary
325 parking passes issued to students
Last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seniors attended
2 1 7 67
Toilets
(not including urinals)
lockers issued to students
19
educational
databases
54
Flags
in the language hallway
10 8
Girls tennis conference titles
Girls swimming
6
76
different colleges
Conference titles
Teams in our conference
7 9
Outdoor grass and turf fields
Boys soccer
conference titles
122
Security Cameras
96
Exit signs
An average ACT score of
23 11 Baseball district titles
sports
pch
22 corral March 15, 2016
Winter Sports Accomplishments
girls swimmers Break Records At State
State Awards:
MITCH BRODDON Staff Writer @mitchbroddon
Wrestling 2nd Round Andy McEwen James Kim 3rd Round John Kim
Girls basketball
Conference Awards:
1st Team Geena Stephens 2nd Team Shannon Flynn Olivia Stephens Honorable Mention Lauren Greenstein Miranda Horn Defensive Player of the Year Olivia Stephens
Boys basketball
Conference Awards: 1st Team DeAndre Campbell 2nd Team Arthur Green Honorable Mention Josh Konecek
Girls swimming
State Awards:
Relays 6th place in 200 medley* 13th place in 400 freestyle 50 freestyle Alexis Poe- 12th place 500 freestyle Shelby Ripp- 13th place 100 backstroke Madison Brown- 6th place* 100 breaststroke Annika Hofer- 6th place *new school record
T
he girl’s swim performance in the State meet on February 19 and 20 beat individual and school records as a result of hard work and perseverance. The 200 meter medley relay is the event where sophomores Alexis Poe and Shelby Ripp, along with juniors Madison Brown and Annika Hofer, beat the school record, while placing 6th in the meet. But, just like any other team win, this came from hard work in practice every day. “We practice six days a week, 15 weeks before hand, and we worked incredibly hard in the pool every day,” Jennifer Meyer, head girls swimming coach, said. “We also did some mental preparation, such as working on being confident in yourself.” This mental preparation was very important to the team and Coach Meyer this year, as it is a huge factor on the success of the swimmers. “I can tell the girls to swim, but it’s really up to them to put the effort into it and really make the difference,” Meyer said. When preparing for the meet, the swimmers described a method called “tapering” where the swimmers would decrease their daily swimming distance and swim faster with the decreased distance, which is similar to turning a 3 mile run into a series of smaller sprints. “The month before state, we had a whole lot of hard practices,” junior Madison Brown said. “But then, about a week before state we started tapering, so I feel
Junior Madison Brown prepares for the State Swimming Meet, where she helped propel her 200 Medley Relay team to a school record. “The month before state, we had a lot of hard practices.” Brown said. “But then, about a week before state we started tapering, so I feel faster in the water. I tried to get more sleep and eat better and drink a ton of water.”
faster in the water. I tried to get more sleep and eat better and drink a ton of water.” As for individual events, many personal records were broken. Madison Brown swam the 200 meter freestyle and broke her personal time while placing 13th. She is still hoping for more improvement. “I think for next year I can push myself even harder,” Brown said. “I might have slacked off sometimes during practice this season so I need to be a lot better about that going into next year. All of the state swimmers will
be returning for another season next year, and they will be joined with the incoming freshman. With more determination, Coach Meyer believes next year can be potentially another state success year. “There’s always room for improvement in technique, endurance, and hopefully those girls will work hard in the off season and come back ready to compete for next year,” Meyer said. “I’m excited for next year when the incoming freshman make a contribution to the team and help
Keep up to date with spring sports stats and scores on our Twitter: @pchcorral and website: www.parkwaynews.net/corral
corral 23 March 15, 2016
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sports
Coaches plan months before sports seasons begin NOAH WEIDNER News Writer @FUTURTOPIA
T
he impending start of a new season often presents a sizeable curve back to readiness for athletes. There are preparations that come as no shock to most, organization, cataloguing, getting equipment, settings schedules, recruiting, having coaches meetings, having team signups and more. However, behind the scenes, coaches responsible for sports teams also must prepare in individual ways. To some coaches, it might be sinking their head into a book. To other coaches, their time will be fraught with strenuous mental training, exercise, or clinics. Girls track and cross country coach, Ryan Banta, says that his work leading into the season stays consistent with his year round work. “I write some workouts for some international athletes remotely,” Banta said. “So, they’ll do the workout and send the video back.” Banta says that going through the process, having contact with more professional athletes and their coaches on an international scale, and having the ability to experiment outside of the season has helped refine what he wants to do. It is from this that he begins to plan his lineup for his upcoming
seasons. “I pride myself on being good at the “chess match,” because you know who’s out there,” he said. “We talk to our athletes and say, ‘Hey, here is an outcome goal. Let’s talk about a progress goal that can get us to that [outcome goal].” Banta’s break between cross country and track season affords him ample downtime to analyze, prepare workouts, and make improvements for future seasons. However, for other coaches like Brian Adam who spend a consistent portion of their year focusing on soccer conditioning and training locally before a season, there is no break, just seasons starting and ending, and what brief time falls in between. “I get my dentist appointment and eye appointment done, my oil change, all those things that just can’t happen during the season,” Adam said. “I get it out of the way so I can be at school everyday after school.” Adam characterizes his transition back into his Spring and Fall seasons as a, “marathon, not a sprint.” His efforts year-round include research, reading, and attending the NSCAA Convention. “I’ve been going to the National Soccer Coaching Convention, where you get to see different presenters,” Adam said. “It was eye-opening, seeing others organize sessions, even if I’m not learning
new drills, it’s exciting to watch professional and college coaches run the same drills as we are.” Adam notes that going to these conventions gives him an opportunity to see what other coaches are looking for and focusing on in their drills and exercises. For some coaches, the purest form of preparation is just a break. For swim coach Jennifer Meyer, whom also assists with girls cross country in the Fall, the last few weeks of the year off, plus a Summer away is that break. “The summer is really important to me for relaxing and reflecting on the year,” Meyer said. “I go out of town for four or five weeks, which really helps and is rejuvenating.” Although every sport is different, certain exercises or preparations are grassroots for any activity. Students all prepare in similar, yet varied ways. For coaches, it often proves no different. There is variation in preparation, but all of these preparations stem from the general idea of self-improvement, readiness, and effectivity.
rch Re Resea cru s e l it u Re ed h c ad S Atte nd Set Clin s l ics a Go e s i Dev
What’s on your mind? Coaches tell us what they spend their off-season doing in preparation for an upcoming season.
ATHLETES REVEAL MENTAL APPROACHES TO PERFORMANCE ROBERT SHIFRIN Sports Editor @brightfuturerob
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idden within the glamour of our sports programs is the daily mental grind of each individual athlete, how they cope with challenges, and their approach to games and practices. “The mental approach is huge,” senior Andy McEwen, member of the wrestling team and baseball team, said. “It doesn’t matter who you compete against, if you underestimate them you will lose.” McEwen runs on testosterone in a wrestling match. Having prepared himself physically every day leading up to his match, the senior heavyweight says that he goes in with 100 percent effort and confidence, trusting muscle memory to help him pin his opponent. “When you go on that mat, you don’t think about what you’re going to do because naturally you’re going to do it,” McEwen said. “If you’re tired you’ve got to dig down deep and push.” Revolving around a persistent and hungry mentality is senior Cameron Carriglio’s mental approach to football. “Winning keeps me motivated,” Carriglio said. “I know if I don’t work as hard as I should, or the team doesn’t, that winning won’t happen a whole lot.” Knowing that his opponent is hard at work, Carriglio says that he’s motivated to do his job and stay positive. “I’ve played in games where if I wouldn’t have had a positive mental approach, there’s no way we would’ve won,” Carriglio said. Putting physical fatigue out of mind, junior swimmer Madison Brown also utilizes positivity when time comes to compete. “I want to make sure I have a positive attitude,” Brown said. “Physically, I might not feel really good, but if I feel positive I know that I’ll do a lot better.” A three sport athlete, senior Lauren Greenstein prioritizes preparation in order to perform without over thinking during the
game. Greenstein says that she accepts failure, and doesn’t dwell on mistakes. “Before the game when we’re in the locker room, we all sit together and talk about our goals for the game and what we need to do,” Greenstein said. “You have to have a short term memory. If you keep thinking about a mistake, you’re just going to make another one.” Goal setting has assisted her teammate, junior Geena Stephens, in accomplishing her goals, averaging 17.7 points per game this basketball season. “You should think about what you can do to help your team out,” Stephens said. “Mostly I think about an individual goal of a certain amount of rebounds or assists that I can have that’ll help contribute to us being successful.” Junior Zach Hresko, a member of the varsity boys soccer and volleyball teams, is also a believer in mental preparation, and strives for mental strength. “You have to try to anticipate as much as you can,” Hresko said. “Don’t freak yourself out. Relax, you’re supposed to have fun. Just try and keep a calm head.” Going over plays in his head, junior Michael Caradine makes sure he’s ready for anything before he touches the soccer field, and he doesn’t let his mind wander. “In the game, you don’t think about your homework or what you’re doing after, you just focus on that moment in the game,” Caradine said. Distractions, like homework and social plans, are one of the many challenges an athlete copes with. Players are forced to form strategies that work for them to overcome obstacles. “My ritual that I’ll always do before a match is I’ll grab my tattoo and remember my grandpa, I wrestle for him only, so that’s what I do and that gives me a lot of motivation to go out and do well,” McEwen said. For McEwen, the recognition of his grandfather is motivation in the face of a challenge. Brown also has a superstition. “If I wear a certain cap or swimsuit I’ll do better,” Brown said. While athletes don’t always share the same strategies, they all have a mental approach to competition, even if it goes unseen.
Squaring up with his opponent, senior Andy McEwen considers his next move in a wrestling match at Fort Zumwalt North, at districts on Feb. 12. Photo by Tara Stepanek Driving towards the basket, senior Lauren Greenstein attemps to dribble past her defender in a game against Jennings on Feb. 19. Photo by Kayla Hodge
spotlight
pch
24 corral March 15, 2016
junior expands on passion for signed baseball cards MEGAN WALLIS Guest Writer @pchcorral
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ending down to buy a pack of Hot-Wheels in the checkout aisle at Walmart, a pack of baseball cards catches junior Brad Smith’s eye. In one swift grab, he plucks it off the rack and buys the first of the beginning of a 500,000-card collection over 10 years. “My dad gave me the inspiration to begin a baseball card collection because he collected baseball cards when he was growing up,” Smith said. “He passed down all of his cards to me when he saw that I was fascinated, and then the collection grew from there.” Smith now obtains his cards through bidding on eBay, going to card shows or from other websites. But after buying the cards, he makes it a priority to get them signed by each player. “As of right now I have around 1,000 signed baseball cards. I got 100 signed this October when I went to Arizona to watch a fall league that was being played,” Smith said. “The players were very accessible, and I was able to talk to them as well as get their signatures.” Because of the vast number of cards, Smith’s options of where to store them are limited. “Baseball cards are scattered everywhere around my house,” Smith said. “They are packed up in boxes in my dining room, living room and bedroom. There’s even stacks of hundreds of them sitting on the nightstand by my bed.” Smith’s collection has inspired him to expand his passion and design and create his own baseball cards. “I go to baseball games and take pictures of the players while they are playing and then make my own cards using them,” Smith said. “I love making my own cards because I feel like I can create designs that are better than the ones already made. Plus, it’s so much cheaper to create my own.” Smith hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps by passing down his cards to his children so that they can start a collection of their own. “It was the most amazing feeling to receive all of my dad’s cards,” Smith said. “I have an instant connection to his childhood, and now I can see all of the memories that he had when he was growing up. I want to do the same for my kids and allow them to experience the same feeling that I felt.”
Compiling
Cards
junior Brad Smith, photo by Megan Wallis