Globe Newsmagazine, April 2015, Issue 7, Vol. 86

THE

GLOBE Issue 7, Volume 86

THE CORE ISSUE

CLAYTON HIGH SCHOOL, CLAYTON, MO.

april 2015

Thank you to our sponsors!

The Globe is an entirely self-funded publication. We receive no funding from the school district for printing. Each issue of the Globe costs approximately $2000 to print. We are deeply grateful to our sponsors for their support of our publication.

Golden Greyhound Sponsors ($200+ Level): Modestus Bauer Foundation The Clayton Education Foundation Smarthouse Home Performance Experts Tim Williams Susan Williams Beth Stohr and Charles Brennan Icon Mechanical Jeri Lynn Palmer Just Me Apparel Sweetology Arch Orthodontics Fortels Pizza Den Half and Half Pizzino World Traveler Sponsors ($100 Level): Red Key Realtors Jennifer Miller Wen and Esther Lan Aseem Sharma Jane Krasnoff Donn and Beth Rubin

Honorary Globie Sponsors ($50 Level): Hollywood Tan Harriet Pepper David Pepper Robyn Klein and Josh Rubin Phil Ebeling Claudia and Mark Krasnoff

20

More than the Core Proposed changes to the Wydown schedule may shift time from electives to core classes.

What effect will this change have on students’ education?

10

32

Wydown Principal Mary Ann Goldberg retires this year.

A look into the life of Chris Kyle, America’s deadliest sniper.

Goldberg Retires

16

American Sniper

42

Hawthorn School

ISIS SNL

A STEM-focused charter school for girls opens this August.

Did SNL overstep itself with its recent skit on ISIS?

28

Max Hunter Sophomore Max Hunter turns heads on Clayton’s varsity baseball team.

Freshman Eunice Shin practices cello for the Symphonic Orchestra (Ashley Chung).

CONTENTS

THE

GLOBE Cover photo by: Noah Engel

editors-in-chief

lily brown patrick butler

nicole beliz

ashley chung

zach bayly

sophie berstein

matthew coco

jeffrey friedman

bridget boeger

alaina curran

peter schmidt

gabrielle boeger

neil docherty

charles brennan

beatrice engel

noah brown

noah engel

daniel cho

andrew erblich

lucy cohen

felix evans

emma ebeling

anna pakrasi

brian gatter

alexis schwartz

peter indovino

leah shaffer

joan kim

katherine sleckman

nisha klein

katharina spear

nicholas lee

benjamin tamsky

benjamin litteken

cosima thomas

natalie miller

katie warnusz-steckel

alex bernard rebecca polinsky kevin rosenthal max steinbaum

webmaster

rachel bluestone jeffrey cheng lemuel lan

distribution editor lawrence hu

4

reporters

business manager

richard simon

photo editor

noah engel

editors

sophie allen

nikki seraji

grace harrison

mitali sharma

sierra hieronymus

micaela stoner

audrey holds

amy tishler

camille respess

karena tse

zachary sorensen

neel vallurupalli

ellie tomasson

ashleigh williams

albert wang

tara williams

UPFRONT

emily braverman

sophia barnes

marina henke

copy editor

photographers

elise yang

senior managing editors

section editors

phoebe yao

peter baugh gwyneth henke

elizabeth ngyen olivia reuter harry rubin

graphics editor

audrey palmer

graphic artists

cherry tomatsu victoria yi

foreign correspondent peter shumway

adviser

erin castellano

FROM THE EDITOR

For my language class in eighth grade at Wydown Middle School, I took Spanish.

I listened to Hispanic newscasts on the weekends, I regularly watched Latin American soap operas and I frequented various Latino chat sites. However, my grades in class did not accurately portray the depth of my passion, and headed into conference week, I was worried about the report my mom was going to hear from my teacher.

However, Señora Christopher did not focus on my difficulty in learning vocabulary or my disinterest in memorizing grammar rules. Instead, she recognized the passion I had and recommended an immersion summer camp as the best place for me to grow my talents.

The summer following eighth grade, I spent two weeks at El Lago del Bosque, a Spanish immersion camp in Bemidji, Minnesota. I attended again the summer after my freshman year, and I joined the staff as a cook the summer of 2014. At El Lago del Bosque, I found the language learning I had been craving. Coupled with the grammar and vocabulary we were learning in school, the intense cultural immersion of the village increased my fluency immensely.

El Lago del Bosque is a huge part of my life and my experiences there have impacted me more than anything else. My love of languages followed me into high school where I continued taking Spanish and started learning French as well.

I do not know what my interests would be or how I would differ as a person if my eighth grade Spanish teacher did not care enough to notice my passion and encourage me to pursue it.

To me, the electives that students choose are far more revealing than the difficulty of the math or science class that they are in. A person’s passions define them, and those passions have the opportunity to be cultivated and explored in the generous amount of elective courses each Clayton student can choose.

Clayton students are incredibly fortunate to have a chance to be such diverse people. The liberty in the schedule of our students and the wide range of classes to choose from exemplifies this diversity.

As the School District’s mission statement says perfectly, “We inspire each student to love learning and embrace challenge within a rich and rigorous academic culture.”

I can only hope that, despite international competition and pressure, the Clayton Schools will continue to set their own standard and be as “rich and rigorous” as before. Not for the numbers, but for each individual student with his or her own interests and goals. 

Alex Bernard, Feature Section Editor

The Globe Newsmagazine exists to inform, entertain, persuade and represent the student voice at CHS. All content decisions are made by the student editorial staff and the Globe is an entirely self-funded publication. Not every story that our reporters write is published in the print newsmagazine. Visit www.chsglobe.com for additional stories and photos and for more information about the Globe itself. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement - for more information about advertising and subscriptions, please contact our office: Clayton High School Globe 1 Mark Twain Circle Clayton, MO 63105 (314) 854-6668 Fax: 854-6734 globe@claytonschools.net Professional Affiliations: Sponsors of School Publications . Missouri Interscholastic Press Association . Missouri Journalism Education Association . National Scholastic Press Association . Columbia Scholastic Press Association

20

review

Junior Adam Treutelaar and sophomore Zachary Sorenson work on machinery for the CHS Robohounds.

Photo by Noah Engel commentary

21

NEWS

WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R) speaks at conservative news blog RedState’s gathering in Fort Worth, Texas (Richard W. Rodriguez/Fort Worth StarTelegram/MCT).

German Plane Crashes Germanwings flight 9525 crashed into the Alps on Tuesday, March 24. The flight was carrying 150 people, all of whom were killed, including the pilots and flight attendants. The main pilot was locked out while the co-pilot deliberately put the plane into descent. Further investigation has been undertaken, and it is now clear that the co-pilot had suffered from “suicidal tendencies” in the past.

Cruz To Run

Speech and Debate Members Advance

news

A number of Clayton speech and debate team members qualified for the MSHSAA State tournament. At MSHSAA Districts, senior Jake Tarr placed fourth in the Lincoln Douglas debate, junior Jaelithe Virgin-Downey finished first in Radio, senior Stefanie Getz finished first in Storytelling and senior Audrey Palmer finished first in Oratory.

Tarr, Virgin-Downey, Getz and Palmer all qualified for State.

The team also competed at NSDA Districts. Virgin-Downey, Tarr and junior Sonya Liu both qualified for Nationals, which will take place in Dallas, Texas in June.

8 news

notes and

by PETER BAUGH and MITALI SHARMA

Broncos Sign CHS Graduate The Denver Broncos have signed Clayton graduate Karl Schmitz. Schmitz is a kicker and punter and graduated in 2005. He gained attention by posting Youtube videos of himself kicking and punting. He is 28 years old and was on Clayton’s state champion 2004 football team.

On Mar. 23, Texas Senator Ted Cruz announced his intention to run for the Republican party nomination for the 2016 presidential campaign. Cruz is a Republican who is 44-years-old. Many Republican candidates are expected to declare in the coming weeks.

Globe Wins Gold Crown

The Globe recently won the Gold Crown award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. This is the second time in the paper’s history that the Globe has earned this award. The Globe is one of only 13 high school newspapers in the nation to receive a Gold Crowd.

Culinary Success

The Clayton ProStart Culinary team competed at the Missouri ProStart Invitational on Feb. 20. The competition took place in Springfield. The team placed fourth out of 22 teams and were led by senior captain Jenny Bui. The staff advisor for the team is Lauren Compton. 

ENDING ON A GOOD NOTE

by JOANNE KIM and CHARLIE BRENNAN “Dang! Wow! Dang!” was all one judge from the state large orchestra festival had to say when the Symphonic Orchestra played this spring. The orchestra, led by Julie Hoffman, received a state rating of 1, the highest score possible.

Julie Hoffman has had a great career at CHS and is retiring at the end of the 2014-2015 school year. She formerly was the sole orchestra director in the District. After years of nurturing the program, more teachers were added at the middle school and high school levels.

When sixth period comes around, some students from symphonic orchestra hurry to the office of their orchestra director.

“The best times with her are when I can just sit down and talk to her about my day,” Adam Garrett, a senior violist from symphonic orchestra, said.

Garrett has a long history with Hoffman. He remembered the first time he was introduced to Hoffman’s orchestra string program for elementary students in third grade.

“I was the first one to turn in the interest form the next day,” Garrett said.

Garrett met Hoffman personally for the first time his second week of fourth grade.

“It’s hard not to get along with her. She is always so happy to be teaching, and she likes to know how you’re doing outside of orchestra,” Garrett said.

Hoffman has received the Outstanding Music Educator Award from the St. Louis Suburban Music Educators Association and the Secondary Music Award from MO-ASTA. In her career, Hoffman’s orchestras have been invited to participate in the London Parade and have traveled through Germany, Austria and Slovakia, along with performing in music festivals throughout the country and at the Missouri Music Educators Conference.

“Her impact [on the District] has been immeasurable. Without her, so many people would have completely different lives,” Garrett said. “Take me, for example. If you know me, you’d probably notice that I’m pretty

Orchestra teacher Julie Hoffman (Photo by Ashley Chung). high-energy. Well, as an elementary and middle schooler, it was a lot worse. She has spent her time knowing me, not only teaching me how to play an instrument, but teaching me how to be a good student and person.”

Hoffman waited until after an important orchestra performance to reveal the news of her retirement to her students.

“My husband and I are retiring together and are planning on spending time traveling and trying new things,” Hoffman announced to her classes a week later, after a performance important to the symphonic orchestra.

“I was happy for her! I was in her last elementary class and her last year teaching at CHS, so [I] am not affected by her retirement,” Garrett said. “If I was a junior or a freshman, I wouldn’t know what to do.”

Garrett spends a significant amount of his time in the music wing and has seen first hand how well liked Hoffman is among her colleagues.

“Every time they talk about or mention Mrs. Hoffman, it’s nothing but praise. She gets along so well with the other teachers, and they’re all good friends,” Garrett said.

Julie Hoffman has instilled her love for music by embracing each student with her passion for education. And, overall, it is her students that makes leaving difficult for her.

“The children,” she said. “That is what I will miss the most.” 

CRACKING THE CODE

There is a new addition to the CHS program of studies for the 20152016 school year. A computer science class will be coming to CHS. The latest expansion of the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) program, Computer Science and Software Engineering (CSE) will be largely alligned with the AP Computer Science curriculum so that students will be able to take the test at the end of the course.

“We are not calling it AP Computer Science intentionally so that the course appeals to all students,” teacher of the course and head of the engineering department Stephen Beauchamp said.

CSE is broken into 4 units: Algorithms, Graphics and Graphical User Interfaces, The Internet, Raining Reigning Data and Intelligent Behavior.

Students will learn to apply multiple programming languages such as Scratch, Python and App Inventor to produce programs like Android applications and publish games. In addition to programming, students will explore the workings of the Internet, as well as cyber security issues.

The course has 30 students signed up for the 2015-2016 school year.

Currently, CSE is the only course offering, but Beauchamp sees room for expansion

by ELLIE TOMASSON and ELISE YANG

“If this course goes over well and there is demand for further courses, then we will look at it then” Beauchamp said.

Computer science is a burgeoning field.

“I think having a background in computer science is important and can give students an upper hand on the competition in job interviews,” Beauchamp said. “Almost everything we use now involves some type of programming and for a person to understand computational thinking and have problem solving skills is a bonus to any degree you choose.”

Given the pervasiveness of computer technology in society today, knowledge of programming and computational thinking can benefit many people, regardless of their prospective field.

“Additionally, job growth in computer science and engineering is outpacing most other fields and are projected to continue to outpace other fields. They are also typically high paying jobs,” Beauchamp said.

Beauchamp has some background with computer science including the knowledge of three programming languages. Over the summer preceding the 2015-2016 school year, Beauchamp will be training specifically for the course. 

news

9

Goldberg Retires

Principal Mary Ann Goldberg is leaving her position at Wydown Middle School, but her legacy will live on.

I

(Photo by Karen McBride.)

t’s been quite a career for Wydown Middle School Principal Mary Ann Goldberg, and after 16 years in the position, she has announced her plans to retire at the end of the school year.

Goldberg, who was hired as principal of WMS in 1999, had previously held the same position at Brentwood Middle School.

She was thrilled when she was given the opportunity to come to the Clayton School District.

“When somebody calls and talks to you about coming to the Clayton School District, it’s pretty much an honor,” Goldberg said. “Some people would think of being a principal at one school and then being a principal at another school as a lateral move. Not with Clayton. Clayton is a step up.”

Goldberg has seen WMS evolve under her leadership. In fact, Goldberg’s workplace today was nothing more than a dream just a few years ago. She helped oversee the process of building an entirely new middle school next to where the old one stood for decades. The project was completed in the summer of 2013.

“I keep saying it over and over again,” she said. “Very few times in life do you get to see your dream come true. This building is my dream come true.”

While she spent the majority of her career with the District at the old WMS building, Goldberg does not feel too sentimental about the past.

“I don’t feel nostalgic about the old building because we had so many challenges there,” she said. “Our mantra used to be, ‘You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.’ But what’s funny about this is, the old building didn’t make a difference with what we did with kids. The building doesn’t make it happen, the people make it happen. We had teachers who never had a classroom, but we never let that get in the way of what we did for kids.”

Not only was Goldberg a major contributor to the physical configuration of the building, but she also played an instrumental part in creating the environment of the new school. However, at the core of her work is Goldberg’s deep love for children. She deeply enjoys the middle school age group.

“With middle school kids, what I truly love about them is they really believe they can change the world,” she said. “Middle school kids are wacky, they’re crazy, they’re fun, but they’re passionate, they’re idealistic.

10

news

by KEVIN ROSENTHAL

They’re the reason I come to school every day.”

Goldberg takes great pride in her teachers and she believes that her staff makes a passionate commitment to creating the best possible daily school environment.

“What I love about this middle school is, for the most part, every staff member is here because they want to work with middle school kids and they understand the strange animal that middle school kids are,” Goldberg said. “Everyone here is really committed to kids first. It’s all about kids, it’s all about what we can do to create relationships with kids, and to actually make them want to come to school. We work together as a staff because we keep challenging ourselves on what can we do better, not only in the classroom, but also to create the type of environment where kids want to come here. Everyone knows you’re going to get your core classes, but what can be the icing on the cake?”

Goldberg has no say in her replacement as principal, but once her successor emerges, Goldberg hopes to provide guidance and to help ease him or her into the new job.

“I want someone really great to take over my job, and I want them to continue to make this a better school, a greater school,” she said. “The potential is all there, and I will offer my help in any way I can because I want them to be successful.”

Acclimating to retirement may be difficult for Goldberg at first, but lots of excitement awaits her once her days at WMS come to an end.

“I’m not going to do anything drastic in my first year of retirement,” she said. “I’m not looking for another job. I don’t have another job; I don’t want another job at this point. I’m just going to see how things play out.”

One of the perks of not having to wake up at 6 am every Monday through Friday is additional time to spend with family.

“A lot of [retirement] is going to be visiting my kids and grandkids,” she said. “My children live in New York, Colorado and Southern California. I have great places to visit and there are lots of trips I want to take.”

Goldberg will only be the principal of WMS for a few more months, but her legacy at WMS will last for generations.

“I want [it] to be remembered that I cared about kids, and that I was fair,” she said. “I hope that when people think of me, they think I did my job well, but mostly that I took care of their kids.” 

Endless Possibilities

A

by SOPHIE BERNSTEIN

n education opens doors.

Charlie Harned, CHS class of 2012, created the Anything Is Possible Education Foundation while a student at Knox College. Now, he helps promote and foster academic achievement in Galesburg, IL. “The goal of the foundation is to help as many students as possible,” Harned said.

The Anything is Possible Education Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides teens in Knox County with free academic tutoring from college student volunteers.

This non-profit also awards annual college scholarships to area high school seniors. The organization aims to prepare students in the Knox County area for a college education, specifically by offering ACT tutoring.

Harned, a junior at Knox College, is a Division III athlete and an hon-

ors student. Harned founded the organization in order to help his community.

“In Knox County, the area high schools are struggling,” he said. “Not only is the average ACT score below the national average, but a significant number of students live at or below the poverty line.”

Harned and his team of volunteers also help youth internationally. This past year, volunteers from the organization went to China.

“We taught English to students ages seven all the way to 17,” Harned said. “It was an amazing experience.

I’ll never forget when the students started crying and told all of us how big of an impact we have made on their lives.”

He also has a piece of advice for all CHS students when it comes to finding motivation.

“Go find my dad, history teacher Mr. Harned,” he said. “He is my biggest role model. I would hate for any CHS student to miss out on what a great teacher he is.” 

“I’ll never forget when the students started crying and told all of us how big of an impact we have made on their lives.”

-CHARLIE HARNED

Harned extends his congratulations at the inaugural Anything Is Possible Education Foundation Scholarship Ceremony (photo from the Anything is Possible Education Foundation). news

11

The interior of Vincent Van Doughnut at 40 N. Central Ave. (Photo by Katherine Sleckman).

VINCENT VAN DOUGHNUT

V

by CAMILLE RESPESS

an Gogh: one of the most famous artists that has ever lived.

Five years ago, brother-in-laws, Vincent Marsden and Will Saulsbery wanted to emulate the artistry that Van Gogh exhibited. But with a little twist; their medium was doughnuts.

Vincent Van Doughnut has brought their doughnut and various other pastries to Clayton with the opening of their first ground location in mid-March.

The bakery offers handmade doughnuts made from scratch daily in their kitchen. In addition to the staple, a glazed doughnut, Vincent Van Doughnut also supplies a more creative form of the product. A customer favorite, the French Toast, made with a yeast raised doughnut, has a maple and cinnamon glaze and is topped with nuts and powdered sugar.

Besides the array of doughnuts, the shop has other breakfast-style treats available to their customers.

“We have cinnamon rolls made from scratch. We also make pop-tarts from scratch, which are really awesome,” co-owner Will Saulsbery said.

“We have a bacon chocolate and a maple cinnamon pop-tarts.”

After a few years of planning and many hours in their kitchen testing the product, Vincent Van Doughnut was able to start their business, mobily.

“Back in August of 2013, we got some funds together to start things up and [Vincent’s] sister, Monica, found a food truck out in Denver,” Saulsberry said. “This all started out with the truck. That’s when everything really started going.”

For the past year and a half, the family-based company has been running their food truck, named Clyde, around the St. Louis area.

“The food truck just seemed like it was a good way to see if there was a demand for this kind of product here, in St. Louis,” Saulsbery said.

Last November, Vincent Van Doughnut decided that their sales were high enough to begin the process of opening a storefront location.

“The process was basically: go to the banks, get loans, get permits and contracts and things like that,” Saulsbery said.

The owners strive to offer their customers a unique form of a classic, the doughnut.

12

news

“We want to show people that we are doing something different,” Saulsbery said. “The medium, doughnuts, it’s been around forever. But we want to do something different, elevate it, take it to a different level of creativity.”

Saulsbery believes that the style in which Vincent Van Doughnut crafts their doughnuts is what separates them from the other doughnut based bakeries.

“We [make our doughnuts] at a different, elevated way from other shops,” Saulsbery said. “Other shops have great doughnuts, great classic doughnuts and great crazy doughnuts. But ours are more refined.”

The beginning stages of the process of taking the ideas for their handmade doughnuts to fruition was a family affair for Vincent Van Doughnut.

“It was all testing in the kitchen. Basically just an idea of any dessert we want and I’d say, ‘Hey, it’d be great to have a German Chocolate Cake doughnut.’ And we’d test it. [Vincent] would come up with an idea, or his sister, or his son,”’ Saulsbery said.

The family orientated ideology of the business comes from Vincent Van Marsden, son of co-owner Vincent Marsden. Vincent Van, the taste tester of the company, was another basis behind the name of the food truck and bakery.

“It’s a family business, so we like when families come in with their kids to hang out,” Saulsbery said.

Vincent Van Doughnut’s current hours of operation are Tuesday-Sunday, 6 a.m. - 2 p.m., or until the product runs out. The business hopes to soon be able to open seven days a week and to also open 9 p.m. - 12 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, in addition to the hours already in place.

The business aspires to continue expanding their craft.

“We’d love to keep growing. When we have this location running as well as possible, we want to open up other locations in the metro area and beyond,” Saulsbery said.

Vincent Van Doughnut aims to have the familial aspect of their business translate to their patrons.

“We want our customers to feel welcomed and comfortable in the nice space they have to hang out in,” Saulsbery said. “We want them to feel like they’re a part of the family.” 

THE CANDIDATES

A look into the new possible faces of the Clayton Board of Education.

by MARICLARE GATTER

DAVE ROBB What role has the Clayton School District had in your life in the past?

I am a K-12 alumnus of the Clayton School District and I graduated in 1987. It gave me a great foundation for higher education. After graduating, I went off to college in Washington D.C. at The George Washington University where I earned a BA in Economics and an MBA with a concentration in finance and investments and then later science and information systems. Clayton provided a phenomenal foundation for all of the education that came after. The other role that it has played in my life is that my wife Sabrina and I are parents of first graders who are at Captain Elementary, and before that we were three years at the Clayton Family Center. It has been a great education so far for my sons and we are very grateful that we get to live in a district with such great schools.

Why did you decide to run for the School Board of Education? My motivation is to give back to the community and to participate. I think that’s how a community like ours thrives. It’s also an opportunity for me to put my unique skills and background to work for the board. Lastly, it’s an opportunity to set an example for my sons the same way my parents set an example for me growing up in Clayton.

AMY RUBIN What changes are you planning on making or supporting if you are elected to the BOE? I will dedicate my heart and soul to this school district. I will collaborate with the

Board members, community and educators to achieve common goals. I have an open mind, a positive attitude and a unique skill set. I will utilize those attributes in a way that empowers the BOE to fulfill its role.

What life experiences have you had that might benefit the students of Clayton if you were elected to the BOE? I struggled in high school both socially and aca-

demically. In fact, I graduated with a very low GPA. I did not have the benefit of attending the Clayton School District. I assumed I was not intelligent, so I never put forth any effort in school. After graduation, though, something clicked. I graduated Magna Cum Laude from undergrad, went to law school, passed two bar exams, and have been successful as an attorney and business executive. I do not want anyone in the Clayton School District to ever feel the way that I did in high school. I want the kids, all of the kids, to know that they can do whatever they want to in life. I want the kids to be confident, well-rounded and ready to take on the world upon graduation from school.

JENARO CENTENO Why did you choose to move to Clayton? Did the Clayton School District have a role in your decision? If so, what role did it have? One of the things I noticed

is that there are some schools that do experiential learning and team learning. It’s done here to an extent, but I think they do it to a different level in some other schools. I think experiential learning makes a big difference. It’s one thing to sit there and read about something, but then to be able to take what you’ve learned and now experience it in the real world and see how it works, and see how it applies. It helps with critical thinking, which is a key piece in education today. That type of learning I think will help.

What practices, if any, have you seen in other districts that might be incorporated in Clayton? I have always been active with the different school systems that we have been a

part of. One of the nice things about that is that I have some experience outside of Clayton with some good school systems, so I bring that type of exposure and experience. This is the first year I have a child in each school. I have one at high school, one at middle school and one at elementary school. So I have had that exposure throughout. I had a teacher in high school, he said, “You should be quiet and listen.

People tend to talk too much and they don’t listen first.” I like to think that we’ve been here for five years now, and what I’ve been doing is a lot of listening and observing, but now it’s time for me to go to the next level. 

From top to bottom: Dave Robb, Amy Rubin and Jenaro Centeno (all photos from individual candidates). news

13

INTO THE BREACH

by SOPHIE ALLEN and PETER BAUGH

W

hen senior Noah Engel started looking at the United States Military Academy at West Point and the United States Naval Academy in the seventh grade, he did not seem like someone who would go into the military.

“I felt like I really needed more discipline in my life and I felt that sort of education would provide that,” he said. “And at the time, trust me on this, I was not what you would consider a prime candidate for that.”

Years later, Engel’s interest in attending a service academy hasn’t died. In March of this year, he was accepted into the Naval Academy.

This year, two CHS students have been accepted and are considering service academies for their college education.

While watching college football on television as a kid, senior Sam Howard stumbled upon a West Point game. Watching West Point play became a weekly occurrence for Howard.

“I kept watching them because I liked their mascot... the Black Knights,” he said. “The more I watched them, the more I got interested

14

feature

in the school, just because I wanted to know more about it.”

Howard knew that he wanted to attend somewhere with both strong academics and a good football team, and West Point became one of his top choices.

West Point is located in West Point, New York and leads into the U.S. Army. The Naval Academy is located in Annapolis, Maryland. Both schools are a nine-year commitment of combined school and service.

Both academies are cost efficient college options. Not only is the education free, but students also make money. Since an acceptance is technically a military appointment, when a student decides to attend a service academy, they are employed by the Department of Defense and the U.S. Government.

“When I visited there the first time, what I was surprised by most, what I didn’t know was that while you’re going there, you actually get paid,” Howard said. “You get paid every month, and you have access to that money.”

Applying to these schools is a long and arduous process.

“The process is not just about getting accepted to the school. You have to get a nomination from a Congressperson, you have to get medi-

Clockwise from left: the ceremonial fly-over occurs at the United States Naval Academy graduation ceremony in Annapolis, MD. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun/MCT). Senior Noah Engel with his certificate of admission (Bebe Engel). Senior Sam Howard (Erin Castellano).

cally qualified, you have to be physically qualified, so there’s a lot of other things that go into it,” Engel said. “So they call it an appointment rather than acceptance.”

Even after a student meets all the application requirements, these academies are still among the most selective schools in the nation. In 2012, the Naval Academy had a 6.8 percent acceptance rate, and in 2013, West Point had a 9 percent acceptance rate.

Engel’s appointment gave him a sense of fulfillment for the work he put into applying.

“It felt really exciting,” he said. “I had been working for this for a long time.”

For both Engel and Howard, the support they received from their families made the process much smoother.

“When they found out I wanted to apply there, they were really happy and open to it,” Howard said. “They support whatever I really want to do, college-wise.”

Neither student has made their college decision yet. Both will make their decision before the May 1 deadline and, if they decide to attend a

service academy, will report to their school on July 1 for training. Both are seriously considering these schools.

“As far as quality education, their quality of education rivals any big university or any prestigious university you can probably name,” Howard said.

Engel is also being recruited by the Naval Academy’s rowing program.

All students, or midshipmen as they are called, are required to play a sport at the Naval Academy, be it varsity or intramural. He would be a coxswain on their team.

Howard is interested in playing football in college and has been impressed by the West Point program. All students, or cadets, are required to play a sport at West Point as well.

Engel feels that, though it is a large commitment, students should not be intimidated by the process.

“I think there’s a lot of people that would really do great in that environment,” he said. “And, yes, it is difficult, and yes, it is different from your typical college experience… but I think that there’s a lot to be gained from this sort of experience.” 

feature

15

AWTHORN H LEADERSHIP SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

by NOAH BROWN and GWYNETH HENKE

Before now, families seeking single-gender education for their children without the costs of private or parochial schools were out of luck in Missouri.

Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls is about to change that forever.

Located in the City of St. Louis, Hawthorn will be St. Louis and Missouri’s first single-gender public school. Additionally, the school’s founders plan to focus the school’s curriculum on STEM subjects.

After a comprehensive search, St. Louis native and educator Dr. Robyn Wiens was appointed principal of the new school.

“The Young Women’s Leadership Network [YWLN] inspired Mary [Danforth Stillman] to look at what it would take to open up an all-girls public school here in St. Louis,” Wiens said. “So, she did a lot of research and then ended up putting together a board and submitting a charter school application that got approved.”

Hawthorn was then established as an affiliate school with YWLN, a high-performing network of all-girls’ public schools in New York City founded by Ann Tisch.

“They’re an organization in New York City that is dedicated to developing young women in leadership capacities and graduating from high school and college,” Wiens said.

Along with Hawthorn’s partnership with the YWLN comes access to their professional development and other curriculum resources.

Washington University at St. Louis will act as Hawthorn’s institutional sponsor.

“They [Wash U] make sure we’re hitting our targets academically, and with attendance, and a whole bunch of other things that the state measures us on,” Wiens said. “They make sure we’re staying on alignment.”

In addition to monitoring Hawthorn’s progress with state standards, Washington University will also help Hawthorn develop their science and engineering programs.

The school is set to open in the 2015-2016 school year, and will open with 6th and 7th grade girls, with about 20 students per class. However, Hawthorn will continue to grow over the next five years.

“We’re going to add a grade every single year, so by 2020 we should have a full middle school and high school. Our goal for enrollment when we’re at full capacity is 510,” Wiens said.

Recently, Hawthorn’s leadership selected and purchased a historic building to call home.

The 57,000 square-foot building resides in a St. Louis neighborhood. The building was once the Martin Luther King Junior High School and more recently Imagine Academy, also a charter school.

“The team looked at several different properties and decided on this one for three main reasons. Number one, its location,” Wiens said. “Based on a recent study by a group called IFF, that particular neighborhood was ranked number seven in terms of St. Louis city neighborhoods that were in the greatest need of high-quality education seats.”

The building also stood out to the Hawthorn leadership for its excellent quality; because it served as a functioning school up until a few years ago and it required few extensive renovations while still providing a practical--and beautiful--home for the school.

Danforth originally envisioned Hawthorn as a single-gender school in the hopes that it would offer its students a sense of community and belonging that can sometimes be lacking in co-ed institutions.

“I think that there’s that sense of sisterhood that makes the environment more supportive.

So, if you’re having a bad hair day, who cares? We still like you,” Wiens said. “Girls can feel more comfortable being themselves without having to impress other people.”

Hawthorn’s tight-knit “sisterhood” will also empower the STEM focus on which the school was created.

“A lot of the research points that middle school is right at that age where we see the split of girls not as interested in math or science, and a lot of it has to do with their own identity as mathematicians and scientists,” Wiens said. “At Hawthorn, we’re hoping to capture that moment and leverage it so more girls will be more interested and not lose the momentum they had coming out of elementary school.”

16

feature

From above: Dr. Robyn Wiens, Hawthorn’s logo (Cherry Tomatsu), Hawthorn’s front doors (all photos from Hawthorn).

Hawthorn’s front doors (photo from Hawthorn School).

The STEM focus, Wiens hopes, will not only empower Hawthorn’s young women, but it will create a pool of STEM-educated students ready to improve St. Louis with their skills.

In addition to this unique education, Hawthorn and the YWLN stress the importance of cultivating leadership among the student body.

“Every single club, every classroom discussion, will be led by a young woman,” Wiens said. “A couple young women have asked me, ‘Dr. Wiens, are you going to have a club for this, are you going to have such-andsuch?’ And I’m like, ‘You know what, we can! Do you want to be in charge of it?’”

A typical day at Hawthorn will strive to encapsulate both of these focuses--STEM and student leadership--while still encouraging exploration of language and social science skills.

“Every student will take a humanities class, which is two periods long and it’s a combination of language arts and social studies,” Wiens said.

In addition to the uniquely structured humanities block, Hawthorn also goes beyond the typical schedule to offer its students two math classes. One class will be a more traditional learning experience, where students will learn their grade-level material, while the other class will offer students individual help or additional challenges.

“I call it math lab because it needs to be really hands-on: up and moving, no textbooks, no packets of worksheets,” Wiens said. “They need to have a lot of fun in thinking differently on how we are applying math in our everyday lives. This is a chance for us to try that out and be more experimental.”

Another unique facet of Hawthorn will be its advisory system. There, students will meet daily with the same group of 12-15 other girls and a teacher for their entire middle school experience.

“I think students thrive when they feel individually recognized and valued, and having that daily advisory, that small family setting, it makes sure no girls are falling through the cracks and that everyone is recognized by being at school,” Wiens said.

Wiens also sees an opportunity to make each Hawthorn scholar feel valued, as well as to build a school-wide sense of community, in morning meetings. “[Morning meetings] will give us a chance to recognize girls for amazing things they’ve done--not just for their grades, but for other contributions they’ve made,” Wiens said. “It gives us a chance to do fun spirit competitions on a more regular basis between advisories, and also just a chance to share some morning announcements.”

From the schedule structure and the advisory system to the morning meetings, Hawthorn’s unique design is aimed, in Wiens’ eyes, at promoting a sense of joyful learning in the school.

“I want our students and our parents to feel like this is a safe and joyful place, and that it’s joyful because our students are learning, and it’s joyful because our teachers are coming up with amazing learning experiences that are rigorous, challenging and relevant to our students’ lives,” Wiens said.

As Hawthorn’s enrollment for its inaugural year grows, so does Wiens’s excitement for the immense potential of the school, not only as a community center, but as a form of education Missouri has not yet seen.

“St. Louis has a long history of single-gender education, but it’s basically been all private. It’s such an opportunity and a privilege to be able to open Missouri’s first single-gender public school,” Wiens said. “We’re tuition-free, and to be able to bring this kind of opportunity to families in the St. Louis area is huge and something we do not take for granted.”

Ultimately, with an empowered teaching staff, strong mentorship from Washington University and the guidance of YWLN, Wiens sees the possibilities for her students and for Hawthorn as limitless.

“I am excited for the power and the transformative nature that our work can have on how we think about middle school education, STEM education, secondary education and single-gender education,” Wiens said.

“I think there are so many things we can do that might really be able to change the way we educate girls.” 

feature

17

CLAYTON’S

KEEPERS

by ALEX BERNARD, GRACE HARRISON and REBECCA POLINSKY

Tuan Nguyen

Where are you from? Vietnam. I came in 1991.

Why did you move to the United States? My dad used to work for the Vietnamese regime before 1975. In 1975, North Vietnam became communist. It took over the country. So America made a favor: whoever worked for America before 1975 came to America. I worked two jobs to bring my wife. I come here in 1991, and in 1996 I became an American citizen and I sponsored her.

How did you communicate with your wife during that time? Phone calls, but it was extremely expensive. [I made] $3.50 a minute. So when I call, the first thing I say is, ‘Please don’t cry. If you cry, you burn $3.50 a minute.’ At that time I made only $6.00 an hour.

What language do you speak at home? Seventy percent Vietnamese, 30 percent English. I don’t want my son to forget it.

Why did you want to work in the Clayton School District?

I knew that Clayton School District was one of the best, and at that time I lived in the city, in kind of a bad neighborhood, and there was a lot of problems with the schools there, so I think, if I can work here, my kids can go to Clayton Schools.

What is your advice for high school students? Don’t get mad, enjoy it. The more you get mad, the more you get older. Don’t get upset. You sleep more at night, you wake up you feel good.

Tuan Nguyen (Katie Warnusz-Steckel).

Vincent Donnell

Tell us about your family. I’m married. I have three children. One is a captain in the United States Army, I have another daughter who is in fashion merchandising and the youngest daughter is a sergeant in the United States Army. I have a total of 10 grandchildren. My son has five children, my other daughter (who is in the Army) has three, and the fashion merchandising daughter has two.

What brought you to St. Louis? The United States Army. I was in the armed cavalry. It was fun, we pretty much just defended the country. I spent time over in Germany and Korea. I was in the Gulf War, and I’ve been to several states in the United States.

What did you learn from the Army? It gave me discipline, structure and it helped me to get a direction on my life. It taught me responsibility and it helped me to grow up because I went in the military straight out of high school.

Tell us about being a pastor. It’s draining, it’s rewarding, it’s fun. It’s hard work but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world, especially when you have to make hospital visits or perform a funeral. It’s a joy though when you do weddings, and baptisms. I became a pastor in 2007 after graduating from St. Louis Christian College Pre Seminary.

Why did you want to become a pastor? I didn’t want to be a pastor. I just felt that there was a calling and I just kind of accepted it. I’m affiliated with the Church of the Living God. After I finished at the Pre Seminary, I went back and got my degree in children education.

What do you like most about working here at Clayton? The kids. The students. The students, they really had a big influence on me going back to school to get my degree in education. There’s a number of students that influenced me to go back to school. I got my degree after my youngest daughter graduated from Clayton High. I told her if she goes to college, I’ll go too.

Tell us one thing you want the Clayton student body to know. I value their education. Achieve, and go after your positive goals.

Vincent Donnell (Erin Castellano).

18

feature

).

Robert Neudeck What brought you to Clayton? I was out of work, and the industries that I was in didn’t seem to be having any luck, so a neighbor works at Clayton, in maintenance, and his daughter lived next door to me, and he knew I was out of work, so he said, ‘Would you be interested in coming to work at Clayton?’ So I applied.

Where did you grow up? I grew up in St. Genevieve, Missouri. It’s about 60 miles south of here, down the Mississippi River.

Do you have any pets? I have three cats.

What do you like to do for fun? I like riding bikes, working in the yard. I have a small lawn service part-time. I like to work outside.”

What’s the best part about your job? What I like about this place is I think I make a difference. You may not see what I do, but if I was gone a day, you’d notice. Like sanitizing desks, I think that keeps the students from getting sick. It’s a responsible job.

It’s a worthwhile job.

What do think is the most important part of your job? I’m wanting to do the job well, and I take pride in that. My boss says, ‘The students deserve it.’ I think that’s right. It makes for a better learning environment. If you had ceiling falling down, if you had trash in the corner every day, it would affect you.

What is your advice for high school students? But whatever your station in life, make the most of it and do the best that you can. I didn’t aspire to be a custodian, it came to me. Hard work doesn’t hurt you. Take a position that you may not necessarily want at first, but do the best that you can. 

Robert Neudeck (Alex Bernard).

Kyle Andrews What shift do you work? [I work] 3:30 p.m. to midnight. It’s a late shift which can be tough, but actually one of the reasons that I liked those hours is because I go to school at Forest Park Community College right now and I am going to transfer to UMSL in the fall, so it helps that I can go to school during the day. It has been nice.

What brought you to CHS? I was working construction right at the downturn in the economy, I still have a construction company with my father, but things weren’t working so well and I wasn’t making as much money, I was having trouble with insurance, so I started working for a job, really anything.

What is your family like? I am married to my wife Tara, and I have two daughters, an eight-year-old named Penelope and a 4-year-old named Gretchen.

What do you do outside of work? I am studying business and accounting. There is a five year program at UMSL where you leave with your masters and you’re ready to take the CPA exam.

What are your hobbies? I like to work out. The one place you might see me is over at the Center, I have a membership there from working here, but one of the things I am proudest about is that when I started here, I lost a lot of weight. I lost about 90 pounds, and I’ve put some back on but that is just from lifting and getting back in shape which is another great thing that working here has offered me. Other than that I really like music. I go out to a lot of concerts and I even have some music production stuff at my house. Cooking, I would say would by my real hobby though. I had a catering business for a little bit, I like to barbeque. I get Bon Appetit magazine so I try to make something from that magazine every month.

What is your favorite thing about your job here? My favorite thing, I guess, is knowing that what we do is a part of your experience here. You know, sometimes it can get boring and you feel like you’re doing the same thing everyday, but you know that you make a difference and that when you guys come into the building you have a nice, safe, clean place to be.

If you could describe yourself in one word what would it be?

Kind. I am a very kind person. You can ask the people I work with, I get

Kyle Andrews (Katie Warnusz-Steckel). along well with everyone. I had a discussion with my daughter today and she was worried that the people she didn’t know didn’t love her. And I said well if you don’t know them you have never had a chance, but I reflected a little more and thought well really, we love everybody. Even if you haven’t met someone, you still have love for everyone that is a human being, and I feel that way no matter who it is, I try to approach them with kindness.

What is one thing that students may not know about you?

I have been donating part of my income to the charity Give Directly. I truly believe we have an ethical responsibility to help as much as we can without harming ourselves. 

feature

19

THE

CORE ISSUE

by MARINA HENKE and MITALI SHARMA with reporting by Phoebe Yao and Max Steinbaum

Senior Billy Blaylock whisks during culinary team practice (Lily Brown).

INTRODUCTION As Wydown Middle School theater students headed home from rehearsal on Jan. 28, the Board of Education was preparing to meet for a final discussion regarding the Middle School Program Review.

That night, the Board made a decision about the middle school’s schedule, a decision which communicates what they believe will continue to make Wydown one of the best middle schools in the country. However, their decision also reflects a small shift in values, which is what is most concerning to those hesitant about the Board’s decision.

Next year, the schedule at Wydown Middle School will look a little different. Although still in the early stages of development, according to Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Milena Garganigo, in the proposed schedule for next year, the school day will be 16 minutes longer. Each of students’ three elective classes will meet for 40 minutes each day. Students will attend math and science classes every day for 67 minutes, while literacy and social studies courses will continue to have 93 minutes every other day.

The discussion concerning these changes offers an interesting insight into a national conversation: the importance of core versus non-core curriculum.

THE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDY After two years of frequent conversations, the Middle School Program Review came to an end on Jan. 28. The Board made four official recommendations to Wydown Middle School, calling for an increase in instructional time for core classes, a push for effective use of instructional time and additional interventions for students who need further help or resources.

Reaching a decision was no easy feat. Following heated conversation, the Board eventually came to a 4-3 vote approving the study. While some heralded the action as a positive move, others in the Clayton community questioned the reasoning behind the study and the proposed changes.

The review sprouted from an ongoing Clayton financial study which showed comparisons of the middle school’s core instructional time to that of other schools in the area and nationally.

One of the Board’s primary jobs is to critique the District’s schools, and in 2013 Wydown was next in line for a formal study. As the review progressed; the Board became increasingly concerned about the rigor of the middle school’s core curriculum, specifically in both math and science.

Student feedback suggested that many ninth graders felt unprepared for the increase in workload at CHS. Along with that, Wydown’s adoption of a new math curriculum, Singapore Math, did not naturally fit into the current block schedule.

“The high school was having to keep taking over some of the curriculum that really the middle school was responsible for because of time crunches,” Garganigo, one of the three central office administrators involved in the review, said.

Currently, Wydown runs on a block schedule, on which students meet in their core classes (math, science, literacy and social studies) every other day for a 90-minute period. Elective courses (foreign language, gym, performing arts and visual arts) meet every day for 45 minutes. With the block schedule, math teachers are currently teaching Singapore lessons designed for 60-minute classes within a 90-minute time frame.

“When the Board first came up with the goals, the idea was to make it a broad direction so that the middle school could take ownership of it, and really identify what they thought were their strengths and weaknesses and self-evaluate,” School Board Vice President Kristin Redington said. “Yet the Board had a theme of concern about the core curriculum, because the core curriculum can be measured.”

These core measurements come predominantly from MAP tests, a Missouri standardized test taken by students each year starting in third grade. The MAP test focuses solely on core subjects. The concern was that, within the District, students’ scores stopped increasing in middle school, while they continue on an upward trend in both elementary and high school.

Although this acceleration fits into a nationwide trend, often referred

Freshman Elizabeth Nguyen plays the violin in orchestra (Ashley Chung).

to as “the middle school dip,” it did cause the Board to evaluate the rigor of the middle school’s core classes. “[The test scores] don’t stand on their own, but it was enough to raise the Board’s concern and give a focus to the study to ensure that we were appropriately delivering the core curriculum to our students,” Susan Buse, president of the BOE, said.

With a new focus, the study progressed. Small selections of teachers were asked about time needs to effectively deliver their curriculum, parents and students were involved in study committees and administrators, including Principal Mary Ann Goldberg, were responsible for bringing the final decision into action.

According to Goldberg, during the process, there were opportunities for all teachers to provide their input and their reactions to the work of the committee.

After one year, when most studies would have come to a close, a decision within the Board seemed unlikely. With the dissent around the middle school review, the BOE voted to extend the project. In the end, a year and a half later, a 4-3 vote in the Board resulted in approval of an increase in the number of core minutes at the middle school each day in hopes of facilitating a more rigorous core learning environment.

Buse, who voted for the increase, believed that the Board’s decision seemed necessary for this rigor.

“The two have to come together and there has to be a balance of the two: a strong core curriculum in a rich environment,” she said.

However, Redington voted against the study. She was concerned with the impact that it might have on electives and the need for a more articulated reason for the increase instead of committing first to 45 minutes of daily math, along with allowing recent changes in curriculum and instruction to matriculate. She was also concerned about the possibility of unforeseen consequences.

“A world-class education demands consistent reiterations to better

a system, but the unknown, that makes me a little nervous because we don’t know what the unintended consequences of it will be,” she said.

Now, with a draft of the new schedule developed and announced by the Wydown administrative team, the implications are more evident.

Goldberg, who oversaw the making of the proposed schedule, says the new schedule is trying to take both sides into perspective.

“I think people don’t like change,” Goldberg said. “I think change is hard for some people. Change is not hard for me. I think some people think that this is us throwing everything out. But this is not a drastic change. I think they will be surprised. I’m hoping that they’re happy with it and see that we have honored everything they thought was important.”

IMPACT AND REACTION After receiving the recommendations at a staff meeting, many teachers expressed concern with what the study would mean for the future of the middle school, paying special attention to the proposed increase in core minutes. For elective teachers, the possibility of losing class time posed considerable concern.

Stephanie Roberson, the English language learners teacher at WMS, works with international students. To students working on mastering English, electives often offer a welcomed break from language-heavy and content-based core classes.

“Sometimes it’s in chorus, when you are singing the same songs as everybody else is singing, where there’s lots of repetition and everybody understands the melody, where a kid that is coming from China actually feels like they can keep up,” Roberson said.

Students for whom language is not a barrier also benefit immensely from non-core classes. Band Director and District Fine Arts Coordinator Paul Varley believes that elective courses add a layer of depth to middle school students’ academic experience.

“Electives are what make us who we are,” he said.

Clayton traditionally supports elective development heavily, and with ample resources, the schools offer many remarkable non-core programs.

“One of the things that makes Clayton, Clayton is that they value the arts so much,” Varley said. “I’m not sure that they want all their kids to go into it for a living, but they value it. They want their kids to have an experience like that, otherwise why would they have built this auditorium?”

The new middle school building, fully finished in 2015, is equipped with a state-of-the-art auditorium, capable of holding professional-level productions.

Wydown, a school that prides itself on the development of the “whole child,” intends for students to grow academically, socially and emotionally. The elective classes, including an extensive theater arts program, the choice of four languages, a wide array of arts classes and daily physical education courses, focus on the development of the child that isn’t purely academic.

“It really goes back to that ‘whole child’ piece, that we’re not just a core curriculum district, and that we really need, especially in middle school, for kids to have opportunities to explore different options that they may not know yet that they’re interested in,” Garganigo said.

Garganigo believes that this commitment to the “whole child” is maintained in the new schedule.

However, some teachers at WMS are not so sure that this commitment will be maintained. Additionally, many core teachers also feel uncomfortable with an increase in core minutes.

Wydown has a “team” system, which pairs 80 students with their four core teachers for the entire year. The program allows teachers to develop more meaningful relationships with their students and also provides the four teachers with an environment in which to collaborate and communicate.

WMS science teacher Josh Wilmsmeyer pointed out the possible consequences of increasing core time with regard to the team system.

“What makes teams effective in middle school is heavily reliant on common planning time amongst teachers,” he said. “An increase in teaching minutes decreases planning time.”

As of now, the proposed schedule lengthens the school day by 16 minutes. Therefore, planning times should remain relatively unchanged.

However, all four core classes will no longer be aligned.

Roberson is also worried about what effect an increase in core instructional time could have on struggling students, but acknowledged the difficult task administrators took on in developing a schedule with so many stakeholders.

“If we are talking about planning interventions for kids who are struggling or for international students, modifying assignments and assessments for kids who need it, or modifying for kids that need extension work, that takes time,” she said.

Along with uneasiness over the impact of the recommendations, many teachers also expressed concern with the process of the study itself.

The committee had a host of Wydown teachers, but many around the building were confused about the nature of the study. By design, the review was meant to be open-ended; however, this idea sometimes led to

participants questioning the purpose of the study.

Wilmsmeyer, who served on the official Middle School Program Review Committee and also on an early self-study committee launched before the Board directed review, wondered whether all of the necessary information was communicated to all of the stakeholders.

“My worry, though, is that the data from those meetings [data from focus groups done at WMS as part of the review] was never actually shared out,” Wilmsmeyer said. “Pieces were presented at times, but we never got the full summary.”

Shortly after the Board released the final report, teachers around the building rallied together to express their uncertainties with the recent announcement.

The day after a school-wide faculty meeting, a letter voicing the concerns of the teachers began circulating through the school. The letter was addressed and promptly delivered to the Board at a meeting. It is brief and to the point, stating that, “the report never names a problem. If we know the problem, we will work to change it. At this point, that problem is not clearly identified.”

The letter, signed by approximately 50 teachers from both core and non-core subjects, goes on to express future concerns resulting from the review.

“This report does not represent a consensus of our faculty. We worry about the rapid pace of change without the opportunity to explore the intended and unintended consequences of these changes.”

The letter points out the rich opportunities students have at the middle school to explore new topics, and voices concern as to whether the change proposed in the review was conducted with a clear question in mind.

“When we make change, let’s have it be deliberate change with clearly defined objectives and goals.”

The lack of such “clearly defined objectives” was one of the greatest sources of concern.

Although some are uncomfortable with the proposed scheduling changes, Wydown, as a school, serves as an outlier when compared to many other middle schools. Currently, the WMS schedule offers a 50/50 split between core and elective time, which means that students spend half of their day engaged in non-core activities.

Most schools in the nation have a split that is far more favorable to core classes, and, in the committee’s deliberations over improvements for the middle school, this fact was a recurring piece of evidence of the need for increased core time.

However, many teachers and administrators believe that Clayton, as a top-performing district, should not necessarily be taking cues from neighboring schools.

“Someone said at a meeting, ‘98 percent of other schools don’t have three electives,’ and I said, ‘You know what, if our scores were worse than 98 percent of the other schools then I’d agree with you, but you know what, our scores are really good, they’re really high,” Goldberg said.

As of next year, all students will still be enrolled in three elective classes. Additionally, the District administration announced, at an allschool meeting concerning the new schedule, that no staffing changes for the upcoming school year will be made.

“The two have to come together and there has to be a balance.”

- Susan Buse cover

23

A NATIONAL OUTLOOK The conversation about core curriculum exists well outside the realm of the Clayton School District. In fact, as national pressures to perform in predominantly core areas, especially science and math, rise, core curriculum stands as one of the most debated issues across educational battlelines.

The contention around Wydown’s new schedule serves as merely one example of this national conversation.

One of the most frequent debates surrounding this issue concerns the Common Core Standards, a nation-wide set of regulations that outlines specific academic requirements across all grade levels.

The Missouri Common Core is in the process of an internal review, in which the committee hopes to individualize the standards at a state level.

Professor James Shuls, a member of the Missouri Common Core Committee and an assistant professor of educational leadership and policy studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, explained the immense impact of national standards, such as the Common Core.

“Tests impact accreditation scores, and impact teacher licensing programs, and teacher training programs ... we could say they’re just standards, but they impact nearly every aspect of our educational system,” Shuls said.

The Common Core curriculum outlines the basic learning objectives for every grade level. For example, as dictated by the Common Core, any fourth grade student should be able to use all four mathematical operations to solve problems. According to Shuls, teachers can interpret the standards to fit their own lessons.

Although concerned about the nature of these regulations, Shuls still adamantly believes in the practice of set curricula. However, he worries about the practicality of national standards.

“The standards are important, and every school should have standards, but I think we gain very little from having one set of national standards,” he said.

Despite the necessity for standards, the Common Core puts many schools in a tough spot, especially specialty schools which focus specifically on STEM or even arts education. Often, these schools still must comply to nationally-regulated curriculum goals, which are not designed with any speciality in mind.

There is a degree of autonomy that schools lose when forced to adopt the nation-wide Common Core.

“When a state adopts standards, what we’re doing is saying what we value, and saying what’s important, and saying what teachers should teach,” Shuls said. “And what I value may not be the same as what you value, and what I think is important may not be the same as what you think is important.”

Shuls even believes that forcing schools to comply to state-mandated standards is too restrictive. Ideally, he sees individual districts having the

opportunity to choose from an assortment of standards, catered to specific needs or academic focuses.

“The uniformity of everyone doing the same thing is not important,” he said. “I think we gain very little from that, but we gain from experimentation, people doing different things, doing this sort of laboratory of experimentation, [where] we’re trying different things, we’re figuring out what works, and local communities are more invested in the decisions of their school because they actually have some say in the matter.”

With such an emphasis on the Common Core, non-core curriculum has a harder time receiving national attention.

“We give less money to these programs, we give less time to them,” Shuls said. “I simply think they’re not as strong as a lot of people would like them to be, again, probably because of the incentives system we created.”

This “incentive system” on which the United States’ has based its entire system of education, is based off of a slew of standardized tests.

James Croft, a doctoral student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, believes that these standardized tests are not representative of student comprehension. The majority of these tests are a barrage of multiple choice questions, which Croft sees as thin intellectual investigations into core content areas. However, Croft does not believe that the nation’s testing practices will change any time soon.

“We are terrified of what we will find out, which is that most of our students are much less educated than we even think now,” Croft said.

Despite his hesitancy with trusting national standardized tests, Croft still sees core subjects as tenets of one’s educational development. Nevertheless, he believes that how schools design their curriculum might not always be in the best interest of student engagement or academic growth.

“Traditional core subject disciplines are very important, but not often in the way that they are approached,” Croft said. “What is important about them is the mode of thinking that they represent. You should be leaving school being able to think like a historian, think like a mathematician, think like an artist, right for when that is valuable to you. That is different from knowing everything that happened date by date from 1550 to 2014.”

Additionally, Howard Gardner, renowned educational figure at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, believes that the lines should be blurred between core and non-core.

“I’d like to eliminate the distinction between ‘core’ and ‘non-core.’ I think that children should be exposed to the range of art forms at an early age,” Gardner said. “And then have the chance to pursue at least one art form as seriously as they pursue the so-called ‘core’ subjects.”

Across the country, schools try to give students ownership over their own education in a variety of ways. Walter Payton College Preparatory High School, often considered the top-performing public school in Chi-

“I think for many young people in school their experience is that they find most life and richness ... in those electives.”

- James Croft

24

cover

Clayton High School theatre’s performance of “Into the Woods.” (Photo by Eric Woolsey). cago, Illinois, has a unique seminar program, which allows students to “The experiences are meant to inspire and generate curiosity and give partake in two non-traditional classes for an hour and a half every other students additional communities to be a part of and contribute to and week, along with additional normally-scheduled elective classes. grow from,” Walker said.

Many of the seminar programs are focused on topics even beyond Building this sense of community can come easily within the structraditional non-core subjects, including knitting, yoga, Taekwondo, jazz ture of any elective class, even in more traditional environments than dance and more academic courses, like the history of the supreme court the seminar program. At most schools, like Wydown, students have the justices. opportunity to choose their elective courses, which are often catered to Every other Wednesday, math teacher Benjamin Walker spends an individual interests. Croft believes that a sense of ownership can have drahour and a half with 18 other students in his matic effects on students’ experience. seminar class, “Climb On.” Led by him and a “So many of people’s educational and life team of two students, this seminar covers experiences are intellectually disempowthe fundamentals of rock climbing. ering because you are told what to think “Last week, we talked about the myth about and in what order and how to do of the top and … going beyond this idea it,” Croft said. “You can actually create a of ‘I want to get to the top,’ and more lot of intellectual dependence that way.”

You should be leaving school about, ‘What is the best way that I can Croft believes that elective classes can being able to think like a hispush myself as a climber?’” allow many students to free themselves The seminar classes offer a well defrom this dependency. torian, think like a mathematiserved break from the academic grind of “I think for many young people in Payton, and allow teachers to focus on school, their experience is that they find cian, think like an artist ... that the school’s four main themes: compasmost life and richness in the educational is different from knowing evsion, character, courage and curiosity. system in those electives because they “I get to be that person that is conget to determine it,” Croft said. erything that happened date cerned less about student understanding The United States’ commitment to concept goals and concerned more about education is an immense undertaking. As by date from 1550 to 2014. how they are developing their character Croft pointed out, public education is one or ethical goals and how they are contribof the few things for which the U.S. Govuting to a community,” Walker said. ernment takes full responsibility. Croft Similar to Clayton, Walter Payton has believes that U.S. education is bogged a diverse socio-economic body of studown under standards and requirements, dents, ranging from families of millionamidst heated debates between the imaires to students that live below the povportance of core and non-core curricuerty line. The affluence of some families lum. Croft believes that the primary goal gives the seminar program ample resources. of a national education is to inspire and emHowever, Walker was quick to point out an abundance of money is not power the youth of the nation. what drives Payton’s commitment to the program.

“The more we can give people, progressively, the capability to step back “This is who we are at Payton,” he said. “And do you fit into the ideo- from the environment they are in - to examine it critically, to take up diflogical, pedagogical goals and, if so, how? It is not only supported, but it ferent pieces and look at them from different angles, and pull them apart is part of the job.” and put them back together … we are making them into powerful human The goal of the seminar program permeates past any Common Core beings who have control over their destiny,” Croft said. “Schools could do standard. that in a way that no other social institution can.”

“

”

- James Croft

CONCLUSION Tethered to Common Core Standards, schools don’t always have the ability to carry out their unique visions. Sometimes even forces outside of an educational lense can permeate into a student’s schedule.

The U.S. has a history of melding its educational system to political imperatives. When Sputnik launched in 1957, America had what Croft referred to as a “national identity crisis.” Across the country, schools funneled money into math and science education.

“Why are we setting our national priorities of the education of our young people, that is going to determine a significant amount of their lives, on some satellite being launched in Russia?” Croft said.

Even at WMS, teachers see the impact of this national focus on science and math. Although the U.S. is no longer on a race to the moon, recent national test scores show that the nation is beginning to lag behind other countries.

“It’s almost like Sputnik all over again, but it’s not like there’s a Sputnik. Now it’s everybody else’s scores,” Varley said.

However, Clayton remains engaged and opinionated in this national conversation. District administrators hold frequent discussions about

the role of core curriculum.

“We’re constantly in conversation about how to maintain an overall rich curriculum that has both components of the core and the non-core,” Garganigo said.

And the Program Review was in no way an end to this conversation.

In the final pages of the review, Board members said that the study was merely a starting point for a larger conversation.

“This report represents much more of a beginning point for the work at Wydown Middle School as opposed to an ending point.”

WMS teachers hope that all community members will be made aware and invited to engage in future conversations. In fact, the review may bring about more questions than it initially posed.

“Maybe, as a community, we can come together and say ‘Are we asking ourselves the right questions?’” Roberson said. “If we are thinking about growing, are we really growing in the right direction? Or are we grafting roots onto our roots that don’t fit? Are there other questions that we could be asking?” 

A robotics team member stands in front of the SMART Board in the engineering room (Noah Engel).

26

cover

Trusted by families for over 25 years!

Professionally Screened Nannies & Sitters • Nannies • B a by sit t er s • Sick C h ildc are

• H o t el Sit t er s • Tut o r s & H o m ewo r k H elp er s • Gro up C h ildc are fo r Event s • D ay & O ver nig h t C are fo r New b o r ns • C are fo r C h ildren w it h Sp ec ial Needs • Par t y H elp er s & H o use Sit t er s

TLCforkids.com

AT H

Sophomore Max Hunter hits in a game against Neosho (Eric Longman).

LETE

ILE

PROF

To the Max

T

he season was over. That was on the mind of every player on the 2014 Greyhound baseball team late in the District Championship against John Burroughs. With the season on the line and the winning run on second, Greyhound pitcher John Howard watched a line drive spring off the bat of Alex Jasiek and soar into the right center field gap. The hearts of the Greyhound faithful dropped and reality began to set in.

However, the ball never touched the ground. All it met was the glove of CHS then-freshman Max Hunter who made an unbelievable, season saving, lunging catch. The Greyhounds went on to cap off an unbelievable game with a second straight District Championship.

After working hard during the offseason, Max Hunter hopes to exceed the standards he set his freshman year. “My personal goal would probably be to win Districts and try to win State,” Hunter said.

Craig Sucher, the head baseball coach at CHS, feels confident in Hunter’s ability on the field. “Clearly on the mound, Max is one of our top pitchers, and that’s saying a lot because we’ve got some guys who can throw well,” Sucher said.

The most instrumental part of Hunter’s game is his versatility. “As a ninth grader coming in as our leadoff hitter and excelling at that capacity last year was impressive, and in the outfield, I would like to say he’s a

28

sports

natural center fielder,” Sucher said.

Although Hunter demonstrated his talent as a freshman, his offseason work has molded him into a more complete player. Hunter believes he made many improvements to his game during the offseason. “I’ve developed a better breaking ball and slider. Hopefully I can use that this year,” Hunter said. “I also think my velocity has gone up, which will help.”

Sucher was also complimentary of Hunter’s work ethic in the offseason. “His preparation in the offseason is superior. He’s put a lot of time in over a lot of years, this year included, to get where he needs to be physically, mentally, fundamentally ... You don’t get to be such a solid and consistent player on accident. There’s been a lot of hard work.”

This appreciation for hard work has given Hunter an astute ability to spot leaders on the team. He commented on the guys he looks up to on the team, “You look up to leaders like John [Howard], Jake [Brown] and Justin [Gellman], but also guys like Peter [Baugh] that work hard.”

Hunter has no plans of stopping his baseball career anytime soon either. “The goal is to play in college,” Hunter said, “I’m not quite sure yet, a lot of time to decide, but yeah, goal is to play in college, keep playing.”

With a cannon for his left arm, the future for Max Hunter the Greyhound on the baseball team is looking up. 

The Greyhound baseball team is looking for its third straight District title. However, there is a giant foe standing between the Hounds and this feat: The Westminster Wildcats.

After MSHSAA announced changes in boys’ baseball districts, the Greyhounds were placed in a district with the Westminster Wildcats, a Missouri High School baseball franchise, to say the least. The Wildcats are looking for their fifth straight State title. Although they graduated more than ten seniors last year, they are still previewed as the number one team in Missouri Class Four in 2015 with multiple players that have D-I potential, including pitcher Luke and catcher Jacob Matheny, sons of Cardinals manager Mike Matheny.

Sophomore Max Hunter understands the odds the Greyhounds are up against. “We’re gonna have to beat Westminster either way,” he said. “They’ve got a few good players, we’re just gonna have to play our best

UPDATE

BASEBALL

by BRIAN GATTER

by BRIAN GATTER and KEVIN ROSENTHAL

game to beat ‘em and if we beat ‘em I think we have a chance to go all the way and win State.”

Although Hunter looks into the future, coach Craig Sucher likes to keep it simple: “What’s not going to change is we’re going to focus on every pitch at a time, being as good as we are right now. We’re going to resist the temptation to place expectations on ourselves.”

Sucher went on to put last year in perspective, “If there’s something to learn from last season, which the last half of it couldn’t have been any better and the first half of it couldn’t have been any worse, so what we learned from that was just granting ourselves expectations without following through on the work ethic and the focus that needs to happen to earn those.”

Although the Greyhound varsity baseball team has seemingly all the odds against them, who doesn’t love an underdog? 

Y

Marco Polo

by PETER BAUGH

A look into the 2015 season of the CHS water polo team.

outh. That is certainly something that the Clayton water polo team has going for them.

The water polo team is the only co-ed sports team in the school and is led by head coach Jud Brooks. Their captains are seniors Andrew Litteken and Stefanie Getz.

Litteken hopes that the Greyhounds can develop young players that will help the team for years to come.

“This year the water polo team is working on creating a strong base and core dynamic of players and skills that will hopefully be able to contend with similar and more advanced teams this season and in future seasons as well,” Litteken said.

The Clayton team lost a strong senior class to graduation last year. Mo Mills and Doren Lan are both playing in college, and other strong players like Noah Youkilis and Amit Michaelson graduated. Fortunately for Clayton, many other area teams lost a lot of top players.

“There’s a lot of teams in the area that are kind of in the same situation as us,” sophomore Ricky Kuehn said.

Along with Litteken, Getz and Kuehn, the team is expecting strong seasons from many players. Brooks expects sophomore Daniel Soares, juniors

Henry Brown and Sammy Bale and senior goalie Jared Garrett to all make large contributions.

“I think for some of my seniors I’d love to see their own personal goals get met,” Brooks said. “So whether that’s some of my seniors hitting the 20 goal mark or the 20 assist mark, I think it’s going to be big for them.”

One aspect of the team that is different than past years is the sheer number of players for the Greyhounds. Clayton has over 40 players on the team, a record number of players for Brooks. He also said that this is the largest number of freshmen he has ever coached. Though it can be difficult to manage so many players at one time, the youth of the team could lead to a potent group of players for upcoming years.

“The most fundamental goal for us this year is going to be to establish just the water polo 101, just kind of the basics for our freshmen and sophomores at the JV level,” Brooks said.

The varsity team features three freshmen.

Theo Fehr, Jaime Befeler and Sam Youkilis both made the team in their first season at CHS. Getz, Bale and junior Sophie Allen are the three girls on varsity.

Brooks is excited to see what the team will accomplish. “It’s going to be a good year,” he said. “It’s going to be fun.” 

“This year the water polo team is working on creating a strong base and core dynamic of players,” Andrew Litteken

Sophomore Daniel Soares reaches to block a pass (photo by Susanna Sharp). sports

29

S P R I N G SPORTS UPDATE

by Max Steinbaum

Jolena Pang, GIRLS’ TRACK How is the season is going so far?

I’d say it’s going a lot better than last year. I think last year was a bit of a rough season, but now people are really starting to kick it into gear and take it more seriously.

What things are you most looking forward to this season?

I’m looking forward to seeing how the new girls do, because we have some really talented girls that are freshmen and sophomores with a lot of potential. We also have upperclassmen who are looking super good, so I’m excited to see how they do at upcoming meets. Hopefully, later on in the season,

we’ll see some girls go to State.

What kinds of goals do you have for the team?

For the team, I just hope that everyone forms a close bond and we have a close team this year. Last year, it was kind of separated into different cliques and groups and I don’t know if we bonded as well as we could have. For this year, I hope everyone forms good relationships, and I think that from those relationships we’ll run really well together and perform well as a team. Track is an individual sport, but you have to remember the team aspect of it as well.

Photo from Jolena Pang

Robert Hogan, BOYS’ GOLF How is the season is going so far?

So far I think the season’s going well ... I think we’ve improved a lot since the season started. We’ve got a couple of new guys coming in, and we’ve lost a couple of seniors in the last two years, but I think we’re making some great improvements.

What things are you most looking forward to this season?

We’re having most of our matches at Gateway, which is our home course, which I’m looking forward to. I’m also really looking forward to a SLUH tournament that we’re going to play

in which should be really fun.

What personal goals do you have?

I think I’m just going to take it a step at a time and just see what’s happening. I want to try and qualify for Sectionals or Districts, and do my best at State if I get there.

What kinds of goals do you have for the team?

We’re in a new conference this year, so I think it would be a really great accomplishment if we won our conference. I think there are some improvements we need to make to reach that goal.

Photo from Globe Archives

Lindsey Anderson, GIRLS’ SOCCER How is the season going so far?

So far we have had two games. We won our first game against Lutheran South. We beat them 6-0 which is really exciting. But we played Ladue the other day and we lost 2-0 which was frustrating, but our second half was much better than our first.

What things are you most looking forward to this season?

I’m probably looking forward most to team

30

sports

bonding as well as the Ladue game. Overall, really just having fun with the team.

What personal goals do you have?

Personally, my goal is to hopefully play in all 21 games as well as maybe score a goal or two.

What kinds of goals do you have for the team?

Our team goal is to win over half of our games and finish over .500 as well as to potentially win our district.

Photo by Robin Rivard

CRAZY SPORTS

THE

MOMENT

I can still hear the echo of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s voice when he announced, “With the first pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams select Sam Bradford, Quarterback, Oklahoma.” With the Bradford pick, excitement swept St. Louis, even after a tumultuous 1-15 season in 2009, the worst season for the Rams in franchise history.

Excitement turned to more disappointment, however, as the Rams continued in their losing ways, even under Bradford’s lead. Bradford compiled an 18-30-1 record as the Rams starter. More frustrating than Bradford’s record was his inability to stay healthy.

In the last two seasons, Bradford tore his ACL twice, missing all of the 2014 season and more than half of the 2013 season. The Rams had to play with the likes of Kellen Clemens and Shaun Hill under center, which halted any possible progress for the team as a whole.

A new era is starting this year for Rams football, however, as just a few weeks ago, the Rams traded Sam Bradford, along with a fifth round draft pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for the Eagles’ starting quarterback over the last two seasons, Nick Foles, and a fourth round draft pick.

This is a great trade for the Rams, who may have just added the missing piece necessary for the team to finally make a run at the playoffs. It is difficult to understand what motivated the Eagles to make the trade, and why they think so highly of Sam Bradford.

Under the lead of Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, Foles went 14-4 as the starting quarterback in Philly. In 2013, Foles’ touchdown-interception ratio was outstanding, the best for a quarterback in a single season in the history of the NFL: Foles threw 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions. This incredible feat included a span at the start of the 2013 season that included 233 straight completions and 19 touchdowns for Foles before he threw his first interception of the season, a game that was played in a blizzard in Philadelphia. Foles led the Eagles to the playoffs, and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

OF THE MONTH

by Kevin Rosenthal

Foles took a step back in the 2014 season, however. He threw 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and missed the last eight games of the season with a collarbone injury.

There is one statistic I find particularly intriguing in comparing Foles with Bradford. This statistic, I believe, could be the key to the Rams season in 2015. Nick Foles, in games in which his defense gives up less than 21 points, is 8-0 in his career. Under head coach Chip Kelly, in games in which his defense gives up 21 or more points, Nick Foles is 7-9. 7-9 may not sound too impressive, but to put it in perspective, the average NFL starting quarterback wins about 25 percent of the games in which his team gives up 21 or more points. In games in which Sam Bradford’s defense has given up 21 or more points, Bradford is 3-22-1 in his career. This is a staggering difference.

This statistic emulates why the Eagles made a fatal error in trading Foles for Bradford. Foles has displayed his ability to compete in games, whether or not his defense has played effectively. Fortunately, the Rams defense has potential to be one of the best defenses in the league. The defensive line of the Rams is a juggernaut, the linebacking core is solid and the secondary is improving. Foles has been stellar in games in which his defense has played well, and he has held his own in games where his defense has struggled. Of course, Foles did have such weapons as LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson over the last two seasons with his offense in Philly. But Tre Mason, Tavon Austin, and Stedman Bailey have star potential for the Rams, and Foles can help to bring out the best in each of these assets.

I can’t blame the Rams for drafting Bradford with the first overall pick in 2010. Bradford showed an immense amount of promise coming out of high school, and he still has a shot to excel in the NFL, as he is only 27 years old. But the adding Nick Foles is the right move for the Rams. Foles has an unparalleled work ethic, and a deep passion for the game of football. Adding Foles just may be the difference for the Rams returning to their first postseason in eleven years. 

Sam Bradford photo: (Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/MCT) Nick Foles photo: (David Maialetti/Philadelphia Inquirer/MCT)

sports

31

American American Sniper Sniper

by AUDREY HOLDS

Following the real-life story of Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, American Sniper proved to be an intense, disturbing, but eye-opening depiction of the war in Iraq.

Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) is the deadliest marksman in U.S. military history, credited with 160 confirmed kills by The Department of Defense.

Rumors state the number is closer to 250. Although he originally aspired to be a rodeo cowboy, Kyle joins the Navy SEALS after the 1988 U.S. embassy bombings, desiring to fight for his country.

After the Sept. 11 attack of 2001, Kyle is sent on his first tour of Iraq, leaving his pregnant wife at home. In a tragically heartbreaking scene, Kyle’s first two kills are a young boy and his mother attempting to throw a grenade at U.S. marines. In time, Kyle is nicknamed “The Legend” for his large number of kills.

However, the traumas of the war haunt Kyle. During visits home, he is withdrawn and anxious, even with his son and daughter, who were born over the course of his tours in Iraq. The war never truly ends for Kyle.

Most critics and viewers gave favorable reviews of Clint Eastwood’s “American Sniper,” but some critics argue that American Sniper is an inaccurate portrayal of Chris Kyle’s story and that it is biased in America’s favor.

In response to these criticisms, more important than just the story of Chris Kyle, is the human portrayal of the modern soldier in Middle Eastern wars, and his or her difficult experience adjusting back home. American Sniper could be seen as biased towards America, but the movie also reveals atrocities on both sides: the horror of warfare.

American Sniper was a roller-coaster ride of emotion. Several times I found myself turning away from the movie screen or placing my hands over my mouth in horror. Images were depicted that were gruesome and violated the sanctity of human life. American Sniper provides insight into the experience of a U.S. soldier, the war in Iraq and the lasting psychological impacts of warfare on the human mind. The film raises to light issues that need to be confronted by the U.S. public that are often ignored or forgotten.

For those able to handle grotesque images of the war in Iraq, those who like action and intense emotion and those that want to understand the realities of the modern world, American Sniper will not disappoint. 

Top: Official Movie Poster Bottom: Chris Kyle, a retired Navy SEAL and bestselling author of the book “American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History,” holds a .308 sniper rifle. Kyle was one of two people reported killed on the gun range at Rough Creek Lodge near Glen Rose, Texas. (Paul Moseley/ Fort Worth Star-Telegram/MCT)

32

review

by JEFFREY FRIEDMAN

Official TV poster (Wikimedia commons).

An original NBC broadcast that aired September 2013.

“The Blacklist,” which airs every Thursday at 8 p.m. central time on NBC, is good television, but definitely not great.

The show is based on a very interesting premise. Megan Boone plays Elizabeth Keen, an FBI field agent who finds herself calling into question the validity of many important relationships, even those in which she had originally invested the most trust.

Raymond “Red” Reddington (James Spader), one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives, appears out of nowhere into the story line, and attempts to establish an understanding with the FBI. Reddington agrees to assist the FBI in solving big-time cases. In other words, he offers to provide help that the FBI couldn’t feasibly refuse to accept.

Of course, however, there is a catch. Not only does Reddington refuse to work with the FBI on cases unless it’s directly with Agent Keen, but he also asks for immunity from all of the dirt that he’s so clearly kicked up in the past.

The unmatched brilliance of the criminal mind comes into play at the get-go. Upon his mysterious surrender, Reddington now seems to have the service of the FBI and all of its resources at the wave of a finger.

Viewers don’t quite know what to think about this idea, but it seems that Reddington has a cryptic ulterior motive, and perhaps some sort of obsession with Keen to go with it.

“Brokering shadowy deals for criminals across the globe, Red was known by many as ‘The Concierge of Crime,’” according to the show description on the network’s website. As one of the world’s most notorious criminals, he has the face, as well as certain skills in seeing the big-

ger picture, that the FBI could use in increasing its success rate.

The show gets its name from the fact that, in his negotiation with the FBI, Reddington agrees to provide names from a “blacklist” full of “politicians, mobsters, spies and international terrorists,” as the NBC website’s overview continues.

In dramatic TV shows, I look for a comfortable blend of adrenalinepumping action, unexpected humor and development of attentiongrabbing personal relationships. “The Blacklist,” while it fulfills most of what I’m looking for in a program, could undoubtedly be better.

While every episode is bound to get your blood pumping at least once or twice, and while the personal relationship aspect is definitely present, the screenwriters amuse the audience through the characters’ admirable wit when it comes to tactful manipulation instead of through humor.

Yes, it’s somewhat entertaining to see Reddington’s brilliant mind at work and to hear him outsmart everyone else with his unbelievably well-timed remarks, but it gets a bit boring after a while. Some humor to lighten the mood could go very far in making the show more enjoyable.

Although, to the viewer, Reddington’s sudden appearance into the “normal” lives of married couple Tom and Elizabeth Keen at first seems exceedingly random, it turns out that perhaps the criminal chose them for a reason.

If you’re looking for a new show to capture your attention, be sure to give “The Blacklist” a try. It isn’t the best crime or detective show ever written, but it undeniably gets the job done. 

review

33

Agent Carter

by SIERRA HIERONYMUS

(Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times/TNS) Fans of the movie “Captain America: The Winter Soldier and the Marvel Universe” in general should be familiar with the character of Peggy Carter. On the surface, she is Captain America’s love interest, but over the course of the movie it becomes clear that she is also a skilled secret agent for the Strategic Scientific Reserve, or SSR. The TV mini-series, “Marvel’s Agent Carter,” furthers that character development, as this heroine deals with post-WWII sexism in both everyday society and the world of espionage.

Hayley Atwell plays Agent Carter, a character that’s both attractive and magnetic. She adds the right blend of emotion, skill and wit to the program. The series is worth watching for her performance alone.

A slew of other characters fill the world of “Marvel’s Agent Carter,” from the stereotypical girls in her boardinghouse to the exclusively male co-workers in the SSR, where, in fact, Peggy is stuck fetching coffee and essentially playing secretary.

The show is brightly lit, with beautiful visuals creating a pictur-

esque view of 1950s New York City. Additionally, the action scenes in each episode will satisfy any fan of superhero movies.

However, the show is not without its flaws. For a television show with a strong female lead, Marvel’s Agent Carter lacks any significant female characters outside of its heroine. The “friends” Peggy makes in her boardinghouse (who are more acquaintances, considering that she has to hide a significant part of her life from them) all fit into female stereotypes of the time, and few women other than Peggy herself make any significant difference to the plot. However, it is still possible for Marvel’s Agent Carter to mend this issue, perhaps by introducing a female villain or at least another female agent into the SSR. Marvel has yet to announce whether the mini-series will return again next year, possibly as a mid-season substitute for sister series Marvel’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Hopefully, America has not seen the last of Peggy Carter, whether she reappears on the small screen or the big one. 

WHITE TO GRAY

I

magine my surprise when I opened our St. Louis Post-Dispatch and saw a picture of my eighth grade English teacher Rob Maesaka on the front of the “Go! Magazine” section. The same special entertainment part of the newspaper that had announced the coming of One Direction to Saint Louis was featuring the world premiere of a Wydown Middle School teacher’s play.

I remembered Maesaka talking about his play “White to Gray” with our class last year. He talked about how he had spent all summer writing and that sounded like something I would enjoy doing, too. I could tell that he had really stuck with it and put himself in there to capture the feelings and emotions of the characters. He also told us that he’d give us extra credit if we came to see it the following February.

I knew I probably wouldn’t be able to use that extra credit for my freshman English class, but I was curious to see the play anyway. I was looking forward to seeing what he had been working on for so long.

“White to Gray” takes place in Hawaii at the time of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It centers on college sweethearts Peter and Sumiko, whose

34

review

by EMMA EBELING

families disapprove of their relationship because he is Caucasian and she is a Japanese-American.

Peter follows Sumiko and her mother on a ship bound for San Francisco. The bombing takes place during the trip and the Japanese passengers are confined to their cabins. Both Peter and Sumiko have to make difficult decisions about their feelings for each other, for their families and for their country.

Some of my favorite aspects of the play were the actors’ portrayal of emotion, the fantastic costumes and the simple yet effective set design. I thought the actors, especially Peter and his friend Jimmy, were very convincing. One of my favorite scenes is when Peter is put into the ship’s brig (jail) for his involvement with Sumiko. Jimmy is able to get him out, and they have a very thought-provoking conversation about where Peter’s loyalties really lie.

The costumes were accurate for the time period, something that’s very important to me in a play, and the set of the ship made me feel as though I were right there with the actors. 

H

LE lot of flavor

by PETER SCHMIDT

When I walked into Vincent Van Doughnut promptly at 6 a.m., owners Vincent Marsden and Will Saulsbery didn’t blink an eye. They joked with me about my spring break sleep schedule and, when I told them I went to CHS, recounted their latest victory in a basketball rec league at the Clayton Center. The shop had been open for only three days, but buying a dozen doughnuts before sunrise already felt like a comforting-and groggy--morning routine.

The first thing that struck me was the shape of the doughnuts themselves: square. In a time when doughnuts are pushed to the wildest extremes with flavors like Sriracha Raspberry and Memphis BBQ, the only sacred characteristic of doughnuts is their circular shape. I was skeptical.

I also noticed that the doughnuts were huge. Perhaps it has something to do with their shape, but when I left with a box of 12, I was astounded by its considerable heft. Fortunately, I brought along Peter Baugh, the Globe’s resident doughnut taste-tester, to help me defeat the four-sided behemoths.

However, what Vincent Van Doughnut lacks in geometry is made up for with the simplicity of its doughnuts. Besides a predictably green St. Patrick’s Day cake doughnut (which, I may point out, was circular), all the doughnuts had an identical yeast-raised base. The pizzazz came from the toppings.

The truest test of any doughnut shop’s merit is their plain doughnut.

Vincent Van Doughnut’s Vanilla glazed doughnut had a sweet base with a subtle flavor suggestive of sourdough. Unlike Krispy Kreme’s iconic

glazed rings, these doughnuts were heavier and more like small cakes.

The French Toast Doughnut was a particular surprise. The toppings of cinnamon, pecans and candied walnuts gave it a satisfying crunch and a more sophisticated flavor.

The Chocolate Salted Caramel tasted almost entirely of just chocolate with a hint of salt. It was rather heavy for one person to handle (especially on the third sample), but the combination of dark chocolate and salt prevented it from being overwhelmingly sweet.

Alas, we should have taken the St. Patrick’s Day Doughnut’s green coloring as an omen. The green cake base was dry and the frosting lacked any surprising flavor. However, because it was a daily special, I’m willing to overlook the mistake. In addition, considering that it was the only circular doughnut, I’m beginning to think that the square is Vincent Van Doughnut’s unconventional sign of quality.

Finally, the kicker. It seems that any self-respecting doughnut shop must include bacon in one of their creations. Vincent Van’s maple bacon doughnut is, in my experience, the best in town. The bacon’s smoky seasoning sets off the sweet maple frosting in a combination that brought to mind memories of campfires and cold mornings.

In a world of all-too-often strange doughnut concoctions, Vincent Van Doughnut is refreshingly simple. As a young addition to the Clayton food scene, it seems that it is still finding its footing. However, I would recommend it for any early morning adventure.

Be there and be square. 

Vincent Van Doughnut’s doughnut holes (Katherine Sleckman). review

35

infonía de México

by NICOLE BELIZ

The National Symphony of Mexico performed at The Lindenwood Theater on Mar. 2, 2015. The concert began around 7 p.m., and ended at around 10. It included performances from world-renowned soloists such as Alfonso Moreno and Irina Chistiakova.

The National Symphony is the most prestigious musical ensemble in Mexico, and one of the most important in Latin America. I had never been inside the Lindenwood Theatre, and its size and splendor surprised me. Refreshments such as coffee and cookies were sold before the show and during the intermission. The symphony played a wide variety of pieces from many Spanish composers. Some of the pieces were over twenty minutes long.

The guitar soloist that accompanied the symphony for a few songs, Alfonso Moreno, is a true mastermind. Not only did he perform all of his pieces by memory, but he added improvised segments as well. Furthermore, Moreno executed techniques on the guitar that I thought were only possible on other string instruments such as the violin and the cello.

The piano soloist, Irina Chistiakova, was also an excellent musician.

I was awestruck by the grace and fluidity of her playing. Her technique and the vast combinations of sounds and moods she conveyed with her playing were auditory proof of what must have been dozens of hours of practice. As a pianist, I admire this greatly. I also enjoyed seeing how Chistiakova’s long hands could pound the keys mercilessly at neck-breaking speeds, but then also create sound in such a fine, feather-light way.

Throughout my life here in St. Louis, I have seen many classical musical performances in many different concert halls. However, the concert of

the National Mexican Symphony is probably one of the few that I’ve enjoyed the most. In terms of skills and musical selection, I can confidently say that the Mexican symphony is as good as our St. Louis Symphony in Powell Hall.

However, what sets Mexico’s national symphony’s performance apart from others, is the kind, fun spirit of the artists on stage. For example, during the intermission, I saw some of the members of the symphony talking with members of the audience--a heartwarming gesture, considering the fact that the musicians did not even speak fluent English. As expected, the ceaseless clapping at the end of the programmed performance inspired the conductor of the orchestra to play one more song: a traditional Mexican song that got the entire hall clapping, cheering and even dancing. This kind of liveliness is pretty rare in the world of classical musical performances.

I’d also like to mention that after this traditional song, the director turned around and attempted to thank the audience, and St. Louis itself, for being such great listeners and hosts. However, since a lot of audience members didn’t understand what he was saying, he instructed the symphony to play a patriotic American song to show appreciation through action.

I do not know with certainty how often the National Symphony of Mexico comes to America, much less to St. Louis, but if you ever find yourself in the same city at the same time as one of their performances, I strongly recommend attending this musical display of art and culture. 

Must-Watch New Shows of 2015 Photos from Wikimedia Commons

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Although the show was originally intended to be aired on NBC, Netflix has agreed to pick up Tina Fey’s new comedy sitcom about Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper), a chirpy young woman who is rescued from a doomsday cult and starts life over again in New York City.

36

review

Empire

better call saul

This Fox monster rookie drama is centered around the Lyon family, who owns a successful hip hop music and entertainment company, Empire Entertainment. The CEO, Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard), has a medical diagnosis and must decide which of his three sons will take over. The reappearance of Cookie (Taraji P. Henson), his outspoken ex-wife, further complicates matters.

Before there was Walter White, there was Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk), a small-time attorney striving to make a name for himself. Many people might know him better as Saul Goodman, the ace attorney for Albuquerque’s most notorious criminal.

Created by Vince Gilligan, the creator of “Breaking Bad,” “Better Call Saul” seems to be a bit of a spin-off of the other show. It airs on AMC.

House of Cards

by ZACH SORENSEN “House of Cards” has made yet another return to the computer screens of Netflix-users and pirates across the globe.

The show, which aired in 2013, has not only added newer content to the DVD sharing and streaming service, but has also added increased legitimacy to increasingly online-based content.

The question at hand is simple: is the third season good, or not? The answer is yes … and no.

This season picks up a few months after the resignation of President Walker (Michael Gill).

The new president, Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), is struggling to leave his mark on America. However, throughout the season, Underwood must endure opposition within his own party over the next presidential election and Underwood’s own radical attempts at reform.

All the while, he is juggling a discontent Putin figure, marital issues with Claire and his own ambition.

Needless to say the third season of many TV shows typically sees a dip with the quality of the programming. This is due not to a deterioration in cinematography, production quality or even acting. Instead, the plot often becomes less and less believable as the story progresses. “House of Cards” viewers saw obscure loopholes exploited to accomplish massive tasks, UN security coun-

cil protocols evaded and other ridiculous events played out, all of which made the story less gritty and more soapy.

Additionally, the show falls into the terrible cliché of conflicts escalating due to poor communication between characters. That isn’t to say that the season is not enjoyable; in fact, it is for the first time around. However, once you reflect on the content, the issues and weaknesses in the plot begin to shine through. Ultimately, these plot issues do not lower the entertainment value of the show, just the artistic value of the content.

Aside from the show’s gradual slip from the rails of reality, it is still well-made, well-played and carefully crafted in terms of its dialogue and interactions. In fact, the events are in many ways inspired by recent non-fiction events, though of course much of this is overdramatized and unrealistic.

Overall, the production quality, acting and scope of the new season remain consistent with the series so far. However, the plot’s increasingly tenuous grip on realism is not helping the show to improve or even to remain at the same level.

But it’s important to keep in mind that, while the third season is flawed like the second, the first season set a standard that’s nearly impossible to match. 

Official Season Poster

mcfarland, usa

by TARA WILLIAMS

Official Movie Poster

McFarland, USA is a Disney sports drama film that is genuine in its message. The film is based on a true story, when, in 1987, Jim White (Kevin Costner) coached a boys’ cross country team from McFarland, CA and won the State Cross Country Championships. McFarland is a small, predominantly Latino farming town. As Thomas Valles (Carlos Pratts) puts it, “McFarland is far from the American dream.”

Coach Jim White, having been fired from many coaching positions, moves to McFarland with his family in hopes of a break--one that he ultimately finds.

The team of boys that White coaches includes three brothers, a poet and a cross country prodigy.

White pushes the boys to their full potential and takes them to cross country state championships, which puts him on the map as a coach.

Costner plays the role of a family man very well.

Racial stereotypes are challenged throughout the film, including when White’s daughter, Julie (Morgan Saylor), has a Quinceañera. The boys initially call White “Blanco,” referring to his race, but ultimately stick with “Coach.”

Although the film’s plot is fairly predictable, the boys’ running had the audience members on the edge of their seats. Coach White is stern and intimidating without being condescending, and the movie develops the boys’ characters in a way that will have you grabbing for your tissue when they say something poignant.

The ultimate message of the film is a fairly patriotic one that challenges the standing definition of the American dream. 

review

37

The

DUFF Designated Ugly Fat Friend

by SOPHIE ALLEN

In February, “The DUFF” hit theaters marketed as a comedy, but the message was far from comedic.

Original movie poster.

“Sorry, it’s not my job to give you intel on my best friends.”

“It is though. As their DUFF--” “Their what?”

“DUFF. D-U-F-F. Designated ugly fat friend.”

This quote is the verbatim exchange between the main character and leading man showcased in the trailer of the recently released movie, “The DUFF.” According to CBS films online’s synopsis of the movie, the main message of the film is “no matter what people look or act like, we are all someone’s DUFF...and that’s totally fine.”

Well, it’s not.

What kind of positive body image promotion is this? Bianca, the “DUFF,” is played by Mae Whitman, a 26-year-old, 5’ 1” and by no means “fat” actress.

The basic premise of the movie is that Bianca is shocked into the realization that her friends use her to make themselves look better, prompting her to leave them and start her own group of friends where she isn’t the “DUFF.” The problem of having better-looking friends is something that everyone will deal with at some point in their life. It’s just a fact that you aren’t always going to be the prettiest one in the room, and it’s also a fact that that is okay. What isn’t okay is telling someone else that they aren’t the prettiest one in the room and that they should probably do something about that.

How rude!

What it seems Hollywood is attempting to tackle here is the issue of self-confidence in teenage girls. Surrounded by the many other ads, movies and celebrities endorsed by them, it’s kind of nice that they’re attempting to combat the negative feelings we all get when we watch the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show or see a movie set in a dystopian society with a perfectly made-up lead female character. Unrealistic expectations of beauty are plentiful, and it is absolutely necessary that we hear, oc-

casionally at the very least, that it’s okay that we don’t all look like that.

However, calling someone a “DUFF” to get them to re-make themselves into a sexier, more confident woman, is totally the wrong way to go about it. While shaming may push a few women to be “better people” (and by better they obviously mean skinner), that tactic works on a very small amount of the population.

Often times, shaming a teenage girl about her appearance makes her want to cry. Not cool.

Perhaps Hollywood is trying to motivate more women to respond to shaming by turning their lives around, but this seems very counterproductive. As a society, we should be more angry with the people doing the shaming rather than the women who don’t look “ideal.”

Part of growing up is thinking you’re not as pretty as everyone else and finding out through self-confidence and occasional endorsement from crushes and exes that you’re a stunner no matter what.

The problem with producing a movie about how this girl did it is that it makes this some kind of “norm.”

It’s not normal for the hottest guy in school to reveal to you that you’re fat and ugly and need a makeover and then go about helping you achieve that so your ex-friends think maybe they should have been nicer to you.

It’s normal to run into a few times where people say mean stuff about your appearance and figuring out how to deal with it until, eventually, those comments don’t matter to you at all because you know in your heart, and front camera, that you’re gorgeous and cool and unique and that’s what matters.

I’m going to end this by saying that no, CBS, everyone is not “someone’s DUFF and that’s okay.” Everyone is beautiful and if you have friends or people in your life that don’t see that, forget them.

The movie should’ve ended right after the conversation I started this with: “It is though, as their DUFF.” “Their what?”

“DUFF. D-U-F-F. Designated ugly fat friend.”

“Seriously?” *rolls her eyes and walks away.* 

commentary

39

DOGS

by PETER BAUGH

In a study done by the Animal Cognition journal, 20 domesticated cats were observed over an eight month span. The study showed that 50 to 70 percent of the cats turned its head when their owner called their name. Another 30 percent moved its ears. The domesticated cat recognizes the voice of their owner.

However, only 10 percent of the cats responded by meowing or moving their tails. How does that feel? Most cats do not even acknowledge their owner’s presence when called. This shows the rude, inconsiderate nature of the domesticated feline.

Sophomore Drew Phelan has had numerous negative experiences with his grandmother’s cat.

“Cats are just a less social animal and you want to go up and pet the cat but most of the time the cat responds negatively to that and claws me,” Phelan said.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, my dog Riley would always respond when I called him. He never failed to greet me at the door with love and compassion.

Sophomore Emily Sharp has shared my experiences with her cocker spaniel.

“I think my favorite thing about my dog is, whenever I leave the house, when I come back, no matter if I’ve been away for two hours or two weeks, she always greets me with just crazy enthusiasm,” Sharp said. “She’s jumping up and she loves having me home. That’s a great feeling.”

An argument that ignorant cat owners often make is that their feline friends are smarter than dogs. An Oxford study, however, shows that this may not actually be the case.

A statement was released by Suzanne Shultz, the lead author of the study.

“Groups of highly social species have undergone much more rapid increases (in brain size across history) than more solitary species. This

40

pro/con

Senior Peter Baugh with his dog, Riley (Emily Braverman). suggests that the cooperation and coordination needed for group living can be challenging and over time some mammals have evolved larger brains to be able to cope with the demands of socializing,” Shultz said.

Be real with yourself. Which species is more social - cats or dogs?

Even cat owners would be lying if they said that dogs are not the more social of the two.

Data from the study showed that dogs brains grew more over time than those of solitary animals like cats. To compare the two animals to more socially common terms, cats may have book smarts, but dogs have street smarts.

The affectionate nature of the canine has not gone unnoticed. Hospice centers often feature therapy dogs that come and visit patients in their dying days. To research the health benefits of this treatment, the Department of Medicine at the University of Adelaide in Woodville, Australia did a study to see the impact of a miniature poodle on hospice patients.

According to the study, “The resident poodle appeared to facilitate staff-patient interactions, ease patient-visitor relations, and improve staff and patient morale on a situational basis.”

If you listen to the voice of Americans, you will hear the same prodog sentiment. In an Associated Press poll, 74 percent of people reported liking dogs a lot, while a mere 41 percent said that they like cats a lot.

As a Globe staff, we did a staff evaluation. At a Tuesday morning meeting, we asked reporters and editors if they preferred cats or dogs.

The results were overwhelming. While only 17 staff members said they preferred cats, 33 said that they are partial to dogs.

I am not saying that cat owners should not love their cats and I am not saying that if you love cats you are a bad person. I am merely stating that, when looking at the science, canines are proven to be better, smarter and friendlier companions than their feline counterparts. 

CATS

by ALEX BERNARD

Junior Alex Bernard with her cat, Kronus (photo from Alex Bernard).

It is 3 a.m. and a faithful owner’s sleep is interrupted as Biscuit the dog bangs on the bells attached to the front doorknob. Biscuit knows by now that his master will get up and let him out, as he does every other night, and Biscuit is right. Just when the owner begins to fall asleep again, Biscuit hears a leaf rustle across the street and breaks into a cacophony of howling, all under the guise of protecting his household.

Biscuit is quite the loyal companion.

Meanwhile, a cat owner sleeps peacefully with Felix curled up next to him. Hardly making a sound, Felix slips out from under the covers, jumps off the bed and lands silently on her feet. She pads down the hall to take care of her business, without disturbing a soul.

If quality sleep matters at all, that is reason enough to choose to adopt a cat over a dog. Even disregarding the unfortunate midnight chore in which dog owners must partake, cats are the obvious frontrunner in the age old pet debate.

Cats, with their mysterious and serene personality, have been worshipped for hundreds of years. Archeological evidence suggests that cats were domesticated in Mesopotamia in approximately 12000 BCE in order to control pests and mice attracted by the grain supply. 4,000 years ago in Egypt, the penalty for killing a cat was death. When cats died of natural causes they were mummified in a process similar to that of their human counterparts, and all the members of their household shaved their eyebrows in a symbol of mourning. At the time of their owners’ deaths, the cat and its family would be buried in proximity to each other.

CHS English teacher Dr. Rebecca Taylor, proud owner of her kitty, Nicodemus, is a self-professed lover of both dogs and cats alike. However, she could not envision herself living with a dog. “I sometimes see people walking down the road with a dog and I think, ‘how do you live with that animal?’”

Cats are smaller than many breeds of dog. Whether that means having to clean up less animal hair or ensuring an extra spot on the couch, size matters. And while the dog barrels over guests in excitement, a cat may decide to remain sleeping under the bed all day, leaving the house quiet and calm enough for work to take place and for company to come over.

Dogs, on the other hand, require constant entertainment. On top of

the daily walks, dogs will beg to play fetch or tug-of-war, and a trip to the kennel will last as long as his owner wants to put up with his whining and barking.

A cat, on the other hand, pays attention to the needs and desires of her owners. If they are too busy to play, she will entertain herself by laying in the sun or batting a string, all without attracting any attention or annoyance from her owners. Cats’ independent personality can seem offputting to some people, but that independence is what makes a cat such an interesting companion.

“People think cats are not friendly, but if you have the right cat, that’s not the case,” Taylor said. “They have a wide variety of temperaments.”

Inevitably, all pets misbehave. When a cat jumps on the kitchen table, a trip down to Target to purchase a two dollar water spritzer will solve the problem effectively. When a dog is disobedient, the owners had better invest in an expensive dog training program if they do not want the situation to worsen.

And when a pet owner wants to get away? A dog has be left at an animal hotel or under the care of a dedicated dog-lover who is happy to walk him several times a day. Cat owners need only to leave a few extra bowls of food and water, and they are ready to take off.

Cats also clean themselves and do not require haircuts, eliminating another costly and time-consuming chore for their owners.

Although having an allergy to a cat is more common than having one to a dog, there are many hypoallergenic breeds of cats. “For a long time ... I thought I was allergic to cats, and I just didn’t think I could live with cats,” Taylor said. “And then I discovered that there are cats that are hypoallergenic.”

Still unconvinced? Let the numbers speak for themselves. According to the Humane Society, cat owners will spend an annual average of $38 less on routine veterinary visits. As of 2013, there were 12.3 million more cats owned nationwide than dogs. On Instagram, Lil Bub, a cat known for her iconic facial expressions, has over 675,000 followers. On Apple devices, the current cat to dog emoji ratio is 11 to three. Clearly, cats are by far the better pet to own. 

pro/con

41

ISIS ON SNL

by ASHLEIGH WILLIAMS

The Kurdish Peshmerga base on the outskirts of the tiny contested hamlet of Sultan Abdullah, about 35 miles from the Kurdish capital of Irbil, comes under constant attack from Islamic State militants that are less than 1,000 yards away. (Mitchell Prothero/McClatchy/TNS)

S

NL is known to do a wide variety of skits. Sometimes offensive, the skits are, more often than not, pretty tame.

On Feb. 28, 2015, SNL aired one of its most daring skits ever. SNL parodied ISIS. The skit is basically a play off of a Toyota car commercial in which a father and daughter bid each other farewell because the daughter is joining the army.

In the SNL skit, the girl in the commercial, (played by “50 Shades of Grey” actress, Dakota Johnson) is not joining the army. The girl is joining ISIS. As the girl gets out of the car, the father says, “Be careful,” to which the daughter replies, “Dad, it’s just ISIS.” Later, a pick-up truck filled with ISIS members shooting guns comes by to pick up the girl. The father tells the people on the truck to take care of his daughter, to which a man on the truck replies, “Death to America.”

Shortly after the 40th anniversary of the show, all eyes were still on the cast of SNL to see what would come up in next week’s program. This skit briefly followed all of the new information about the terrorist group, including that the group was reaching out to young people over Twitter, and that three young girls from Britain tried to join the group as well as a

group of three young men from New York.

Many people have been very offended by the skit, saying that the skit is horrible as it draws parallels between the US Army and ISIS. Others think that it is simply offensive to use a leading terrorist group as a joke.

However, SNL has done something that few press companies have done.

It has used its freedom of speech to show the public something comedic that many people think is offensive. The attack of the newspaper staff, Charlie Hebdo, in January from the terror group Al-Qaeda has been paralleled to the new SNL skit. Many people think that the SNL cast are in some sort of danger for poking fun at the terror group ISIS. However, some think that SNL should produce more skits like the ISIS skit because it leads to more people being educated on what ISIS even is.

Although there definitely could have been a less crude way of trying to tell people information about the terrorist group, the skit did what it was intended to do - it made people listen. There are people who do not pay attention to what happens in the Middle East, but do tune in to watch Saturday Night Live every week. Terrorist groups should not be joked about; however, bringing attention to them is not a crime, especially in a land that encourages freedom of expression. 

Number of Foreigners Fighting for ISIS

42

USA

UK

Saudi Arabia

France

Russia

180

600

2400

1200

1500

commentary

Netflix Loading...

We Are Slowing Down

W

by KARENA TSE

e live in a fast world where we are always trying to achieve efficiency. As high school students, we love the idea of making as much academic progress using as little time as possible.

Most of us have not reached this ideal. Many of us are remarkably talented at watching a lot of Netflix and not doing any homework. This has led us to long, hair-pulling nights of scribbled answers and haphazardly written essays.

The problem in this situation is that Netflix and homework often overlap. The show plays in the background while the pencil hovers over the paper, which remains devastatingly blank for a long time. But while we are experiencing a constant outside stimulus, we are not fully aware of the fact that we are not accomplishing anything.

Our brains feel preoccupied and trick us into doing nothing. We do not feel compelled to take action despite the fact that we are aware that we are being unproductive.

In the end, our energy and brainpower is depleted regardless of the amount of real progress we make. Too many of us go to bed exhausted and wake up uneager to face the day. When we enter this cycle, we become self-destructive. Already at work, this is the perfect system for a fatigued and unenthusiastic community.

We are so affected because constant preoccupation, though draining, is comfortable to us. Technology and the countless forms of entertainment that have developed with it are so easily accessible that they seem to be permanent fixtures in our lives. We always have the choice to put on music while we clean our room, or to have our phone right there on the

desk while we work. Our minds have become so accustomed to flitting back and forth between task and entertainment that it feels natural to operate this way. We are uncomfortable directing our whole and active focus toward one object, so we focus waveringly on two.

The result: We are never satisfied. We cannot feel fully entertained, and we cannot feel fully accomplished. If we are only half-watching the show and half-doing the homework, the only thing we can do is to keep doing both in the resigned hope that if we hang on for long enough, something will get done.

We use a lot of time and get very stressed. In the midst of all these things, we make very little progress. We have achieved the opposite of efficiency.

To spend less time and to achieve more, we need to concentrate the value of our time. Time is not an inexhaustible resource, but an opportunity to take an active and conscious role in our own lives. When someone asks, “What are you doing?� we need to have an answer. We need to be awake.

Directing all of our focus toward one task is daunting. Once we are completely aware of our actions, decisions, successes, and failures without a constant source of entertainment to muffle our senses, we face the risk of becoming disheartened by a lack of progress. But we must become conscious of our failures to turn them into successes.

We cannot be passive.

This new year, do not settle into the detached contentment of constant half-work and half-entertainment. If you are going to watch one episode, watch one episode. If you are going to read one chapter, read one chapter. Dedicate yourself. Engage yourself. Do not spend hours doing nothing. Your time is worth more than that. ďƒź

Our minds have become so accustomed to flitting back and forth between task and entertainment that it feels natural to operate this way.

commentary

43

The Evolution of

WORDS

Ever since language first became the norm for human society, it has changed as generations pass and as words gain new meaning (often from historical context). While past generations would have said, “I’m going to ____,” many of the current teenagers and young adults have shortened that phrase to simply “Imma,” or “I’ma” (depending on the preferred spelling). Many think these changes to the English language are the result of laziness, of not wanting to say (or, more likely, type/text) ‘all those words and letters.’ In truth, the shortening of words probably was caused in part by the use of cellphones, and other electronics. But that’s not the only reason language has changed.

Those who blame this purely on texting are wildly misguided; they are simply new colloquialisms. Language evolves as people do. Once, we spoke as Robin Hood did, or like Shakespearian plays; “Believe’t not lightly – though I go alone / Like to a lonely dragon that his fen.” In fact, Shakespeare has been credited as the inventor of many words in the English language, such as “eyeball,” “fashionable,” or even “gloomy.”

Whether or not he did invent those words, the fact remains that those words once didn’t exist in our language. And, yet, years later, we use them frequently without even thinking. In a similar fashion, the word “selfie” was recently added to the dictionary, causing annoyance and irritation for many, because they believed selfie wasn’t “really a word,” and that “teenagers just made it up,” as they rolled their eyeballs.

The common ‘sayings’ we use have also changed through history, as people mature and gain knowledge of different things. While some used to say (and

by NISHA KLEIN

may still say), “it’s raining cats and dogs,” or likewise, many don’t use that phrase anymore to describe the density of rain. We say what we know others will understand; that’s how language works. Therefore, as one group stops using a word, or phrase, as others do, the others will follow in order for all groups to understand each other.

In George Orwell’s dystopian book “1984,” he shows how language could evolve and change so much that it disappears entirely, replaced by nonsensical words and phrases. He shows how a newspaper headline becomes “times 3.12.83 reporting bb dayorder doubleplusungood refs unpersons rewrite fullwise upsub antefiling,” or, as one character, Syme, describes, “it’s a beautiful thing, the destruction of words. Of course, the great wastage is in the verbs and adjectives, but there are hundreds of nouns that can be got rid of as well.”

It is understandable that some may be worried about a 1984 -“Newspeak” similar language being created by the many abbreviations used today. However, the way we speak, write, and understand conversation will grow, and it may eventually become unrecognizable to people from past generations, but we are supposed to evolve, to change with the environment, and mature as times goes on. Spoken language is colloquial, by definition, actually, and therefore, it is completely dependent on the speaker and listener and their own word choice. As those speakers grow, their grammar, and knowledge of language will change, and that will also allow them to make up their own rules for talking, and writing. 

“It’s a beautiful thing, the destruction of words.”

44

commentary

Staff Ed:

Kid Check

K

id check. Until a couple years ago, that was the guideline the Clayton Board of Education used when voting on any project or study.

Will voting this way benefit our kids? Will this enrich their education? Are we doing this for our children’s benefit or for Clayton’s name? Those are the types of questions a usual “Kid Check” consists of.

“Kid Check” was a guidepost, a sense of purpose, a “why.” It forced members of the District to think about where they were going and why they wanted to go there. Unfortunately, “Kid Check” doesn’t exist anymore.

Looking back at the recent Board vote on the Wydown study causes us to reevaluate the dissipation of “Kid Check.” From what it seems, this type of review could have had a positive impact on the study.

After an extended period of two years, the study finally came to an end with a 4-3 vote that instructed Wydown to increase minutes in science and math classes.

This is Clayton. We pride ourselves on breaking barriers in education.

In fact, many teachers even add their own curriculum and stray from the guidelines provided in the textbook.

We do things differently from other schools, and as a standout in American education we need to stop worrying about what other schools are doing and focus on making decisions based on what we believe. The trouble is, we don’t seem to have a clear sense of what that belief is. We need a guidepost.

Wydown is known for having a variety of options available to kids of all ages and is also known for the quality of these courses. Classes like band, orchestra, exploratorium or art enrich a student’s education and add to their learning experience. And in truth, many of these courses will be the ones that we remember for many years to come.

Of course, core classes are essential to our educational experience, but it is unlikely to find someone recalling the exact information they were studying in their sixth grade geology unit. The work we remember often is the result of something we were a part of or experienced. Those experiences most often happen in non-core class.

School is about learning different modes of thinking. It is about learning how to use these tools to solve problems and how to access information so that we can tackle whatever pursuits interest us. It is

hard to tell if the decision by the Board clearly supports this principle of modern education.

In the end, there was no real “why” in this decision, or study. There was no “Kid Check.” Although the result of the decision will only be a matter of minutes, the value system that this decision communicates extends far beyond any schedule.

It says to every school in the District that math and science are what we value. But the question remains - is that what our community really believes?

Does our community really believe that kids who find their calling in science and math should have more time to learn those subjects than a child who is made for the world of art? And even further, did our community know that the decision was centered around these values?

A decision like this should not have been made without a “why” clearly stated. People need to know why things are happening and what the District is trying to improve.

People should not have to fear these changes, as many are doing now; apprehensive of a shift in the direction of Clayton’s values for the worse.

Clayton is special. Wydown was one of the few schools to have a 5050 split between core and elective classes. We were known for this balance which we create: our core achievements, but also the achievements of our enriching electives. And we value that.

Furthermore, the age group of the middle schoolers has not been taken into consideration. Trying to raise test scores, that do actually fit into a nationwide trend, is not fit for the maturity of the impacted children. At this period in their life, students need to be trying out new enriching activities and be building themselves in a way that is fit for the rigor of high school.

Lengthier science and math is not going to help these students at this time in their lives. It is non-core which is going to help these kids move toward the self-motivated students we wants them to be.

In the end, we need to refocus on determining our values and return to a system like “Kid-Check.” 

Graphic by Victoria Yi

r e h c s a e te ofil pr

Time-management, avoiding awkwardness and keeping relationships. If you’re a normal teenager, chances are that you need as much help figuring out these life skills as you do with your math homework. On a mission to gather some bits of wisdom, I collected a sample of revealing life lessons from various CHS teachers. Prepare for possible tears and definite inspiration.

by PHOEBE YAO

RICK KORDENBROCK

REBECCA TAYLOR “Oh, I was a nerd,” CHS english teacher Rebecca Taylor said.

As a high school student, Taylor made many smart decisions. Despite a lack of counseling and career options for women during her time, Taylor chose a career she would come to love.

“I was very lucky,” Taylor says, “I like being a teacher! And I like teenagers. I like teenagers a lot! You know, every once in a while when someone says to me, ‘How old are the people you teach?’ and I say, ‘Well they’re 15, 16, 17’, that somebody will go ‘Ugh!’ But it’s not fair! Teenagers are so much fun.”

Taylor’s kindness extends beyond teenagers to animals and wildlife. A few years ago, Taylor made a powerful commitment.

“I just decided that if I saw a problem, for example with an animal, that I would not just turn my back,” Taylor said.

In one instance, Taylor saved a baby rabbit from probable death.

“I was out at a restaurant in downtown Clayton and I looked up, and there was a rabbit, a little baby rabbit that had strayed into the veranda where we were just sitting having cocktails. And this little rabbit just had no idea what was going on. It was a little bitty rabbit! So I got a box and I scooped it up and I took it to some green space, not far away but at least it wasn’t on the veranda,” Taylor said. 

46 46

Q&A

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? Well, that’s an interesting questions because I think, like many, I had dreams. I wanted to be a Major League baseball player, those were shattered pretty quickly. But I remember when I was a freshman in high school, we had to research a vocation and write a paper about it. I chose lawyer and wrote the paper, and I remember my conclusion was, after having done the research and understanding what lawyers do, that I didn’t want to be a lawyer because I figured that I’d have enough problems in my own life without dealing with other people’s problems. Because that’s what I decided lawyers did, dealt with other people’s problems.

That was pretty prophetic, because I ended up practicing law and that was one of the things that I ended up really not liking about it very much: clients who had bad things going on in their lives or [who] believed that they had bad things going on in their lives. They were difficult to deal with and it can be frustrating to listen to people who are complaining all the time, many times with very good reasons but sometimes not with very good reasons. So that was interesting. 

DAVID AIELLO Psychology teacher David Aiello advises “moderation in everything.

I’ve been here a long time so I’ve gotten to know a lot about the Clayton community and there are a lot of people here who are just driving, driving, driving, driving. Sometimes, I feel like the captain of the yacht.

I don’t feel like there’s anything that I do that is so all consuming that I can’t also do other things. And while I understand that’s what often times leads to excellence, that single minded devotion to a single thing, I personally feel like my life is richer by being able to experience a variety of things. And so, I would caution about the drive to be number one at something. And being number three or four or five, at several things to me, is worth more than being number one.” 

BRAD KRONE Plans and expectations are valuable. But life’s sharp turns come at times when they’re least expected. From science to religion, chemistry teacher Brad Krone took a leap of faith from his initial college plans and followed his gut to the seminary.

“My junior year in college, I was headed toward … I wasn’t sure. I was a biochemistry major so I was thinking about medical school and I really sensed God calling to me to become a pastor,” Krone said.

In the middle of his undergraduate degree, Krone’s future plans took a dramatic twist when he discovered his life’s significance in God. “I [decided that I] was going to go to graduate school to a seminary to become a pastor. And I did. I became a pastor,” Krone said.

Krone was passionate about working with teenagers and promoted healthy decision-making. Despite the rewards of helping kids, being a pastor had its share of tragedy.

“My senior pastor called me and needed me to do a funeral for a girl who had been shot accidentally in a car at the high school right down the road from where [my family] lived,” Krone said. “It was April fool’s day and a kid found a gun under the seat and thought it was a fake gun. There was confusion and he fired it, and it was accidental. They were friends, but she died.”

The challenges he faced as a pastor have shaped Krone’s view on life.

Although Krone now teaches chemistry at CHS, his time as a pastor is a constant reminder of all the difficulties he has overcome and what he is capable of.

“I say to myself all the time, heck, if I can get through that thing in my past then I can get through this,” Krone said. 

REX RICE Wealth or happiness? For all but a select few, picking a career during college usually involves choosing between one or the other.

CHS physics teacher Rex Rice majored in electrical engineering in college. However, instead of entering the engineering world after graduation, Rice became a physics teacher.

As an entry level physics teacher, Rice was making one third the salary of his engineering counterparts.

“I don’t think that I would have been half as satisfied making three times as much money as an engineer as I am in the more people oriented occupation of being a high school physics teacher,” Rice said.

After careful self-reflection in his early twenties, Rice decided to pursue a career central to his self-identity.

“I wanted to do something with my life that would ultimately be satisfying to me,” Rice said. “I started doing some soul searching and I said ‘I kind of think I would be a good engineer, and I kind of think the stuff is cool, but the part of engineering that seemed to be missing for me, was the people oriented component of it.’”

Instead of having an indirect and obscure impact on society, Rice wanted to directly inspire and better people’s lives. Though his decision shocked and received widespread disapproval from family and friends, Rice’s personal fulfillment made the financial sacrifices worth it.

Rice has come up with the key to living a meaningful life.

“My philosophy is that when you’re at a crossroads with two opportunities and you really can’t decide which to pursue, you pick one and then you make it the right decision. You don’t sit there having taken one path and regret that you didn’t take the other path. You just go in there, give it 100 percent of everything that you have, and you make it the right decision,” Rice said. 

Photo credits: Kordenbrock by Noah Engel Rice by Andrew Erblich Aiello by Lily Brown Taylor from yearbook archive.

Q&A

47