PCH Corral September 2016 by Parkway Central Corral

Fall athletes to watch pg. 16

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District protects assets with barcodes pg. 15

Best photos from homecoming week pg. 6

Calling

the

ď&#x201A;&#x201A;shots pg. 12

Missouriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new meningtitis vaccine requirements force students out of the first day of school.

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CONTENTS Spotlight on new teachers pg. 8-9

Honors societies fail to reflect school diversity pg. 15 Athletic departments begin new hydration policy pg. 16 iPhone 7 loses headphone jack Students react to first-day tests pg. 23 pg. 11

Archerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Atmosphere visits art deco diner pg. 16

Photos of the

Issue

Members of the JV softball team huddle up before their Red and White Night scrimmage on Aug. 12. Photo by Daihana Jimenez Band director Doug Hoover tests the microphones before the band performance at the Prisms music concert on Sept. 19. Photo by Austin Bolte

staff editorial

SEpT. 21, 2016

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School should provide required shots STAFF EDITORIAL CORRAL STAFF

t public schools, we don’t have to buy textbooks that we need to pass a mandatory class. If a computer is an absolute necessity for a project, our classes can sign out a laptop cart. Transportation of some sort must be provided so we can come to school. Why? Because we’re required to go to school. It is necessary for us to spend our time here, because it is better for us and for all of society if the population is educated. Since we don’t have a choice in the matter, we aren’t expected to pay for it or go out of our way to get to it. The same should go for vaccines. If Missouri makes certain vaccinations compulsory, Missouri must make sure everyone has easy access to those shots. Vaccines are a wonderful way to keep communities healthier and safer. Meningococcal meningitis poses a serious threat, and it’s reasonable to require immunizations to a deadly and somewhat contagious disease. But it’s not reasonable to kick students out of school without giving them a way to go get the shots. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to some seniors this year, and several of them struggled to get somewhere that offered the meningitis shot-most of the clinics in the area had run out. On the other hand, easy access to the vaccine was available. In April, the Visiting Nurses Association visited Parkway secondary schools and offered shots to all eighth and twelfth-graders. But not many people took advantage of this event.

Though the district may not be to blame for that, it does mean that more efforts were needed to prevent the shortage that occurred during the first week of school. Though many emails and letters were sent out throughout the summer, some students slipped through the cracks--and even if that isn’t Parkway’s fault, it is still Parkway’s responsibility to take care of those students. In addition, the way the situation was dealt with is slightly hypocritical and definitely illogical. Preventing students from coming to school without vaccines is not a Parkway choice; it’s outlined in Missouri law, but it doesn’t make sense. If a student for some reason decided not to get the shot and not to fill out an exemption form, they couldn’t go to school. Except not going to school isn’t allowed either. The offense (not getting the shot) is illegal, but the punishment for that (not being able to go to class) is also illegal! So preventing students from attending classes on the first day is a fairly irrational if the district is unable to provide the vaccine. The nurse’s office sent out a list of unvaccinated students to teachers, so that those students could be pulled out of their first block. The remarkable thing about this is that it means PCH administration knew that their were students without the proper vaccinations beforehand, and they had a rough estimate of the number of shots needed. Instead of taking these students out of class and then leaving it up to them to find a ride to a clinic an hour away, there should have been an initiative to get students vaccinated onsite or a procedure for transportation to the clin-

ic. At the very least, students should have been allowed to go back to class after having contacted their parents and set up a plan to get to a doctor later. The seniors weren’t going to contract meningococcal meningitis that very day. The first day of school is important. We meet our teachers, find our rooms, reunite with friends, and generally get back into the familiar rhythm of the school year; the first day represents a fresh start. It is unacceptable that any students were barred from classes on the first day of school, regardless of the new laws. In the future, there must be another way to deal with the potential that some students come to school without the shots they need.

PCH CORRAL Editor-in-Chief Kayla Benjamin Managing Editor Noah Weidner Features Editor Libby Archer Sports Editor Liad Lerner Entertainment Editor Evan Mogley Social Media Manager Libby Archer Staff Writers Sophie Baron Jessie Goldberg Jenna Lazaroff Madeline Lee Alex Luckerman Brett Smith Athena Stamos Roya Porshahidy Graphic Designer Noah Weidner Sam Benoist Business Manager Sarah Whalen

What are your yays and neighs?

ys a y

&ghs

Nei

Yays! • • • • • • •

First issue of the newspaper is finally out Homecoming decorations rocked this year Starbucks opening soon on the corner Day of Service got everyone involved Sweater weather is upon us Golf team made championships Boys’ soccer team is kicking butt

Neighs • • • • • •

School started too early We had to choose between Hoco and Beyonce The Starbucks on the corner isn’t open yet Government classes stopped requiring volunteer hours Flip-flop weather is leaving us Band students miss out on prime parking this year

It would behoove you to know the good and the bad of what’s up at PCH, rein or shine!

Twitter: @pchcorral Instagram: pch_corral Facebook page: Parkway Central Corral We want to hear from you!

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.

News

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New law sparks Pledge debate Upcoming Events Oct. 1: Pancake Run, part one of the Parkway Fun Run program Oct. 1: Navaratri, Hindu celebration of nine nights starts Oct. 3: Rosh Hashanah and Hijra; new years in the Jewish and Islamic faiths, respectively

Madeline LEE STAFF WRITER

new law has been introduced into Missouri public schools requiring the Pledge of Allegiance to be provided every day. The law, House Bill 1750, previously only required the Pledge once a week but was revised in the Missouri House of Representatives in time for the 2016-2017 school year. “Last time we had to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every day was in elementary school,” sophomore Stella Bauer said. “Especially with the different cultures that are in our school, I don’t see why it was created. We’re in high school, we know what our country means and we have pride in it.” The bill affects all schools that receive government funding in Missouri; including all Parkway

Oct. 5: Late start Oct. 7: No school! Oct. 10: No school! Oct. 12: Yom Kippur, day of atonement Oct. 17: Sukkot, Jewish harvest festival Oct. 19: Parkway board meeting Oct. 25: All-district vocal contest Oct. 30: Diwali, Indian festival celebrating new moon Oct. 31: Halloween

schools and was passed by a House of Representatives education subcommittee. “I strongly agree with the law,” Dylan Creath, a junior, said. “There’s been too much history and too much sacrifice to not take twenty seconds out of our day to show respect to those who have lost everything for us.” Bill 1750 states that students are not to be forced to say the Pledge of Allegiance; only that the Pledge must be recited in at least one scheduled class per day. At Parkway Central, the recitement happens over the loudspeakers during morning announcements. The bill does not put a limit on how many times the Pledge can be said however, only requiring it once. “Not everyone has the same beliefs,” junior Emily Goldstein said. “I think that since [the Pledge] is now being said every day, it is brainwashing the concept of nationalism.” Despite reaching out to multiple state lawmakers in the Missouri House of Representatives where the original law was revised, no reply was received. The motives behind the re-passing of House Bill 1750 are unknown. “I like it; I love it,” science teacher Rick Kirby said of the new law. “We should honor our country every day. It bothers me when people disrespect the Pledge.”

Even though the Pledge is now required every day, American flags are not forced to be on display and it is up to the teacher’s discretion whether they put the flag in their rooms. “The Pledge is something that I don’t really believe in,” Moritz Dittrich, sophomore German exchange student, said. “If I could ask lawmakers one question it would be what they think the effect is going to be on students.” The response to the law has been varied with opinions ranging on the scale of for and against the law. “My opinion is that if people want to stand and take their hats off they can, and if they want to sit down they can, but they should not disrespect [the Pledge],” Gottlieb Gerstenecker, a sophomore, said. “They shouldn’t laugh or make fun of people standing and doing it.” Cases against the law feature the diversity of school communities, the loss of meaning of the Pledge, and excessiveness. “I understand why the law was made,” senior Sydney Hirsch said, “But in a school like ours where there’s so many diverse students I don’t think it’s fair that they may feel obligated to say something they don’t believe in.” Cases for the law are the pride of America, nationalism, and honoring veterans; the argument that not saying the Pledge disrespects the people who fought for the country. “It’s our country and we should be proud of it,” freshman McKenna Carpenter said. “People fought for our country’s freedom, the least we could do is recite the Pledge.”

Band parking lot becomes faculty parking Sophie Baron STAFF WRITER

dministration has decided to ban student parking in the side lot next to the band room this year. It now provides faculty parking for teachers and bus drivers. Previously referred to as the “band lot” this change has left students frustrated and irritated. “People started parking on the curbs, and then they were right behind other cars so they couldn’t get out,” class of 2019 assistant principal Chris Dallas said. “On a daily basis we had 30-50 parking spots open in the main lot and had to move about 10 cars everyday.” Although the parking was originally meant to be mostly faculty parking, band students used this lot as a way to shorten their trip from the car and get to practice on time. Carrying much more weight with them to school, these students used the lot to their advantage. “The band lot was really helpful because a lot of times kids were bringing a lot of things to band practice,” junior drum major and clarinet player Marissa LaRue said. “On game days, some kids will have to bring their instruments, music, uniform, hat box and a change of clothes plus what they need for school. We were right next to the door so it was just easier to get everything inside.” The change clearly has its ups and downs, depending on who you ask. The bus drivers consistently have a place to park, but the band has to walk further to 6:30 morning practice.

The lot was not just used for convenience it’s nice for them to be able to have a parkable though—it was a hot spot for socializing as well. spot not have to park way in the back,” Dallas “In past years the band lot seems to be a sosaid. “If it happens repeatedly we will address cial place where we would all hang out after footthat.” ball games, and it’s sad that we won’t be able to Many people are upset about this new change, do that anymore,” junior trombone player Andrew but in reality students don’t feel the need to try Espeland said. and change the mind of administrators. Some suspect that the change is not just “During band season, I don’t like the change because of the few parking spots offered to bus as it makes morning more inconvenient, but after drivers, but because students were parking in the the season is over I would most likely park in the lot without a pass. main lot,” Espeland said. “Most of our drivers are alright with the rules if they are being enforced for everyone,” band director Doug Hoover said. “If you don’t have a tag you should be called out.” There are consequences set in place for people who refuse to obey these new rules. The reasoning behind it isn’t to punish people but to make parking more accessible to the school staff. “Typically we would call them down and talk with them because Previously known as the “band lot”, the parking lot closest to the theatre and band department has been designated as faculty and staff parking only. Because of the change,, the parking lot remains partially empty during some parts of the day. during the course of “Most members of the band are irritated about this because everyone, including the staff, calls it the band lot yet we aren’t allowed to use it,” Marissa the day our bus drivers LaRue junior, drum major and trombone player said. come in and out and

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Initiative aims to catalogue district assets noah WEIDNER managing editor

recently implemented district initiative is aiming to catalog books, computers, microscopes, theatre equipment, and other district assets through a new barcoding system put in place for inventory and insurance purposes. “We’re barcoding any instructional material bought with district dollars,” Parkway Learning and Accountability Director Dr. Lisa Merideth said. “The plan was always to be able to catalog all our textbooks and instructional materials around the district.” The plan contributes to an intention of the district that Meredith, and the district at large, refer to collectively as ’financial responsibility.’ In other words, effective use of resources and funds. In the district, the cataloging of assets already happens, but not in a practical sense. The barcoding system helps to ensure that in case of unforeseen disaster such as a fire, tornado, or other disaster, the inventory held in schools could be adequately accounted for, and replacements of damaged or destroyed property could be made through insurance and other methods of asset security, according to Meredith. In many respects, the initiative is perceived as beneficial to administrators and teachers. However, there are some impracticalities of the system as it has kicked off. “It’s a lot of work for us,” theatre teacher Nicole Voss said. “I understand the idea behind it, but how many times have you heard of a school go up in flames?” Voss is just one of several adults in the building who, for the most part, singlehandedly manage their departments. The theatre department, like all other departments, has to comply with the same standards of barcoding assets purchased with district assets. However, according to Voss, some items in the theatre department purchased by the parents are being barcoded as well.

“We’re doing all lighting, lighting fixtures, sound equipment, set, scenic tools, AV and other things,” Voss said. “Anything that is $250 or over will be barcoded.” For a department with over 140 lighting fixtures, tens of speakers, and plenty more assets, this process has become particularly arduous. The fine arts and music departments might share a similar feeling of anxiety, as they too will have to endure the barcoding of all district-owned instruments, art equipment, and assets included under that umbrella. However, the growing pains of the program are perceived as a temporary inconvenience. The more day-to-day situations in which the system provides coverage and assistance might outweigh the temporary stresses of getting the system off the ground. With the new barcoding system, assets can be tracked and located using scanners; reports can be run to identify potentially lost or misplaced items, and all of these things implemented together are said to contribute to organization. The system is already in action on many textbooks and instructional materials. Among them are English curriculum books, history, math and science textbooks, and other considerable reading material. The new barcode scanner system has provided an

opportunity for teachers, who previously used paper copies for checkouts, to move into the 21st century using the new system. “Keeping record on a paper copy was messy,” English department head Jason Lovera said. “Once you become familiar, you scan the student’s ID and then the book. I don’t have to worry about the old paper with the numbers recorded.” Many teachers have lauded the initiative, and despite the hiccups and occasional bugs, the application of the idea has been particularly well done up to this point. While the system is now operational, the barcoding process will not be complete across all district departments, and their assets, until as late as next summer. “We have a financial responsibility to be using our taxpayer dollars efficiently,” Merideth said. “We should not be purchasing unnecessary materials, but using the ones we already have.” Merideth encourages teachers who have concerns, suggestions, or inquiries to reach out to the accountability department so that bugs and problems can be squashed, and questions and other inquiries can be answered.

Foreign language says no to phones Jenna Lazaroff staff writer

ith the start of the school year comes many changes, along with a new foreign language cell phone policy. Year after year, cellphones are a major issue for teachers and academics. And year after year the policy around the building seems to shift. Foreign language teachers got together before this school year and created another, new policy. The policy was introduced the first week of school. Students are required to place their phone in the front of the room in their specific pouch. “Putting my phone away definitely helps me focus more, and I do feel more efficient in my work,” said sophomore Henry Eubank. “Its a beneficial system. But if I had the chance to, I would probably change it back due to the inconvenience.” But not all students see in the same positive light like Eubank does. “I believe cell phones weren’t that big of an issue, and taking my phone away makes it so we can’t play class games like Kahoot,” said French 3 student Sasha Yarovinski. “It’s a hassle and I wish they’d change it back.” The purpose of the cell phone wall is to limit the use of Google Translate, cheating on worksheets, and stopping students from using their phone during class and being distracted. “Personally, I feel it’s unnecessary,” French

One of the foreign language ‘phone cubbies’ hangs in Christy Keating’s Spanish classroom.

student Myori Felix said. “If a kid is going to not pay attention they’ll find other things to distract them. Taking everybody’s phone away is unfair because people who don’t take advantage and sometimes need their phones to get a hold of their family can no longer do that.” Although the policy seems to be having a bigger impact on the foreign language department, they are not the only teachers deciding to address cell phone usage in class. Is this a thing of the future for all classrooms?

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Highlights from

PCH Publications STAFF

1. Junior DeAndre Campbell plays a human version of Hungry Hungry Hippos at the Homecoming pep rally on Sept. 9. Photo by Jordyn Tobias 2. The Marching Colts wait out the lightning delay in the band room on Sept. 9. Photo by PCH Publications 3. Seniors Carly Lander and Megan Wallis coordinate their moves during the Homecoming dance on Sept. 10. Photo by Paige Wallis 4. Channeling his inner *NSYNC, Ben Flunker, progress monitoring coach, dances to a medley of throwback songs performed by the teachers at the pep rally on Sept. 9. Photo by Jordyn Tobias 5. Junior Edye Hansen leads senior Sara Stecher, junior Hannah Mikitin and junior Jordan Lander during the varsity dance team performance at the pep rally on Sept. 9. Photo by Jordyn Tobias 6. Senior Zoe Miller performs a solo during the color guard performance during the pep rally on Sept. 9. Photo by Libby Archer 7. Seniors Noah Prelutsky and Alexis Livingston model their PCH spirit wear at the Homecoming fashion show on Sept. 2 during lunch. Photo by Lauren Johns

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8. Junior Aletha Bastin spins in front of junior teammates Hope Mueller and Mi’cele Calvin during the class games at the pep rally on Sept. 9. Photo by Jordyn Tobias 9. Homecoming court members Myori Felix, Anthony DeVasto, Lexie Lander, Adi Sarangee, Jamie Hamill, Noah Prelutsky, James Sherstoff, Jill Stolte, Michelle Skroba, Michael Murphy, Libby Archer and Luke Voeller surround the newly crowned king and queen, seniors Francis Ntimba and Abigayle Judd, at the dance on Sept. 10. Photo by Kyra Tarlas 10. Juniors Clayton Taylor, Eddie Ross, Tim Robinson, Shannon Bell, Alex Marcus, Nate Moore and Daniela Cornejo break it down during the pep rally on Sept. 9. Photo by Jordyn Tobias

11. Senior Mikayla Wieser goes all out to represent the senior class’s Batman theme on Sept. 6. Photo by Madeline Lee 12. Freshmen Aiden Tucker and Andrew Lee play “spell it out” during the pep rally on Sept. 9. Photo by Jordyn Tobias

8 12

16 13. Logan Sheehan shows off his diving technique during the swim and dive team’s introduction during the pep rally on Sept. 9. Photo by Jordyn Tobias 14. Science teacher Jonathan Gunasingham imitates MC Hammer during the dance medley of throwback songs performed by the teachers at the pep rally on Sept. 9. Photo by Jordyn Tobias 15. Senior Gabi Martin, freshman James Sherstoff and sophomore Stephen Unk try to work Oreos down their faces on Sept. 8. Photo by Liad Lerner 16. Showing off its football spirit, the student section prepares for the Homecoming game against Ladue on Sept. 9. Photo by PCH Publications

17. Varsity cheerleaders Allyson Segall, Molly Weinberg, Libby Archer, Ashley Gould, Chloe Appel, Eli Harris, Rachel Fine, Sydney Smith and Remi Levinson perform during the pep rally on Sept. 9. Photo by Jordyn Tobias 18. Senior Adam Boonshaft attends the Homecoming dance on Sept. 10. Photo by Paige Wallis

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New

staf f

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staff feature corral staff

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Current position: social studies teac her, Modern U.S. Hist ory and Honors U .S. History Looking forward to: working with students new to PC H, as I am new to o! I also love going to sporting events. Three fun facts: >I went to Mizzou . >I love basketball and lacrosse. >I competitively bo xed as a teenager . What students sh ould know: Th at I truly care about th em and want each of them to be successful.

Current positio n: ASC teacher English Looking for to be a p ward to: the cha nc art of the Parkway e District School Three fun fa >Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve bee cts: n skydivin g. >I try to run half m arathon e semester. ach >Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m gett ing marrie d next w What stu eek. dents should believe in know: them. I

elley K a n a h S Current position: math teacher with Special School District Looking forward to: watching student growth Three fun facts: >I have been to Maui 11 times. >I just got married July 3. >I have nine grandchildren ages 1 through 19. What students should know: I want learning to be fun and meaningful so that they can meet their dreams.

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e k e m i e D Samantha y ience teacher, Biolog Current position: sc ce and freshman scien rest : Fall Break to enjoy to Looking forward new a ng rti sta moving and after a summer of school year. Three fun facts: lf marathons >I enjoy running ha > I do CrossFit. oors. >I love being outd nt to see ld know: I wa sh What students ou and I know d ee cc all my students su dent stu ch ea r that success fo . tly en fer looks dif

Miche lle W hite

features

SEpT. 30, 2016

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Current position: building manager Looking forward to: meeting students and being able to help them in any way Three fun facts: >I’ve been married 34 years. >I hunt and fish. >I enjoy time with my family. What students should know: Feel free to stop me in the hall and just say hi.

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Tina Payn e

Current position : business teache r, Intro to Computer Techno logy, Digital Anim ation, Marketing I, Personal Finan ce and Intro to Co mputer Science Looking forward to: learning about all the grea traditions and ev t ents here at PCH and getting to know all my stud ents. Three fun facts: >I come from a fa mily of teachers, including my mom dad, youngest sis , ter and brother in-law. >I love football an d my favorite team is the Dallas Cowboys. >I have two siste rs, and we all have names that start with J. What students sh ould know: I care and I am here to help them reach their goals.

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SEpT. 30, 2016

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JUNIOR ATTENDS STANFORD OVER SUMMER libby archer

features editor s most juniors were struggling to maintain jobs, sports, assigned reading and math packets this summer, Abigail Flynn was taking three college courses at Stanford. After receiving an email last year inviting her to apply to Stanford’s High School College Summer Program, Flynn wrote out a few essays, filled out a few information sheets and before she knew it had been accepted into Stanford. “I got a letter and I was like, ‘Why do I have a letter from Stanford? Why would Stanford be contacting me?’’ Flynn said. “They were like, hey do this thing,’ and I was like, ‘kay?’’ The two month program cost the same amount as a semester at Stanford, with the addition of a few scholarships she’s earned. Flynn was one of two people from Missouri that attended the program. “Everyone in the program was boarding at Florence Moore Hall, it was kids 16 to 19,” Flynn said. “We had classes with actual college kids but we didn’t room with them.” Flynn and many of the other students had classes four days a week, four to six hours each day. She took Public Speaking, Introduction to Ancient Philosophy and Introduction to National Relations which totaled to 10 college credit hours that are transferable to most schools. “In my Introduction to International Relations class, I had an average of 100 pages of reading a week of straight-up academic literature compared to what we do in high school,” Flynn said. In addition to the reading for the class, she had to

memorize 50 authors’ concepts, experiments and other details. Though she had a ton of work on a weekly basis, she also had a ton of opportunities for fun. “We had no restrictions on where we could go so long as we were in a 40-mile radius of campus and got back by midnight,” Flynn said. “On the weekends we would just hop on the Cal Train and go to San Francisco.” Flynn and her friends would disappear for full days without having anyone really assigned to worry about them. While some would take this opportunity to act up, Flynn, who described her friends and herself as “always being good, non-bad children,” was able to use this opportunity to take Stanford and California for all it had to offer. Though she spent a lot of her time there learning and exploring, she also was able to live the classic college experience. “We’d go out for food runs at around 11:30,” Flynn said. “Apart from that I had a lot more sleeping than I do during the school year and just pretty much hanging out.” It’s hard to believe that she got a lot of sleep, because she also admitted to staying out on campus until four in the morning most days, even though the technical curfew was two. Though Flynn said she loved her experience she won’t be applying for next summer’s program at all. “It’s pretty much just a one-time kind of thing,” Flynn said. “You’re like, ‘Oh, this is cool,’ but it’s a lotabout the people you meet there that are a really big part of it.” She roomed with a girl from New Jersey, who she got along well

Abby Flynn shows her school pride by wearing her Stanford sweatshirt that she got over the summer. Photo by Libby Archer

with, but became very close with a girl that currently lives in Mexico and plans on going to college in the U.S. “She’s currently trying to make a very convoluted plan to get me down there, preferably before Trump builds the wall,” Flynn said.

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features

SEpT. 30, 2016

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Pause. Rewind. Replay.

Students retake classes throughout school Evan MOGLEY STAFF WRITER

case of deja vu or something more? Seniors across the school are retaking classes. Whether they feel they didn’t take much away from the class the first time, they wanted another experience with the teacher, or they just loved the curriculum, a second chance at a class offers a whole new perspective and reveals why we have repeat students. “I retook Public Speaking to develop my speaking skills more as I feel like I wanted to improve upon the first time I took it,” said senior Ariella Mahoney. ”I pick up something new every class, and meeting new people is always fun. They bring a new view to my eye, and the classroom experience.” While many students feel that they are earning a new experience from the second chance at the class, counselors such as Paul Hussman, have differing opinions on the subject of retaking a class. “We let kids retake classes such as competitive sports or improv because we feel that the experience will be different enough the second time around that they can actually take it again,” Hussman said. “Central has a wide variety of different electives and I would rather encourage students to explore their options before just going back to classes they’ve previously enjoyed.” Some students, such as Mahoney, also look towards the teacher for guidance and even admiration. “Mrs. Voss definitely impacted my choice to retake Public Speaking, because she has a lot to

STAFF WRITER

tudents stress as teachers hand them summer work all due on the first day, frightening the students and pressuring them to complete all the work in time for the first day of school. “We shouldn’t be tested on anything on the first day of school,” senior Neesha Deshmukh said. “What if you don’t understand the summer homework?” For many students, especially AP/Honors class students, there are work and quizzes on the first day of school. There are packets to fill out, and books to read on top of the studying they do for those tests. From math to social studies, teachers often require some work to keep up students knowledge from the past school year. “I think that students need to know the tone of the class and know how hard it is, and also keep their time management and academic integrity,” AP World teacher, Joni Patton said. As the work assigned to the students in the summer helps them keep a nice rhythm for class work, it also brings anxiety and procrastination for them as the school year comes close. “It’s a downer because you’re already trying to get the hang of things but all that really piles on

Biology class evolves under new leadership after ‘Bergerexit’ Liad Lerner STAFF WRITER

B Students turn back time and retake previous classes. Photo illustration by Evan Mogley

offer me as a mentor for the class,” Mahoney said. However, senior Josh Farkas, had a hole in his schedule and some time to kill, and decided to revisit a class that had more to offer to him. “I really enjoyed the time in Competitive Sports, to have fun and take a break,” Farkas said. The decision did come with some hesitation and worry though, as Farkas was unsure of how it might affect his future. “I do worry about how colleges will view it though, as it’s not a very challenging class. I re-

ally hope it doesn’t affect my acceptance chances where I’m looking and applying.” Like Farkas, senior Max McGowan decided to retake a class because he thought that it might be just as enjoyable the second time, and even benefit his development. “I retook Improvisation because I really enjoyed being a goof and being able to be funny and laugh in class,” McGowan said. “In the long run I think retaking [Improv] will really help with the development of my social skills and thinking on the spot.”

Summer homework stresses students before year begins Roya Porshahidy

the first day,” senior Katherine Laue said. “That doesn’t really motivate you to do your work for the rest of year.” Also, students who can’t deal with immense workloads and summer work of classes sometimes simply drop out of the class, deciding on classes that do not require any work or tests. “Last year I struggled already, so I don’t want to take the chance to mess up my GPA,” sophomore Emmanuel Hagoss said. “Just reading the book was boring.” Freshman students are also getting bombarded with tests and work all on their first day of high school, stressing the new students even more. But it helps them get accustomed to the workload and pace of their classes. The work also gives the students an idea of expectations that teachers have in their class. “I think it’s dumb because it’s the first day and we’re just getting used to the school and we shouldn’t have to take a test,” freshman Anthony Klein said. Not all districts seem to think that heavy summer homework is necessary, with parkway laboriously giving out the homework to students, for the students it may seem like busy-work and not a serious task to be done. “Marquette doesn’t do it so why does Parkway do it?” senior Neesha Deshmukh said. Instead of summer fun students are doing homework for their classes.

iology teacher Lee Johnson has stepped into new shoes this year, picking up the AP Biology class after long-time biology teacher Adam Bergeron relocated to Clayton. The change in instructors has led many students to miss the teacher they had for Honors Biology when they were sophomores. “Bergeron had the specific skill of being able to transfer his love of biology to his students,” senior AP biology student Balaji Cherupallah said. “We were all inspired by his particular brand of teaching.” Bergeron had a reputation around the school for his quirky personality and a very challenging class. Many students agreed he was one of the best teachers they had ever had. “Bergeron taught me how to learn and how to be interested in what I’m learning rather than memorizing material for tests and forgetting it in the next year,” senior AP biology student Sophia Cantor said. Johnson is not fazed by the high expectations of the position and thinks of it as teaching any other AP class. “Anytime there are changes, it’s impossible not to notice how it is different,” Johnson said. “But I think that there is always an expectation here that classes will be rigorous and challenging.” Johnson describes his teaching style as not being a handholder and allowing students to struggle on their own to get to their answer. He said that knows that his approach to class is a challenge for the students, but he believes that it is more beneficial to them than him lecturing all the time. Students see the similarities between this style and Bergeron’s style. “They both want their students to be challenged and believe that we can do things that we wouldn’t think we’d be able to do,” senior AP biology student Zoe Tesser said. Students also have a little relief knowing that Bergeron hasn’t completely disappeared from his old co-workers. Johnson says that the two of them keep in touch and help each other out. “He’s been awesome as far as suggestions for labs and ideas,” Johnson said. “He’s one of the many people I talk to about presenting the curriculum.”

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New vaccine requirements pose

    

Kayla benjamin Editor-in-chief

“It started

out like a normal day…” senior Evan Rodriguez began. But, for him and other seniors missing the Meningitis vaccine, the first day of school was not set to run smoothly. “It felt like in those movies where it’s fascist, or a dictator government is like pulling people out of jobs and schools,” said Rodriguez. This year, Parkway cracked down on vaccines, making seniors who did not have the required shots leave school until they had gotten them. Some were forced to wait in empty rooms instead of being in class, while others had hour-long drives to get to the nearest clinic that still had a supply of the vaccine. “They made me sit in a room all day, until my mom went to get me my shot,” senior JR Robinson said. “All my expectations sheets were late, so I kind of got a bad grade in all my classes.” Many students did not receive the notice that they needed the meningitis shots until the week of school, when it was too late to schedule an appointment. Missouri recently added the meningococcal vaccine (MCV4) to the list of required vaccinations for students going into 8th and 12th grades. “Schools are directed that students who do not have the mandatory vaccinations may not start school until meeting the requirements,” Robin Wallin, Parkway’s Director of Health Services, said. “Parkway’s decision to exclude students who are missing required vaccines aligns with this requirement in the law.” There are good reasons that meningococcal meningitis is being taken so seriously. “It infects the spinal fluid around the brain with potentially consequences,” Wallin “It felt like in those movies where it’s life-threatening said. “Teenagers and young adults are fascist, or a dictator government is at an increased risk for acquiring the infection, and that has led to efforts to pulling people out of jobs and schools.” immunize students in middle and high --Senior Evan Rodriguez school before they enter this high risk period.” Parkway took several steps to address the new changes and encourage students to get their shots. In February of last year, Parkway parents received notifications pertaining to the changes to the vaccine policy, including the new required Tdap and Meningococcal vaccines. In April, the Visiting Nurses Association offered all incoming 8th and 12th graders the shots they needed. “Unfortunately, not many students took advantage of this op-

portunity,” Wallin said of the VNA visit. In July, the Superintendent sent out a letter to all the students who still needed immunizations, telling them about the requirements. “Additional efforts were undertaken by principals and school nurses in the weeks leading up to the beginning of school to continue to reach out to these parents by email, robocalls, and individual phone calls,” Wallin said. Despite these steps, there were still too many students without the meningitis shot by day one of school, and they couldn’t all be accommodated. “Parkway West was supposed to have the vaccinations,” Rodriguez said. “They ran out.” According to Wallin, this situation was avoidable. “I hope that next year, more students will take advantage of opportunities to get the vaccines earlier so that this last-minute shortage does not pose a similar problem,” she said.

Beyond Parkway

This incident is a just microcosm of the larger national debate about vaccination laws and requirements. “When the state can tell us what to do with our bodies, we are no longer free,” Jeremy Kobler, a Kansas City chiropractor and representative for the Missouri chapter of the organization Vaccination Liberation, said. “In public schools, it’s a violation of rights; it’s illegal to force vaccinations.” However, the Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of compulsory vaccinations in multiple different cases, including a 1922 case that directly addressed vaccine requirements for entrance into public schools. “The government’s interest in protecting children and preventing the spread of communicable disease justifies mandatory vaccinations for all children in the United States,” Erwin Chemerinsky and Michele Goodwin, professors at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, wrote in their three-part essay titled Compulsory Vaccination Laws are Constitutional. Nevertheless, every state permits religious exemptions for vaccinations except West Virginia and Mississippi. In Missouri, this exemption is easy to obtain; it can be printed off the internet and requires only a parent’s signature. But when Robinson’s mother tried to turn in the exemption so he could go back to class, she was denied. “My mom was like ‘Alright, I got his form so here you go.’ And they were like, ‘Yep, this doesn’t work,’” Robinson said. The school nurse, Susan Hunt, was unavailable for comment.

Beyond Education

According to the World He vaccines are among the most e ual and public health.” As such, the logical reasoni based on herd immunity--the id population are immune to a di those who cannot receive all t months and others with medic regarding the vaccine) are still Many of the diseases that have are potentially life-threatening, for infants. “Lawmakers make the decis which vaccines are mandatory on recommendations from exp as the Centers for Disease Con Prevention,” Wallin said. Though much of the nation international science communi upon the efficacy of vaccines i the point is still in dispute. So nothing to prevent disease, the serious concern, and that herd “The reduction of illness w running water and sewer syste Additionally, questions aris government institutions and ph “It’s about all money, not a maceutical companies have lob members to pass pro-vaccine la The Center for Disease Con Rubella (MMR) vaccine to ped private-sector price, according A study published in 2012, for Biotechnology, investigated a major pharmaceutical compa found that though legislators r scientific information, “industr not fully transparent, or not di to lawmakers” made the passa likely.

             

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SEpT. 30, 2016

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difficulties, build on national debate

ealth Organization, “Without doubt, efficient tools for promoting individ-

162 cases of meningococcal meningitis

ing behind mandatory vaccination is dea that if a certain percentage of a isease because they are vaccinated, the shots (such as babies under 15 cal issues l protected. “I hope that next year, more students e vaccines , especially will take advantage of opportunities

sion on y based perts, such ntrol and

to get the vaccines earlier so that this last-minute shortage does not pose a similar problem.” --Robin Wallin, Parkway Director of Health Services

nal and ity agrees in preventing outbreaks of diseases, ome assert that vaccines do little or e vaccines’ side effects present a d immunity is a myth. was due to better sanitation, bathing, ems, not vaccines,” Kobler said. se about the connection between harmaceutical companies. about health,” Kobler said. “Pharbbyists, and they pay congress aws.” ntrol sells the Measles, Mumps, and diatricians for about one-third of the to a 2015 article from The Atlantic. , performed by the National Center d the effect of lobbying by Merck, any, on state vaccine legislation. It relied heavily on the company for ry lobbying that is overly aggressive, ivorced from financial contributions age of new vaccine mandates less

in MO from approximately 2005 to 2015

23 resulted in deaths

Calling

the

shots

        One senior had to wait five hours at a clinic to get the vaccine so he could go back to school.

features

SEpT. 30, 2016

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A Day in the Life . . . of a student jessie goldberg STAFF WRITER

Favorite Part

magine waking up, coming to school, going to class, eating lunch, going home, doing homework, watching TV, and going to bed. Then repeat. Would you be entertained? Would you enjoy yourself doing the same thing over and over and over again? Now, imagine waking up, coming to school, going to class, spilling your coffee all over your clothes, eating your breakfast while watching a video and getting yelled at, eating lunch while laughing and chatting with your friends, staying after school for a sport or a club, going home, working out while listening to music, studying for a test, and then going to bed. Doesn’t that sound more interesting? More realistic? More like a . . . student? Each day, we have two choices: stick with the routine or do something new. Typically, we do something out of our norm, regardless of whether we realize it. Whether it’s spilling coffee on our clothes or staying after school for a club, there’s always something different. It’s something that distinguishes us from the rest of the student body.

“Probably lunch, because you get to talk to friends”

Freshman Lily Eckenrode Wished She Would’ve Known “There’s a test in business.”

ow, imagine waking up, coming to school, going to class, spilling your coffee all over your clothes, eating your breakfast while watching a video and getting yelled at, eating lunch while laughing and chatting with your friends, staying after school for a sport or a club, going home, working out while listening to music, studying for a test, and then going to bed. Doesn’t that sound more interesting? More realistic? More like a . . . student? Each day, we have two choices: stick with the routine or do something new. Typically, we do something out of our norm, regardless of whether we realize it. Whether it’s spilling coffee on our clothes or staying after school for a club, there’s always something different. It’s something that distinguishes us from the rest of the student body.

Favorite Part

Sophomore Stella Bauer

Wednesday, Aug. 24

“Vocal jazz”

Daily Schedule

wished she “would’ve packed more food”

Senior Will Harold

wished he “would’ve gotten more sleep and . . . done his homework”

“I go in early morning for band . . . and depending on the day, will stay after for band or go home on the bus”

Junior Daniel Kattan

Something Unusual “It’s been a really good day so far.”

Daily Schedule “Nothing solid, usually; today there’s JSU so I’m staying after there for maybe an hour, maybe less.”

Favorite Part “Relaxing before I have to do homework”

Tell us about a day in your life! @pchcorral on Twitter or @pch_corral on Instagram

features

SEpT. 30, 2016

I nequality

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Groups underrepresented in honor societies alex luckerman staff writer

he race breakdowns of our honors societies look very different from that of our diverse school population. And it wasn’t that the groups who weren’t involved weren’t interested; they just weren’t eligible to join. There was more to the story than the statistics alone. What exactly do these organizations miss when they don’t have these groups? Jason Lovera, sponsor of NEHS, explained this same idea in the concept of an English discussion and how it could be hindered by leaving important perspectives out. “What makes a rich, vibrant discussion is just having different perspectives, and when you have underrepresented groups not being a part of those discussions, it just limits what we can do,” he said. “Everyone has a different background, where they come from, and so the more perspectives you can get, the better.” Beth Karfs, sponsor of Beta Chi Pi, also looked outside of just racial groups and to cultures as a whole. “It’s a pretty homogeneous group in terms of their life experience. I think that they’ve all had a fairly similar experience growing up and they aren’t broadening their understanding of other cultures as much as they could be,” Karfs said. She also pointed out how the diversity problems within honors societies can affect their outside missions. “For Beta Chi Pi, our mission is to reach out and provide tutoring to students who might need that, and we would probably have more kids interested in receiving tutoring if they were getting tutoring from someone who had their background, someone that represents them that could help them,” Karfs said. Joni Patton, sponsor of Rho Kappa, took a historian’s viewpoint and placed this issue into a larger context.

NHS, elligible

NHS, inducted

Rho Kappa, eligible

“We’re becoming more global as a society,” said Patton. “We need to be able to work through all kinds of problems with all kinds of people and I think high school gives opportunities for kids to learn how to do that, but they get taken out of that larger group they miss out on that.” But what do these students miss out on by not being involved in these groups? The common wisdom is that these organizations are primarily important because they look good on a college application. Jennifer Meyer, sponsor of NHS, wasn’t so sure. “I guess you have it on your college application, but how much colleges really care I don’t know,” Meyer said. Beyond that, she and the other sponsors seemed to agree that the exact offerings of the honors societies themselves weren’t exclusive to those organizations. “With NHS, most of our activities are service-oriented, so I guess kids miss out on that,” Meyer explained. “But just because you’re not in NHS doesn’t mean you can’t find or participate in other service-oriented activities on your own or with another group.” Lovera approached the problem from a slightly different angle, focusing on the Honors English classes rather than the honors society surrounding it. In order to be a member of NEHS, a student has to be in an Honors or AP English course at the time, so the organization is a layer on top of the honors program that adds a few fun events and a service hour requirement. He explained why he felt that the real problem was with honors class participation. “What I think that is more important is that they’re missing out on an opportunity to be challenged,” he said. Kurt Lehmann, sponsor of Mu Alpha Theta, took a more general approach. “I think being part of any school organization opens up new opportunities for you, to meet people that you would not normally talk to and experience things you wouldn’t normally do,” said Lehmann. Much more of the focus on why this issue is important fell instead on what the groups lacked from not being representative of the school as a whole. “I don’t think it’s necessarily that the students miss out on being a part of NHS, but instead that NHS misses out on the voices and the perspectives those students bring,” Meyer said. Unsurprisingly, no one had an immediate fix,

but there were a lot of ideas on what could be improved. Each honors society made an effort to spread the word about their applications through announcements, posters, teachers talking about them in class, and letters sent out. Karfs said that Beta Chi Pi doesn’t currently send out letters to students, but felt they could be particularly effective in getting more students to consider applying. “I really think that if I were a student if I got a letter that said ‘you might be eligible’ then I would be like ‘oh, I never really thought about that’, but if a teacher is just talking, you’re still thinking it’s not you,” Karfs said. Lehmann agreed with this idea of reaching out personally to students. “We have the math teachers talk to their kids about it, but I think it could still be different if you just got a letter that said ‘Hey, you’re eligible for this society, here’s what we do, we’d like you to come check it out’ and that might make more students involved as well,” Lehmann said. “And I think that would also get more students involved of different backgrounds.” Patton expressed concerns that these interventions might come in too late for students. Most of these organizations have GPA requirements and it’s very difficult to take a low GPA and boost it up enough to become eligible after the freshman year. She said that students often lack the foresight to realize that they might want this opportunity when they first come into high school. “If I had a kid as a freshman, and then I have them again as a junior, they’re much different,” said Patton. Lehmann also emphasized the misconception of who might be able to join their honors societies and how they’ve been working against it. “We’ve had a bigger push the last couple of years of getting kids not in the honors track into the honors society but there’s still an idea that kids don’t realize that’s something they could do, even though they’re really good at math,” Lehmann said. The district as a whole is also working on this issue and related problems, partnering this year with an organization called Equal Opportunity Schools. Their singular goal is to get more underrepresented groups into AP classes. Central High is working to get more of these students into both honors and AP classes. While the problem of honors societies lacking in diversity is not going to be easily solved, it’s reassuring to know that it’s on our teachers’ and administrators’ minds.

White Rho Kappa, inducted

Asian

Hispanic

Other Black

Black

Beta Chi Pi

White

Mu Alpha Theta 03

120

150

Multi-racial

Asian

sports

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Abby Wilner Girls Cross Country

Sophomore runner Abby Wilner is climbing up the ranks of the cross country team. She started running competitively only last year, but after placing fifth in her third JV meet, it was clear she had a lot of potential, and she was moved up She had a rough start on varsity last year, having the slowest time on the team in the first few meets, but she kept improving and by the last race of the season, she was the fifth fastest. “It was really helpful to have seniors on the team because they help with mental strategies,” Wilner said. “Everyone is really welcoming and encouraging.” This year, her goal is to keep improving with her team and make it to state with them. Photo by Athena Stamos.

Lana Cristiani Girls Volleyball

Freshman Lana Cristiani is ready for her debut season of high school volleyball. The outside hitter has been playing volleyball for seven years, and is ready to play a prominent role on the team alongside her sister, junior Sophia Cristiani. “It’s pretty fun,” Lana said. “We’re both very competitive so we push each other to keep going and to keep getting better.” The outside hitter is second on the team so far with 44 kills and also has eight aces. Cristiani is expecting to gain a lot of experience in her first high school season, and hopes that her team can win their conference this year. Photo by Liad Lerner.

Athletes to

Watch Liad Lerner Staff Writer

Charlie McIntyre Boys Cross Country

Kazu Gavin Boys Swimming and Diving

Junior Kazu Gavin is ready to make a name for himself this season on the swim team. The eight-year competitive swimmer has two older brothers who also used to swim for Central, but this is his first year without them in school with him. “I am doing my best to beat their times and show them that I am the superior Gavin,” Gavin said. Last year he came in third in the 500-yard freestyle at the Parkway Quad with a time of 5:14, and his goal is to qualify for state in the 500-yard this year. Photo by Noah Weidner.

Margaret Vierling Softball

Sophomore Margaret Vierling is looking forward to her second year of softball. The third baseman has 4 hits and two runs this season, but she is most valuable to the team on defense. “I think defense is key in every game,” Vierling said. “I enjoy being prepared before every pitch, ready to make the next play.” She leads the team with 14 fielding outs and only has one error. Vierling hopes to lock down the team’s defense all the way to state. Photo by Sophie Baron.

Ellie Yang Girls Golf

Freshman Ellie Yang is looking forward to being on the golf team this year. She has been playing golf for five years, but this is her first time participating in competitive tournaments. “They’re really fun, but they can be tiring sometimes since they’re the whole day,” Yang said. She has already gotten two top ten finishes in JV tournaments, and has started playing for the varsity team as well. Her goal is to shoot under a 50 this year. Photo by Noah Weidner.

Senior runner Charlie McIntyre is hoping to break records this season for the cross country team. He has been running competitively for three and a half years, and he has been a star the whole time. As a junior last year, he tied the school record in the 5k with a time of 15:52, but a few minor injuries added up, and he placed ninth in his final race. “I’m pretty disappointed with how the year ended so I’m using that as motivation to work harder this year to redeem myself,” McIntyre said. This year, McIntyre wants to win state and set some personal and school records as well. Photo by Athena Stamos.

Jayden Mitchell Football

Junior Jayden Mitchell is having a breakout season as a running back and linebacker for the football team. “I played about a total of one half last year,” Mitchell said. “But this year I’m playing almost the entire game.” So far he has proven worthy of his new starting job, as he has six touchdowns and is averaging 6.4 yards per rush on offense, and 14 tackles and an interception on defense. “It’s definitely making me become a better player,” Mitchell said. He thinks the team is heading for a long post-season run, hopefully all the way to state. Photo by Maddie Lee.

Rebecca Davis Girls Tennis

Imad Chatouane Boys Soccer

Senior forward Imad Chatouane is looking to have another stellar season leading the attack for the soccer team. “I have been playing since I was young,” Chatouane said. “But I only played pickup games and never played in a team until I came to PCH.” He was one of the team’s top scorers off the bench last year with five goals and nine assists, and has already scored five goals this year, including a hat trick against Hazelwood Central, and four assists. Chatouane is most looking forward to the game against Parkway West, who knocked Central out of the playoffs last year. Photo by Devon Ware.

Senior Rebecca Davis is gearing up to return to success this tennis season. Davis has been playing tennis for 15 years, but it was her 12th year that was her most successful. As freshmen, Davis and her doubles partner, Elena Wilner, qualified for state, but in the years since, they have not been as successful. They haven’t been partners since then, and they have found it harder to make it back to state. Davis has lost in the final qualifying match before state each of the past two years, even after being undefeated in the regular season both times. However, this year they are back together, ready to finish what they started as freshmen. “We’ve done so well together this season and I know we can do amazing things,” Davis said. “It will be fun to start together and end together.”

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Sept. 30, 2016

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Soccer Team Replaces Stars, Gets Back on Track Liad Lerner STAFF WRITER

he varsity soccer team is off to a good start this season, despite graduating almost half of their players last year, because of more development of underclassmen in recent

years. “The group of seniors we had [last year] no doubt were a huge part of the success we had on the field and accounted for a lot of our goals,” senior striker Luke Trail said. “But I’m very confident in the way this group of guys has been playing.” Last year the varsity team had 15 wins in 25 games including a seven-game win streak and a four-game stretch in which they outscored their opponents 23 goals to 1. But in that senior class there were eleven players, including seven starters and three AllState players, which is a daunting figure to replace. “I was expecting to be decent this year and I thought our first few games would be rough because we are a really young team,” junior captain Cam Baird said. But despite all of the new faces, the team has started out 5-2 and are improving every game. “We knew some players would need to step up and fill the shoes of the previous seniors and they’ve done just that,” senior goalie and captain Job Thomasson said. Head coach Brian Adam thinks that the reason for the unexpected success has been the development of underclassmen, specifically freshmen, in recent years. In the 2013 fall season, freshmen Zach Hresko and Zach Goldberg were selected to play for the varsity soccer team, the first freshmen to do so in 13 years. Every year since, there has been at least one freshman on the team as well.

“It was scary at first but the upperclassmen helped me a lot and I learned so much from that season,” senior captain Hresko said. Adam said that for the 2013 season, the summer preseason rules were changed, scheduling for months of preparation including scrimmages against other high schools, allowing players to gain experience before the season started. Before that year, coaches only had the one tryout week to scout all their players and to see how good they were. “With the new system, we get to see how the new freshmen hold up against the older guys, and if they succeed, then they’re in,” Adam said. “We never used to have the opportunity to test the guys out before the season before it changed.” As a result, players like Hresko and Goldberg, who are seniors now, come into their fourth varsity season with twice the amount of varsity experience that most players get in their careers. Add in Baird, who is also a former freshman on the varsity team, and is entering his third varsity year as a junior, and seniors Trail and Thomasson, who were both on the varsity team as sophomores, and this team is actually a much more experienced team than most would expect. “It gives us long-term stability as a team,” Adam said. It also affects the leadership abilities of the players, proven through Adam’s selection of the team’s captains: Hresko, Baird and Thomasson. Two were on the varsity team as freshmen and the third was joined as a sophomore. Valuable leadership experience is gained, not only through more time on the team, but also from being on the team at such a young age, giving the player a unique point of view not shared by the rest of the team. “It gives the underclassmen someone who can help them because they have been in their shoes,” Hresko, who is now in his second year of captaincy, said.

Last year’s freshman on the team, Camden Dunne, now plays on an academy team instead of the high school team, but he recognizes the lasting impact of being the youngest. “Even though I was smaller than most people on the team I got along with everybody,” Dunne said. “Being smaller helped me get tougher and able to play against the bigger kids.” If the freshmen development continues, the future looks bright for the soccer team.

Freshman Luke Schaefer comes from behind trying to dribble past a defender in a game at Parkway South on Aug. 22. “I like playing on the wing because I don’t have to dribble that much, I can just run,” Schaefer said. He already has one goal and two assists, and he is quickly adapting to the fast pace of varsity soccer. Photo by Jessie Piles.

New hydration rule affects athletes Athletes have trouble coping with early start ATHENA Stamos

Daihana Jimenez

Gillespie has been drinking a lot more water due to the hydration rule while STAFF WRITER Zach Hresko, a senior, varsity soccer player has been noticing he is less tired when ue to the excessive heat, athletes he drinks more water. that participate in outdoor sports “It’s kind of annoying [to get weighed this fall must weigh in at the at each practice],” Hresko said. “But for beginning and end of each practice. If health reasons I understand.” athletes aren’t properly hydrated, they So far, there are no soccer players must sit out at practice. Hailed by some who have sat out due to being dehydratas a necessary safety measure but someed. Ken Weinstein, a senior varsity soccer times considered an player hasn’t been feeling uncomfortable waste of the need to drink a lot of practice time, the new water during practice bepolicy is certainly a big cause of how hydrated he is. change for athletes. “We’ve been very fortu“I like that we are nate to make sure that our worrying about hyathletes are getting everydration,” tennis coach thing they need and this Heather Beal said. “But [new hydration rule] adds the implementation is to it,” Coach Brian Adam, still hard to do.” soccer coach said. When an athlete is Some athletes feel undehydrated, they lose comfortable getting weighed, Junior Corey Rice on varsity football team two percent of their is hydrating during Red and White Night like junior Mallory Horn, a body weight according on Aug. 12. Photo by Madeline Lee. varsity tennis player. to Mercy Hospital. Spon“I kind of don’t like it, but sored by Mercy Hospital, because it’s a coach I know, it’s okay,” this new policy encourages coaches to Horn said. weigh athletes for hydration. Its purpose This new rule was supposed to start is to limit the amount of injuries in the last fall; however, implementation began athletes that can be avoided with hydrathis fall. tion. Because of this policy, many athletes “I think any policy that is in place for have been drinking more water. the safety of our athletes is a good poli“If I drink more water,” freshman cy,” athletic director John Theobald said. cross country runner Sam Gillespie said. “We didn’t feel ready to do this last year.” “I run easier and faster.”

STAFF WRITER

his year fall sports started three days earlier as a result of school beginning earlier as well, causing Athletes to become agitated. Compared to this year, last year school started August 12 and fall tryouts August 3. Because of the early start, the cheer team had to practice at school when no air conditioning was available. “The team was affected too: they all looked upset because we had to be early in the morning at 6:00am until 12:00pm and there was also no air conditioning,” junior cheerleader Ashley Gould said. “It got really stressful!” Tennis, soccer, golf, football, volleyball and softball started tryouts August 1st, three days earlier than last year. The cheer team began tryouts in May, and band color guard camp in July. While tryouts and practice were going on, some students were still enjoying the hot summer and joined their fall teams late, causing much more stress. “It started so early,” junior Nami Rutherford said. “People were still on vacation and came a week later, and they had to learn all the new things,it got really stressful.” It seemed very tough for most of the athletes but for the band director, it was actually very beneficial for him and athletes that play sports. “It gave time for kids that do sports just to focus on band,and band started a week before fall sports, so we didn’t have to share kids with coaches, I hate that!” Band director Doug Hoover said. Even though it doesn’t seem like a big change, it

Junior Nami Rutherford performing for the first time this year showing the hard work and dedication put in practices in order to have a successful performance during Red and White Night, on August 12.

sure did feel like it for junior Sophia Cristiani. “It started 3 days earlier than usually and it was really hard to come into it,” Cristiani, who plays for the varsity volleyball team, said. The 2017-2018 school year is set to start August 16th, meaning fall sports will start later than this year so athletes who play fall sports can be glad that the early start was just for this year.

Sports

Sept 30, 2016

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Colts gallop into fall with Red & White Night 1

madeline lee STAFF WRITER

4 5. Drum majors Jake Schwartz and Marissa LaRue conduct the marching band during their performance. “Our show this year is celebrating Shakespeare’s work since he died 400 years ago,” LaRue said. “Red and white night is kind of like a trial run for us so we see how the show is going so far it’s a great way to see what we need to improve.” Photo by Madeline Lee. 6. Varsity dance prepares to perform at Red and White night while they wait for the music to play. Photo by Madeline Lee. 7. Varsity runners Abby Judd(12) and Richelle Bain(12) after the girls cross country team’s Red and White Night mile. “I feel like the team is super close this year,” Judd said. “The relationships between the lower and upper classmen are very strong.” Photo by Kayla Benjamin.

9. Sophomore Danni Schneiderman leaps to set the ball for sophomore Mackenzie Duvall at the freshman v. JV volleyball scrimmage. “The feeling when there is a long rally and our team makes a good play to win the point is really awesome,” Duvall said. Photo by Madeline Lee.

1. Gottlieb Gertstenecker (10) walks off the field with the marching band after playing center back in the JV soccer scrimmage before performing at Red and White night. “It’s a lot of work but getting recognition and showing school spirit is worth it,” Gertstenecker said of doing both soccer and band. Photo by Madeline Lee.

8. Junior Varsity captain and center midfielder Evan Karagiannis(10) dribbles the ball during the JV v. Freshman soccer scrimmage on Red and White Night. “Playing on the soccer team is great,” Karagiannis said. “Being captain also gives me a leadership role with my teammates.” Photo by Tara Stepanek.

2. Gina Stephens (12) throws a ball back to her teammates as the softball team warms up before their Red and White Night game. 3. Michelle Korenfeld (9) leaps to hit the ball. “I like playing because my team is amazing and the girls are great,” said fellow teammate Michelle Skroba. Photo by Corey Rice. 4. After their scrimmage against Timberland, the football team gives the traditional high-five to their opponents. “The key in a jamboree like that is to experience the speed of varsity football and not get anyone injured,” varsity football coach Aaron Mueller said. Photos by Madeline Lee.

entertainment

SEpT. 30, 2016

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Archer ' s Atmosphere -Dining in StyleFOUNTAIN ON LOCUST, A HIDDEN GEM libby archer Features editor

wo staffers and I went on an adventure to Fountain on Locust on Sept. 13 to decide if this ice cream parlor was really worth all the hype. To put it lightly, it was. You are not allowed to make reservations for less than five people, but we knew it was going to be a madhouse because the Fox theater was showing something that night and this is a rather popular joint. When we got there at seven o’clock on that Tuesday night the restaurant was practically deserted. It was mostly young, hip people in their mid-20s and grandparents who were taking their grandkids out for some ice cream. We were seated in a booth that gave a great view of the amazing 1920s-themed murals that the restaurant is most widely known for. We ordered La Picada, an appetizer dish with their homemade hummus and goat cheese, their homemade pesto, zucchini, onions and red peppers served on french bread with hummus and spicy sauce to dip the bread in. I personally would eat this as a whole meal if I hadn’t had my mom’s credit card. It was the perfect amount of food for three people but we weren’t satisfied with the sauce-to-bread ratio and would suggest that, if you were to order this, also ordering extra pita. Next, we got our specialized drinks. This place is also known for their alcoholic ice cream drinks so we opted for the ‘mocktini’. These drinks are marketed to the designated driver of the group, pregnant women and people that have just not hit 21 yet. You can get the mocktini menu if you request it, and I strongly suggest you do. As a group, we ordered the Bloody Mary and the Secret Crush. The Bloody Mary was a virgin spin-off of the classic V8 juice-based drink with lots of ice, hot sauce and a huge celery stick poking out the top of the glass. Brett Smith’s immediate reaction once tasting this drink was, “If I were stranded on an island and could only have one thing, I would choose this drink.” The Secret Crush was a fruity, flirty, sparkling, thick drink that tingled your taste buds and is perfect for any of my citrus lovers out there. I have to mention the music, just because that can be

a shaping part of your experience, and I absolutely loved it. It fit the whole hipster-meet-chill-older-restaurant feel. Lots of 90s alternative rock. Almost every song made me want to ask our waitress if they had a public Spotify playlist that I could follow. Next thing to show up was our main courses, my personal favorite part of the night. The wait for the food to come out wasn’t long, but it felt like an eternity because we were all so excited about our choices. I got the Prosperity Panini, which once again had their homemade hummus, red onions, tomato, red peppers, and grilled zucchini. After the first bite I knew that this was love. This sandwich was more than a sandwich; it was a warm, melty portal to flavor-ville. My only complaint is that it’s a mess to eat. All of my sandwich innards kept becoming outwards with every bite I had. Other than that, I would rate it a 9.8 out of 10 on the Archer Scale of Sandwiches. Without knowing what this sandwich was called I tasted his meal and immediately said, “This tastes like a salad in sandwich form.” Brett Smith’s order was, in fact, called the Signature Mixed Salad Sandwich. It had melted mozzarella, parmesan, artichoke, lettuce, red peppers, tomato, red onion and homemade pesto dressing served on a mini baguette. I would rate this a 8.2 out of ten just because it was so difficult to eat, but I would recommend it to all my people who are trying to appear healthy but still need a little carb in their life. Finally, Kayla Benjamin got this amazing grilled cheese with fuji apples called the Royal Grille. This was one of my favorite sandwiches even though I don’t usually like mixing my fruit and real food together. The apple was a ray of sunlight on an otherwise kind of boring sandwich and could be replicated easily at home. I would rate this 9.3 out of ten just because I love a good grilled cheese. At the end of our meals, which we each ate every bite of, we decided we should taste the ice cream because that is kind of the point of the restaurant, and we got the world’s smallest hot fudge sundae. Like most of their food, the fudge and whip cream, which was piled high upon the mass of vanilla ice cream, was made on-site. This tiny sundae was about half the size of my hand and was the cutest little thing ever. The ice cream won’t bring world peace but it was pretty good, better than any stuff you could get at Dierbergs or Sheridans. They are

I take a huge bite out of my main course, The Prosperity Panini, which was finished within 4 bites, 5 minutes after they put it down in front of me, , and my very nonalcoholic cocktail, the Secret Crush. Pictured below that, La Picada, our beautiful appetizer, in all its glory.

very proud about the fact that much of their food was homemade other than their ice cream, which they promise is only because the people that do make the ice cream are amazing at their job. On a side note, we all got vegetarian options but don’t let that turn you off of this grade-A restaurant. Overall, I adored this small, artsy yet delicious restaurant and though it is far away -- out by the loop -- and I strongly suggest making the visit out there.

entertainment

SEpT. 30, 2016

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Mogley’s Music of the Month Evan Mogley ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

ow do you review an art? That’s my task. This half page is dedicated to reviews of today’s best, worst, and just okay music through the ears of a trashy pop fanatic. What makes it meaningful? What was the artists inspiration? How much Adele is too much Adele? This and much more is what I plan to tackle.

Coupure ElectriqueBritney Spears

B+

With a subtle xylophone like sound, Spears once again reinvents the landscape of pop with a blending of her previous electro-infused music with a more vulnerable and open sound. Her voice (which is singing in fluent French), glides over the track, and her breathy vocals match the highs and lows of the two-minute and 21-second track. Spears shows she is still willing to experiment with her voice and take it to places that haven’t been heard in her nine-album discography. By giving a subtle reference to her most acclaimed album “Blackout,” the electro-pop song gives as much fan service as it does help Britney achieve the reinvention and relevance she needs in the age of Beyonce and Adele.

Elsewhere- Young the Giant Pink + White- Frank Ocean

Hometown Girl- ZHU

Grade: C

B-

A-

Classic Young the Giant. That’s the A young woman’s last The Pharrell Williams-produced problem. In the song, YTG tackles the ditch attempt to stay in the song starts with a piano and a issue of unrequited love and how to heart of her hometown steady beat, which Ocean uses as recapture what they once held, even if sweetheart. The man feels a portrait to paint a vivid scene of it was something that the protagonist they are growing apart and remembrance. He uses the imagery didn’t know they needed. It’s a story of past love and of a hurricane throughout a portion of the song as a that he has to move on with his life, but will always regret. With guitars strumming, drums thumping along, reference back to his own life. Ocean was raised in hold a special place in his heart for his “hometown and the pace comparable to a tapping foot, it makes girl.” This is the story ZHU is portraying in the Louisiana and had started studying at the University for a style YTG became famous for. Why fix what isn’t of New Orleans right before Hurricane Katrina hit. He song. Small whispers, modest snaps, and a pulsating broken? The problem is, there’s nothing to surprise beat creates a nostalgic instrumental which helps to uses Katrina as a metaphor for the struggles he has listeners. While the story is a, (somewhat), new take gone through in his life and how he struggled to make match the story being told. With vocals that shine on the saturated topic of love, the instrumental blends it on the music scene, and uses the pink and white with the blending of indie and electro, it dulls within into the background of the indie rock genre that they’ve colors of a sunrise to remember that life continues the chorus. The song has a story to tell, but falls remained in for so long. While lead singer, Sameer after the storm. With bird noises and Beyonce’s light short in its presentation of telling it. Gadhia, does alter between a lower, smoother voice to voice coming in and out of the song, it adds a sense a more aggressive rock sound, this is the only deviation of environment and texture that resonates with the in sound YTG has in the third song off their third studio listeners and transports them to the world Ocean has album. created with Pink + White.

‘Ben-Hur’: First To Finish, Last To Die, worth a view Brett Smith STAFF WRITER

“G

od grant me vengeance. I pray that you live till I return.” On Aug. 19, “Ben-Hur” was released to movie theatres around the globe. If the title sounds familiar, you might be thinking of the 1959 film “Ben-Hur”, which starred Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur and Stephen Boyd as Messala Ben-Hur. But does this $100 million budget remake serve the original justice? After watching this movie, I can say that it stands as an action-packed blast that deserves a moment of your time. “This movie definitely tries to stay along the roots of the original,” junior Dom Doray said. “However, there are some things that they did add to make it their own.” This is a movie that is filled with good action and a very strong story, along with a good cast. While some acting, like Jack Houston (Judah Ben-Hur) and Toby Kebbell (Messala Ben-Hur) is very strong throughout the film, others like Morgan Freeman (Sheik Ilderim) seemed forced and lazy, which is a shame as Mr. Freeman is arguably one of the best actors out there. The scenery was especially impressive in this film, as most of the locations were actually in Italy. All of the detail put into setting up the environment that the characters are exposed to really helps establish the emotions of the characters by adding context to the area and characters living in the town that helped shaped these characters’ characteristics, mannerisms and motifs, as well as influencing who they are as adults. A movie is only as good as its plot, but before we dive into that, the storytelling needs to be discussed. And for the most

part, the storytelling in this is very strong. The characters all do their own part in contributing to this tale in their own necessary ways and style. This film has a lot involved with the story, and it does a good job keeping you invested throughout the entire film. Good pacing the whole way through, with impressive acting and great character development throughout gives a vast understanding of the motivations that influence all of the actions made on screen. “I thought the motivations were a lot more understandable in this film,” Doray said. “You can understand kind of, to a certain level, the frustration that he’s going through.” Judah Ben-Hur is betrayed by his adopted brother, Messala, after taking the blame for the attack on a Roman general. Messala decides to not kill his brother, but instead sends him into exile, and forces him into a becoming a galley slave. So it makes sense that he would want to find his brother and make him pay for what he had done to Judah. And for the most part, all of the motivations make sense. These characters and their actions are all very believable, and you feel that you are with them the whole ride, sharing their pain and celebrating in their triumphs. This follows all the way through the rising action, which has a lot stuffed into it in order to build up to the main climax between the protagonist and antagonist. The conflict is exciting to watch; it’s a really strong climax to conclude the battle that has been spurring throughout this entire film. Unfortunately, following the climax, the ending falls short and completely kills the mood that had been set up throughout the entire movie, leaving a nasty taste in your mouth from the residue of its existence. The story abruptly switches from a tale of vengeance and all of this tension between the two brothers to a story of forgiveness and acceptance. Don’t get me wrong, that’s

a good message. However, it doesn’t fit with the story that you’ve witnessed for the last two hours, which had lots of violent tension between the brothers, the urge in Judah to put an end to his suffering and revenging his family by killing the man who disowned him, outcasted him, and turned him into a galley slave. At this point, all motivations are erased and lose all believability, leaving the realm of reality. It just doesn’t add up with the rest of the movie previously shown to the audience, which is a shame really, as the rest of the movie is very exciting and fun to watch. Aside from the ending and some of the inner flows woven into this story, this is a good movie that is worth your time. It would be a good idea to watch the original first, though, as it will bring some context to the story and to help pick out which of the two stands as the best.

entertainment

Sept. 30, 2016

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Students step into Chaco trend

Roya porshahidy STAFF WRITER

tudents are starting to wear a questionable shoe called Chacos creating an immense trend that is diffusing through the grade levels and becoming a fashion statement. “They [the Chacos] are fashionable, comfy, and cute,” freshman Jerri Saltzman said. “They should be the shoe of the world!” The Chaco shoe has had all the girls and some boys raving about it, wearing the shoes religiously with every outfit and in any weather. From dresses to sweatpants, these shoes are being worn with everything; despite them being a more casual, outdoor shoe, seeing this shoe being worn in an array of different outfits, from fancy to sleep is odd. “My friends, and other people were wearing them,” freshman Catherine Ke said. “They’re very comfy, and you can get an awesome tan line!”

The shoes’ sole purpose is for hiking is the key excuse for the people wearing them, but where are you hiking to? From the science wing to the math wing? It seems like a lot of hard work and a fight to get through the cramped hallway, but do you really need hiking shoes? Also, who would wear these to hike, the open toed shoe would be a safety hazard to even go to the park in. “They’re just comfortable, and I just really like the style of them Chaco,” sophomore Julianna Bell said. Although the shoes are horrific they are, in fact, comfortable, but in the end comfortable isn’t the most fashionable; You don’t wear your slippers with your dresses. It’s just not socially correct. Just like these shoes. You can spend your $100 on shoes that you can actually hike in, or spend the money on shoes that don’t look like the new wave of crocs-something that will not make it look like you’re going on a hike up a mountain after sixth block.

Freshmen Anna Gerbic and Rebecca Barnholtz wearing their Chacos during lunch on Sept. 13. Photo by Roya Porshahidy

entertainment

SEpT. 30, 2016

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Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no secret that Netflix is on of the hottest commodities and a popular source of entertainment, but how is it affecting students and their grades?

SAM BENOIST GRAPHIC DESIGNER

OF STUDENTS WATCH NETFLIX WHILE DOING HOMEWORK

BINGE WATCH NETFLIX SHOWS

STUDENTS FEEL THAT NETFLIX HAS AN EFFECT ON SCHOOLWORK

Netflix offers a monthly subscription with unlimited rentals for a flat fee 1997

Netflix introduces streaming for $8.99 a month 2003

2013 2007

1999 Netflix is founded as a DVD rental service

Netflix is the most popular streaming service in the world

Netflix hits one million subscribers

2015 House of Cards, a Netflix original wins an Emmy

opinions

SEpT. 30, 2016

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Apple, stop jacking with my jack Noah WEIDNER Managing EDITOR

pple made a number of announcements during their last, “truly only Apple could do this” ceremony of the year on Sept. 7. Among some of those announcements were two new versions of the Apple Watch, a sport version with Nike, and a new edition of the watch, and of course, another flimsy rounded rectangle that consumers call a phone. It isn’t so much the phone that bothers me; it might be the fact that this year’s edition of the United States’ favorite aluminum playtoy lacks an input: a very special input that you can use to listen to music using these nifty things called headphones. And I suppose it isn’t just the lack of the input that bothers me so much, but what it means for our society at large. For starters, I’d like to ask what Apple’s cronies were thinking? My family members always say not to “fix what isn’t broken,” but it appears that Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, needs a crash course in identifying broken things. Maybe he should obligate his entire hardware design team to go take a class on . . . hardware design, or something like that. This isn’t the first time that Kooky Cook has gone off his rocker and made arbitrary decisions, with his apparently inept hardware team, to revise the iPhone’s most barebones features: between the 32-pin to lightning cable fiasco, the home button changeup, and the 3D touch features added in recent years, it’s hard to tell what essential piece of hardware will get the “Cook Treatment” next. The only thing I have to look forward to when this man makes a revision to the company’s most valuable product line is that Australian guy talking about it in the video presentation for the product. (you know that guy, it’s the guy who pronounces it uh-lum-in-ee-uhm instead of uh-loom-in-um.) Personally, I’ve started to wonder if Tim Cook is a fan of

those blockheads who blare their music through their phone speakers in the hallways, on buses, and in other public places. Yes, I am sure you know that guy; that guy who has literally no regard for other people and perhaps the most outstanding bout of social ineptitude you might ever find in a living being. Perhaps it didn’t occur to aforementioned guy that people don’t want to listen to their loud nuisance of a track. But you know what’s great? Now that there’s no 3mm input, it’ll become even easier to identify the goobers who do this (because, spoiler alert: a lack of an input cable will likely compel them to just blast their music until the Inferno comes upon the overworld and consumes it.) Truly, I’d like to cite the fact that regardless of the removal of the cable, the replacements they’ve offered up are laughable. The two options the company has provided to us are a pair of wireless inverted golf clubs called AirPods, or their tacky plastic alternative Beats headphones. Both of which, you should be expecting to drop $150-300 for. Not to mind the fact that you’re going to lose their dumb wireless earbuds, or break their crude over-the-ear third-party options. They don’t provide headphones, but not to worry, because the hardware designers who got rid of the 3mm input have provided an alternative to you: a lightningto-3mm headphone jack cable. Ladies and gentlemen, we have truly reached technological savagery. I can see the ghost of Steve Jobs just cringing at the excessiveness of this. If Jobs ever had the opportunity to see this adapter-ridden future, he would’ve called a meeting to ask why you can’t charge your phone while listening to music, would’ve been given a bad answer, recalled the phone, and then gone on a Donald Trump-style firing rampage.

Apple’s new iPhone 7, pictured above, doesn’t have a headphone jack. This is completely unacceptable.

But sincerely, Apple: has it really became more about making a quick buck than ensuring the happiness of your customers? You can get up there and give a jolly presentation, and give us abundant reasons for why you removed the 3mm cable, but is it really what the consumers wanted? In the future, do you reckon you will receive praise for your innovation in removing the 3mm format? Doubtful, and I reckon that ought to be the way you start thinking from now on: if it isn’t a step forward, it’s a massive regression. For a company as big as Apple, a regressive feature like this should’ve been shot down as soon as it were presented. But instead, Kooky Cook and the band of “hardware designers” teamed up with the marble counters in Apple’s finance department to put together the best feature in the history of the iPhone: extortion; or the means by which they could go about making even more money for secondary and tertiary addons that no one wanted, nor asked for.

we always ask for something new ... so let’s be open to it Garrett lierman STAFF WRITER

t seems like we, as a school, are constantly complaining that the school never tries to do anything new. Yet, in recent years I’ve noticed more and more instances of students either grumbling about a new policy or ruining an event entirely. We don’t seem to be open to a new idea if it comes from the institution. A very recent incident regarding student cynicism is the newly added required day of service. I’ve heard tons of complaints and arguments from upper and lower classmen alike. While I myself am not entirely thrilled about the “required” clause of the title, it can still do tons of good for people. I’ve even heard people saying, “I’m just gonna skip school ‘cause I’m not doing that.” Which is frustrating to hear and see, considering the fact that it’s entirely charity. This event is people helping people and students want to skip school to avoid it. Further providing examples are the various “Zombie Runs.” I distinctly remember when the first Zombie Run was announced, few people were indifferent and even fewer felt positive. I recall a large amount of grumbling and ‘this is dumb, why would they do this?’ However, despite the grumblings, those that actually participated seemed to really enjoy themselves. Those that kept an open mind and attempted to enjoy themselves. I’ve noticed a downward trend in general enthusiasm in school and specifically towards new

events in which the school tries to do something new. I hear all the complaints and the general atmosphere of annoyance. The school tries to be more interesting, we complain that the previous ways were easier. The school doesn’t do anything new, we complain how nothing ever changes and say we’re bored. Things need to change, because the faculty can’t do it both ways. Do we want change or do we want things to stay the same? Over the last year or so I’ve witnessed the strangest paradox we’ve put ourselves in. We want new things to happen but we don’t like change. We want the school to do something new, but not this or that. We want progress, but not like that. Don’t get me wrong, I understand if someone doesn’t enjoy pep-rallies, or something of that sort. If someone just isn’t socially inclined or simply doesn’t care about common occurrences, that’s completely understandable. I personally don’t enjoy pep-rallies, they annoy me. However, I’m not going to skip them just because of that. Maybe this one will be fun, maybe it won’t. The only way to find out if something is actually fun is to try it, within reason of course. Walking into an event or conversation or almost anything school related with an open mind is the key to finding something you actually enjoy and our school seems to be forgetting that. More and more students are becoming pessimistic about events they’ve never even attended than I’ve ever seen personally. And as attendance seems to be plummeting I find myself actually disappointed in us as students. We’re supposed to be the ones who are too excited about events, donating money out

 

of sheer enthusiasm for helping people, enjoying ourselves in a mature manner. We’re becoming jaded far before our time and we’re trying to move too quick. We need to slow down, enjoy the time we’ve got with little to no actual responsibilities, and just recognize that we’re in highschool. Despite all the actual irritations and individual likes and dislikes, we can all enjoy ourselves if we try. And if we don’t, it’s okay so long as an effort was made. If we’re being honest, not everything will be fun. We’ll all go to events we don’t enjoy and feel like a waste of our time. It’s an inevitable fact of life, but I personally think that’s okay. Crazy things can happen anywhere. I mentioned earlier that I personally don’t enjoy pep-rallies, but I found the swim team’s acrobatic-speedo entrance this year very entertaining. The step team did incredible in my opinion. I didn’t enjoy the pep-rally as a whole because I don’t like crowds but I thought a lot of what was in the pep-rally was incredible. We all need to keep an open mind and try to have fun and do some good in the world because if we don’t, we aren’t contributing anything.

I’ll just skip it....

This is so dumb....

  Why do they keep trying to be cool? Can they just The old way stop trying? was better...

spotlight

SEpT. 30, 2016

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Corner of

Chords Senior takes his riffs to lunch

Kayla Benjamin editor in chief

Senior Jeremy Rathert plays his guitar through lunch in the commons on Sept. 26. Photo by Kayla Benjamin

ou might have noticed a student who sits by the corner of the commons rocks out with his electric guitar at each lunch. Let me introduce senior Jeremy Rathert, Nirvana enthusiast and five-year guitar player. “I’ve been sitting in the same spot since the end of sophomore year,” Rathert said. “I just thought, ‘I’m not doing anything this year, so I might as well play here.’” Sometimes others join in or just hang out and listen. “At every lunch I’ll have two or three people that show up,” he said. “I’ve got a couple friends that will be nearby whenever I’m playing.” But his attempts to create his own band haven’t mirrored the ease with which he started his own casual lunchtime jam session. “I’ve had two bands that quit over the summer,” he said. “One guy wanted to play really, really heavy metal and another guy wanted to play classical guitar -- so that didn’t work out very well.” But Rathert didn’t give up the ambition and is still working with others to create music. “We just started writing a few songs, and it’s kind of an alternative-style band,” he said. He himself looks up to artists such as Kurt Cobain, Shawn Morgan, Dexter Holland and Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day but says there are many other musicians who inspire him as well. “It’s really just a massive list,” he said. Rathert is able to play at all three lunches because his participation in the SPARK! program gives him a very flexible schedule. “I’m off campus every other day,”he said. “On days that I don’t have to be off campus, I don’t really have anything to do for the second half of the day.” Like most of us, Rathert sometimes finds that schoolwork demands have to be met at the expense of what he likes to do. “If I have a really big assignment to do, I’ll take a break from playing and go do that,” he said. “But otherwise whatever time I have, I will be doing this (playing guitar).” A surprise to many, Rathert is not currently in any music classes and isn’t sure if he’ll pursue music after he graduates. “That would be cool if I could play in the band I’m in,” he said. “But only time will tell.”