GL
BE W E LC O M E TO T H E DOGHOUSE page 13
issue 1, volume 89 Clayton High School. Clayton, MO. August 2017.
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contents I august 2017 issue 1, volume 89
10 12 20 22
Ferguson Quiktrip Kashina Bell Fall Sports Preview ZZA Pizza
Sean Manion is new to the Clayton English Department coming from the Hazelwood School District. To meet all the new classroom teachers turn to page 13.
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CONTENTS
GL
STAFF
BE
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
SENIOR MANAGING EDITORS
Noah Brown and M itali Sharma
Madeline Bale
CHIEF DIGITAL EDITOR
M ichael Bernard Charlie Brennan
Lauren Prais s
J acob LaGes se
PHOTO EDITOR
SECTION EDITORS
Michael Melinger
Justin Guilak, NEWS
COPY EDITOR
L i l a T a y l o r , F E AT U R E
N e e l Va l l u r u p a l l i
Daniel Cho, SPORTS
CHIEF VIDEO EDITOR
Olivia Joseph, OPINION
Sean Kim
Richard Cheng , RE VI EW
GRAPHICS EDITOR
REPORTERS
Lizzy Mills
BUSINESS MANAGER Daniel Cohen
PAGE EDITORS
Ashley Chung
William Redington
Cindy Combs
Leo Thoma s
J osephine Cross
Sophia Thompson
Camille Curtis
S a m Yo u k i l i s
S a m Ze i d
Ka t i e H e
Sam Fehr
Hongkai Jiang
Ca therine Walsh
Sophie Bernstein
Leo Gavitt
S a n Kw o n
N ikki Seraji
Maddy Ackerburg
J a n e Ka l i n a
Ke i l a n M o r r i s e y
Grace Snelling
Lise Dersken
Cody Krutzsch
Laura Par vu lescu
Ka t i e S n e l l i n g
Mariclare Ga tter
Paul Liu
Philip Stahl
Sarah Baker
Gracie Morris
James Malone
Junyi Su
Sara S temmler
Theo Fehr
Neema Naemi
Victor Wei
PHOTOGRAPHERS Synthia Baer
Fiona McGuire
Erin Brown
Alexandra Hardie
Barrett Bentzinger
Jovan Miller
Isabella Clark
Paige Holmes
Elizabeth Cordova
Mallory Palmer
Za ch a r y C o b l e
Xuenan Jin
Alex Darmody
Sophia Ryan
Cindy Combs
Caroline Marsden
Ella Engel
Saniya Sah
Ka t h r y n C o o p e r
Ka t h e r i n e O w i n g s
Catherine Holtzman
Annika Sandquist
Gwen Duplain
Mia Redington
I sheeta Khurana
Emma Siegel
Madison Gudmestad
Madison Rudd
Professional Affiliations: Sponsors of School Publications, Missouri Interscholastic Press Association, Missouri Journalism Education Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association
F R O M T H E E D I TO R It is the beginning of a new school year, but I’m reflecting on the end. At the end of each school year, the Globe seniors form a panel to give advice to their younger colleagues. I have vivid memories of these meetings. Sitting cross-legged on the ground with ears perked to avoid missing the wisdom of those I idolized, the upperclassmen. It’s hard for me to believe that it is time for us to take on the role of these “elders.” I’m thinking about what I would say to the underclassmen. Not only to prepare myself for this panel, but also so I can embrace this advice myself as I take on my last year at Clayton. It begins with my personal experiences. I’m over-ambitious, a perfectionist, an over-thinker and competitive with myself. Second semester of sophomore year, I started having panic attacks. They continued into junior year, and the frequency and severity only increased proportionally with my work levels. As my mental health declined, passion and work morphed into oil and water. “What’s the point?” I asked myself. What is the point? This is the question I want the underclassmen to consider. Why do you work so hard? What is it all for? Here’s my take. We have our times where we get fed up with Clayton, with high school, with homework, but truth be told, we are privileged to have this education. And the point of a good education is to enrich your self. Not yourself. Your self. Can you imagine a life without your self? I
can’t. Especially in these teenage years, where we truly develop our identities and unearth new passions, it’s so important to have this great education. To be learning new things. To be learning how to think deeply. Thus, you should be working hard with a desire for edification. But, you can’t nurture your mind if it is beginning to crumble. You can’t feed your soul if you feel you have none. School should be building you, not hurting you. And the longer I’ve been through these rough times, the more I see that there are so many people and opportunities here at Clayton to help you achieve that goal. Talk to people. Make new friends. Build new connections with teachers. Work hard, but breathe. Sleep. Don’t drain yourself for the sake of turning in one homework assignment when you haven’t gotten sleep in three days. Be creative. Write a short story. Compose a song. Paint. Dance. Exercise. Go to yoga. Try new things. I’m walking into senior year ready to take advantage of all Clayton has to offer, to work hard and to try to breathe more often. Sure, stressful times are inevitable, but I am going to take them as an opportunity to grow, and won’t feed them with negative energy. I’ve resolved to be myself, care for my self and to grow as a thinker. That’s the point, underclassmen. That’s the point.
mitali sharma
@mitasharma EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The Globe Newsmagazine exists to inform, enter tain, 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 repor ters write is published in the print newsmagazines . Visit www.chsglobe.com for additional stories and photos and for more information about the Globe itself. We reser ve the right to refuse any adver tisement - for more information about advertising and subscriptions, please contact our office: Clayton High School Globe 1 M a r k Tw a i n C i r c l e C l a y t o n , M O 6 31 0 5 ( 314 ) 8 5 4 - 6 6 6 8 globe@claytonschools.net
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LETTER
Michael Zhang (‘18) hits a volley while warming up for the State tennis tournament last May at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield, MO. Photo by Michael Melinger
Two Terrorist Attacks Hit Spain
N E W S A N D N OT E S
Following the attacks in France, terrorists continued to target European countries with fatal vehicle attacks in two Spanish cities. On Thursday, Aug. 17, a van drove through a crowd at Las Ramblas, a busy tourist location in the Barcelona. The attacker killed 13 people and left 120 more injured, with the tourist victims representing 24 different counties. This marked Spain’s deadliest terror attack since the 2004 Madrid bombings. The single attacker then exited the vehicle and escaped on foot. Friday morning, a second car drove into a crowd in Cambrils, a Spanish town south of Barcelona, killing one and injuring six others. The car contained five armed attackers with fake suicide belts, but Spanish police killed all five suspects during a shootout. ISIS claimed responsibility for the Barcelona attack but offered no proof. Bystanders comfort an injured victim after the Barcelona attack. (David Armengou/EFE/TNS)
NEWS
CHS Alumni Support Veterans
Violence in Charlottesville
Before he graduated from Clayton High School in 1992, James “Jeep” Flynn played a key role for the swim and wrestling teams. After graduation, Flynn went on to serve in the military and soon became a Navy SEAL. However, Flynn developed post-traumatic stress disorder and passed away earlier this year at age 43. A few months later, his former classmates came together to honor his service and life. The James Flynn Memorial Concert, on Aug. 19 at Blueberry Hill, was held to raise awareness and support towards PTSD and Iraq/ Afghanistan veterans. The concert involved performances from multiple Clayton alumni.
THINGS TO DO
On the night of Friday, Aug. 11, a group of white supremacists marched in the Virginia city with lit tiki torches. They exhibited the Nazi salute, yelled racist and anti-semitic comments and assaulted counterprotesters. On Saturday, violence escalated between the rallygoers and counterprotesters as fights broke out and a car attack left one counterprotester killed. The violence sparked similar protests across the nation. The President waited until Tuesday to directly address the issue and blamed both the supremacists and the “alt-left” equally.
FESTIVAL OF NATIONS
26-27 AUGUST
ST LOUIS ART FAIR
8-10 SEPTEMBER
LOUFEST
9-10 SEPTEMBER
Neo-nazis and white supremacists march through the University of Virginia’s campus on Friday night. (Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/TNS)
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NEW STAFF
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CHS BY THE NUMBERS STUDENTS
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NEW STUDENTS
CENTENE UNIVERSITY The Clayton School District has finally entered a contract with Centene to sell the old Maryland Elementary School property. The old Maryland School building Photo by Michael Mellinger The old, abandoned school building has finally found a new use. Almost 40 years after the Maryland Elementary School closed, the District has entered a contract with the Centene Corporation to sell the property. Located adjacent to downtown Clayton at the intersection of Maryland and Jackson, the property includes seven parcels of land totaling about three acres. One of those sections contains the Maryland School. Built by the historic St. Louis architect, William B. Ittner, the building held elementary students in the School District of Clayton until 1980. Then, until 2009, it was rented to the Clayton Child Center. This rental granted the district approximately $1.5 million in revenue. However, after the rental agreement ended in 2009, the District began searching for new options for the building. In 2012 and 2013, the School Board entered a contract with Love Investment Company to create 35 dense townhomes on the land. The school’s neighbors, however, were not interested in having townhomes. “They don’t want developers coming in and doing dense housing. They don’t want anything that is going to cause more traffic,” School District of Clayton Superintendent Dr. Sean Doherty said. “We heard people say, ‘if there’s a possibility to save the building,’ ‘if there’s a possibility to make green space,’ they would like that.” The community input was heard, and the contract fell through. Since then, the building has remained unused, excluding a few break-ins. This year, some of the same concerns reappeared. On April 20, the District asked students, teachers, parents and citizens to “Share Your Thoughts on the Maryland School.” They considered four options: renovate the building for District or outside use, repair the building, sell all three acres for development or just sell two acres for development and raze the building. The decision was very feedback-heavy. Hearing the same concerns about preserving the historic building and the neighborhood, the Board of Education voted to list the property and examine the eight offers received by July 19. In the end, the Board chose the offer from Centene. “In these kinds of decisions, the Board of Education has to make a decision in what they think is in the best interests of the District and the community, and I feel like that kind of checked a few boxes for some things for us,” Doherty said. Centene checked those boxes because it met the community’s needs while still providing a good offer.
Their plan, “matched a good need - keeping the building intact - and we didn’t feel like it was going to be disruptive to the community,” Doherty said. In fact, Centene’s new plans for the building are not all that new. The corporation plans to turn the building into a school. The idea for “Centene University” rose from their growth in downtown Clayton and their need for professional learning. “Plans for Centene University have been underway for several months,” Kristen Ryrie, Centene Media & Public Relations Specialist, said. “A new facility will significantly bolster our leadership development reach and capabilities, enabling us to grow future leaders to support Centene’s overall growth.” According to Ryrie, this professional development will provide instructor-led classes, electronic learning capabilities and varying learning solutions for Centene employees. Centene University also contains a branch closer to the Maryland School’s original purposes. In a District newsletter about Centene’s plans, it was announced that the building would also house its early childhood development center for employees’ children. The daycare will be walking distance from the employees’ offices. “I think one of the things that was appealing to them was that that used to be a daycare center after it was a school. The rooms are set up,” Doherty said. Old elementary classrooms can also be used for professional education along with Centene’s daycare. However, it will require some renovation. “There’s a lot that needs to be repaired over there,” Doherty said. But according to Ryrie, the upgrading will still preserve the Ittner building and the site’s overall character. Centene has yet to close on the property, so no details have been released yet. The Board has not discussed how to use the proceeds from the sale, but the recent sale of District property has been used towards used towards capital projects such as buildings. For now, interested citizens just must wait for the Centene University floor plans. “I’m really curious as to what the building is going to look like - what the possibilities are going to be - because it’s a really cool building,” Doherty said.
justin guilak @jguilak NEWS SECTION EDITOR
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NEWS
A QUIK CHANGE On the three year anniversary of Michael Brown’s death, the Urban League opens an empowerment center on the site of the defaced QuikTrip in Ferguson.
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n Aug. 9, 2014, Michael Brown was shot in Ferguson, a mere 11 miles from Clayton. Gasoline on an already growing flame, the shooting ignited mass protests and riots over police brutality in the area. Cars being smashed, tears being shed, windows shattering, peaceful marches, smoke in the night sky: these photos made national headlines and continue to circulate the internet. However, one image in particular, the destruction of the Ferguson QuikTrip, was symbolic of the chaos. Washington University American Culture Studies Director Heidi Kolk has been following the fate of the QuikTrip since 2014. She quickly saw the location gain the label of a culturally significant site. “The wide range of activities that happened there in the immediate aftermath from very localized protest activities, prayer vigils and policing, as well as non-local protests, agitation and mass media coverage -- all of those things quickly turned [The QuikTrip] into both a place of spectacle and a default hub of operations,” Kolk said. “And because it was an easily locatable landmark, people started converging there. And then in a few hours, there were acts of graffiti on the site that kind of declared it a culturally significant site. People quickly marked it in ways that connected it to a larger history of protest movements.” Kolk and her colleague, historian Michael Allen, also spoke to local activists and saw that they already had attachment to that location. The destroyed QuikTrip not only gained fame during the protests, but it also became a gathering point for the Ferguson community in the aftermath. Messages were inscribed into its walls, and people often brought flowers and candles in remembrance. However, the question remained: what should be done with this property? Kolk and Allen wrote an article about the importance of the site when this debate was going on. They affirmed that the cultural significance of the QuikTrip should not be forgotten, whatever the decision may be. “Its varied and complex meanings should be preserved even if the building is not. We lose too many sites of struggle and social change before their stories are recognized, let alone understood. Let us not erase the [The QuikTrip] as quickly and quietly as the media seems to be turning away from the ongoing Ferguson demonstrations,” they wrote. Three years after the pair published this article, a decision was made. On July 26, prominent members of the St. Louis community gathered to attend the grand opening of the Ferguson Communi-
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ty Empowerment Center built on the grounds of the iconic QuikTrip by the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. The center opened to the public on Aug. 9. Although Kolk supports the community-oriented intent of the center, she still questions whether the cultural significance of the former QuikTrip will be truly remembered. “What I ask is, will it be possible to continue to remember what happened there? Will it be possible to think about what that site represents five years from now?” Kolk said. “I wouldn’t want to condemn the enterprise of putting in a community center, especially if it’s embedded in the community with the locals making decisions and the locals getting involved, but let’s not forget what was going on – what people were there to communicate.” The Urban League has been trying to allay such concerns. The cement around the building contains petals and pieces of teddy bears that were left at the former gas station during and after the protests. The special concrete is a physical reminder of the QuikTrip’s importance. Much effort has also been put into honoring Brown’s legacy. Visitors are greeted upon entering the building with a poster featuring photos of Brown and the protests that followed his death. In addition, the facility grounds contain two memorial plaques in Brown’s name as well. Jamie Dennis, director of the facility, is adamant that the center will not only do a good job remembering Brown and the histor-
A community member and employee view the new building.
ic protests, but will also help the community rebuild and improve. “I feel like we’ve been honoring the Brown family ever since we’ve been on this mission to empower the community,” Dennis said. “Mr. McMillan, our CEO, says we are turning a tragedy into a triumph. That’s what this is: this is going to be a post-Mike Brown society where, if we actually had an empowerment center like this in our previous society, who knows if Mike Brown would still be living.” The Empowerment Center will house a variety of services all dedicated to educating and assisting the community. Lutheran services will provide mental health counseling, and the Salvation Army will provide transit assistance and find daycare for working parents. The building is also largely dedicated to the Save Our Sons program, which was started three years ago in Ferguson after the community was shaken by Brown’s death. Save Our Sons is run by the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and will provide additional mentoring, promote job and scholarship opportunities and host classes. Two fully-stocked computer labs are available in the center for these classes in which students can learn how to build a good resume and how to go about job interviews or other vital skills for financial stability. Dennis believes that with all these facilities available, the Empowerment Center will promote change in the entire community. “We not only help you change your life-decision making process, we also give you the job and then if you have rental assistance issues, we can help there. If you’re hungry, we can feed you. If you don’t have clothing, we can help you there. So it becomes a type of holistic approach to actually affecting the whole community,” he said. “We want to have something where we don’t have to keep hearing about another Mike Brown. Racism exists, but it only can work well if we cooperate with the way it’s set up.” The efforts of the Empowerment Center have attracted various donors and investors. QuikTrip actually ended up donating $1 million. Another $1 million came from the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program which is managed by the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership (STL Partnership). The NMTC Program is a program in which companies like STL-Partnership can apply for federal tax credits through a highly-competitive process based on a variety of factors. Upon receiving such credits, the company will often sell them to large corporations like banks who need to offset their tax liability. According to STL-Partnership Assistant Vice President Jeffrey Frankel, the money from that transaction is then invested into projects in low-income areas that are traditionally underserved by financial markets. The projects also need to benefit the community in some manner, particularly concerning jobs. Based on ratings of poverty, median household income and the unemployment rate, Ferguson qualified as one of these distressed areas. The new facility also fit the expectations of a positive, transformative project. “The significance of the [Ferguson Community Empowerment Center] is that it will continue to help residents train and secure jobs for years to come, generating an impact much greater than the facility’s own direct employment,” Frankel said. In Frankel’s eyes, this positive change has been needed in the community for some time. “This project needed to happen now. In some respects, it may have taken too long already. [However,] the timing worked out well to be on the third anniversary of the original incident. It’s still
An employee at The Empowerment Center’s front desk (Photos by Michael Melinger)
fresh in people’s minds. Ferguson still needs support as do a lot of other communities in St. Louis,” Frankel said. Erica Henderson is also a member of STL-Partnership and serves as the Promise Zone Director. The “Promise Zone,” which was designated by President Obama to receive priority in federal grants, includes North St. Louis, where Ferguson is located. Henderson also believes the new center is a phenomenal step in the right direction. “I think the programming and partnership with the various organizations that are there are much needed in that area as we talk about opportunities to revitalize,” she said. However, Henderson believes that much is still to be done in the areas impacted by Brown’s death. “There’s still a tremendous amount of work that needs to happen. That is one spoke in the wheel, so it’s coming upon all of us public and private partnerships to do what’s necessary,” she said. “Ferguson is everywhere. So the question is, how can we replicate?” Dennis agrees. “[The center] is really a model for what we want to make in the rest of the country,” he said. “It’s not just a problem that affects St. Louis. It’s a problem that affects the nation.”
mitali sharma @mitasharma EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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NEWS
D R. B E L L New Assistant Superintendent of Student Services replaces Dr. Greg Batenhorst.
Professional district portrait used at request of Dr. Bell
D
r. Kashina Bell, the new Assistant Superintendent of Student Services in the School District of Clay, knows the importance of learning. With an educational background spanning 22 years that is saturated with teaching and administrative positions throughout school districts in the St. Louis area, she has helped many students challenge themselves past their limits in the classroom. However, though her own high school days are past, one value she treasures in whatever she does is the constant furthering of her own education and the satisfaction of her curiosity of the world around her. So when posed with the question of what goals she had for her new position, without missing a heartbeat she responded. “I think, first of all, my goal is just to learn,” Bell said. “Clayton has an impeccable reputation, our graduates are outstanding and the teaching and learning that takes place here is second to none. Once I feel like I have a good understanding of how our system works, what makes it great, I can look at what we need to do to continue to improve on what we’ve already done so successfully.” The position opened up at the end of the 2016-2017 school year when Dr. Greg Batenhorst, who held the position previously, accepted a job as Superintendent of the Mt. Vernon Community School District in Iowa. News of the opening quickly spread. “It’s not hard to hear about positions in Clayton,” Bell said. “I heard from several colleagues at my former school district about the position here, but I loved the position and kids where I was.” When Bell made the decision to apply for the position, she was working as the head principal at the Parkway Northeast middle
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school. Bell spent all but three years of her career in education in the Parkway District, helping students to achieve their academic goals. However, not all of this time was spent in administrative positions. Bell began her career teaching business and math at Parkway West High School. She decided to make the move into administrative positions because she wanted to expand her impact on students in the district. “I think that at the time I started to shift into administration, I looked at how I could do what I did in my classroom on a more global scale. I started to think about how I could impact more teachers, and in turn impact more students. My greatest interest in administration has always been around what we can do as adults to best serve kids,” Bell said. Her work in administration has certainly not gone unnoticed. In 2017, she was named the St. Louis region’s Middle School Principal of the Year. Bell finally took the position at Clayton because of her desire to expand her outreach to more students. “I thought it would be a really good opportunity to once again impact something from a global stance and seek to learn more from school district leadership,” Bell said. After a long and comprehensive interview process with Clayton teachers, administration and Board of Education, she received the job. “I was ecstatic,” Bell said. “I was really enthusiastic about the work I was going to undertake in my new position.” As the Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, Bell works with the District Superintendent and a cabinet of other assistant superintendents to make decisions regarding the schools. “It’s hard to say what the office does not include,” Bell said. “It encompasses everything related to the growth and development of the ‘whole child’ in the Clayton School District.” Bell believes that in order to make the Clayton School District a better place, everyone, not just students, in the District needs to continue to learn. “Kids change, our outside world will continue to change, so our responsibility is to continue to make sure that our graduates and our students throughout the system can continue to thrive,” Bell said.
jacob lagesse @jlagesse95 Senior Managing Editor
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welcome to the doghouse
All photos by Michael Melinger
M r. M a n i o n What is the most challenging part about being an English teacher and why? complete the work or the higher level thinking for the student is always A: Tosomething I intentionally try to avoid. On a teacher’s instinctual level, I want to
help everyone as much as I can, so I find myself wanting to help a student immediately when they’re struggling. However, much of the time, it’s that actual struggle that strengthens thinking skills, and what they really need are encouragement and time, not someone to do the heavy lifting for them.
What books are you most looking forward to teaching to your students and why?
A:
While there are many excellent texts that are either core or optional to my two new curriculums, I’m eager to help teach “Black Boy” by Richard Wright. In my opinion, it’s essential American lit, and really, essential American history.
How would you describe your teaching style?
is a tricky question, as I like to not be too rigid in deA: This scribing myself, as teachers need to adapt and be flexible.
That said, I’d like to say that I’m approachable, easy going and energetic. I take content and skill-building very seriously, and I hold every single one of my students to the highest of expectations.
As a teacher, what is one thing you struggle with, and how do you deal with that struggle?
that pacing of texts is always something I have to keep A: I’llan say eye on. I like to pull in so many supplemental texts that generate discussions and activities that I can sometimes fall a bit behind in pacing. Sometimes, that’s great, and we’re all better for that divergence. Other times, I’ll have to play a bit of catch up. This is just one of the countless challenges that make up teaching.
If you could give your students one piece of advice, what would it be? matter what happens, never, ever, ever give up. Yeah; A: No it’s a cliche. However, some cliches are popular because of the timeless weight they hold. It’s through the struggles, through the difficulties, through the times that push us nearly to the point of exhaustion, that we ultimately can reach the next plateau if we have that mindset of grit and endurance.
D r. Tu r l e y
What school are you coming from and how long have you been teaching?
A:
I am coming to Clayton High School from Kirkwood High School. This is my 18th year teaching.
What are you most looking forward to at CHS?
from and with the students. I hope together we A: Learning create new learning experiences that we can’t even
What is your favorite teaching memory?
is not a singular memory, but I love when I read a senA: This tence a student wrote and it helps me rethink an idea I once held. Then the next year when I reread the text, I think of the student and how they helped me expand my thinking.
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imagine right now.
What is your favorite childhood memory? ping-pong with my friends in middle A: Playing high school.
What does your dream day look like?
school and
up. Play 18 holes of golf. Eat lunch. Play another 18 A: Wake holes of golf. Eat dinner. Play 18 holes of mini golf. Go to bed.
Favorite childhod memory?
A:
It’s difficult to choose just one. Playing on the jungle gym at Meramec, playing roller hockey at Glenridge, working at the Shaw Park Pool and Shaw Park Ice Rink ... the one thing that all of these moments have in common are that they are with an amazing group of friends that I formed over the years, people I still call friends today. It was also nice to have very little adult supervision that the 90’s afforded.
Favorite thing to do in St. Louis?
St. Louis Zoo. Hands down. The more difficult quesA: The tion to answer is “Where in the St. Louis Zoo should you
go first?” The correct answer is the penguins.
What’s most rewarding about encouraging students to get involved in the business world?
amazing to see and hear many of my former stuA: It’s dents’ successes. I had the mother of a former student visit me at school and tell me that her son had just been hired at Google. He attributed his achievements to taking my business and marketing classes, as well as getting involved with DECA. She even tried to offer me $100 as a “thank you”. I turned her down, of course. My wife is still mad at me.
What are you most look forward to at CHS?
things. I’m looking forward to working with a few A: Many of my former teachers, to walking the halls of CHS as a teacher and to being a part of the incredible faculty, staff and community that helped me get to where I am today ... and the Toasty Cheese Sandwiches.
Favorite Teaching Memory?
had a former student that really struggled, both in my A: Iclass as well as in others. He had a tendency to get into confrontations with his peers. He got expelled. I pulled him aside the day he got back and let him know that I thought he was brilliant, but that he was wasting his potential by being angry and unwilling to work with others. He broke down and told me about his struggles at home and at school. We discussed some potential coping strategies to alleviate his adversity. It was amazing to see him grow over the next two years and graduate in the top 10 of his class ... and go on to be successful. I believe everyone has that potential.
Favorite Hobbies?
Hockey, Swimming, Running (slowly), Netflix and A: Golf, quoting movies.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
What’s your ‘mission’ in teaching students about business?
ability to banter will with super villains? That’s a movie quote, by the way. In all seriousness, probably the ability to control metal. Magneto just seems like the coolest superhero.
Whether you become a lawyer, doctor, fashion designer, restauranteur, etc., understanding how to be a professional, how to make sound financial and marketing decisions and how to run a business, are just some of the reasons that business courses are important for everyone. My mission is to get students excited about the world of business, marketing and entrepreneurship, as well as continue the successes that Ms. Boland has had with her business and marketing classes and DECA.
one, though. I mean, what does one gauge his reA: Tough sponse on? Physical prowess? Keen detection skills? The
What does your dream day look like? Assuming it’s the weekend or the summer: Eating break-
A: fast at the Shack, going to the St. Louis Zoo, eating lunch
of what profession you choose to pursue in A: Regardless the future, business acumen will always be beneficial.
at Crown Candy Kitchen, running or swimming at the Center of Clayton, going to a Cardinals or Blues game and finishing the evening with the most recent episode of Game of Thrones. If it wasn’t during the school year, I would be traveling. Anywhere, really. I have especially enjoyed taking a train up Mount Pilatus in Lucerne, Switzerland, enjoying lunch, then taking a gondola back down the mountain and having dinner next to the Chapel Bridge and Water Tower. I would also enjoy wandering the streets of Venice during the day with my wife, then taking a gondola ride as the sun sets. Europe rocks. If I’m not traveling and it’s during the school year, I pretty much just enjoy binge-watching something on Netflix. I’ve got quite the list of shows you should watch, don’t hesitate to ask.
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D r. S c h u s t e r What is your favorite thing to do in St. Louis? my relatives come in town, I love going to Imos and A: When Ted Drewes.
What School are you coming from and how long have you been teaching? taught at Webster Groves High School for ten yearsand it A: Iwas my first job.
What is your favorite childhood memory?
A:
When I was 14, I found some duplicating fluid in a dumpster, and I brought it home with my friends. I asked my mom if we could light it on fire because it read “HIGHLY FLAMMABLE” which was worse than very flammable, so we poured some on a few leaves, and it failed to light. We were being very careful-- took the can away and stood at a distance-- but it still did not light. I got anxious the second time and lit the match while my friend was pouring more fluid on the leaves and suddenly my pants caught on fire. So I ran around my yard screaming ‘my pants are on fire’ because that is what you do when your pants are on fire i.e. you don’t think to stop, drop and roll. I just kept running, and my mom tackled me. It turns out the vapors had soaked my Boston 1992 sweatpants.
What are you most looking forward to at CHS?
A:
I am excited to finally see behind the curtain, as far as Rex Rice and to see how he did what he did. Also I look forward to meeting the people who he connected with. Finally, I am interested in taking on the high standards and expectations of the Clayton Community.
What is your favorite teaching memory?
A:
In 2014, Webster Groves High School seniors beat Clayton in the Senior division of the SLAPT Physics Contest for the first time since 1986. At the time, this was super exciting. Really, a career-defining moment. Now, we just need to make sure it never happens again.
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“I ran around my yard screaming ‘my pants are on fire!’”
What are your hobbies? love playing volleyball with my friends. I like collecting A: Ithings like vacuum tubes and records. I love playing with my children, books and float trips.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
A: Superpowers are stupid. I like reality. What does your dream day look like? get my wife and some old buddies, and we just drink A: IMountain Dew on the river. Some of my older children might come along as well.
If you were not teaching what would you be doing?
A: I would just read more books to my kids. I would just spend
more time with my kids. That is what I miss most when I come to work.
Favorite childhood memory?
A:
Growing up in Nebraska, I experienced lots of snowstorms and snow days as a child. My baby sister was born in Oct. of 1997, and the day after my mom and sister came home from the hospital, Omaha was hit by one of the most intense snowstorms in its history--you can look it up! I’m not kidding! Anyway, we lost power and didn’t have school for about two weeks. I remember those two weeks as long days of playing outside in the snow with my siblings--I have four siblings total, and at night, we curled up by the fireplace in our basement and read books. As an adult, I cannot imagine how terrified my parents were with five little kids, no power and no school, but as a child, those were some of the most magical days: building forts shaped like Yoda’s hut on Degobah, having snowball fights, skiing across the yard, running around with rosy cheeks and dripping noses.
What are your hobbies?
A: Ultimate Frisbee. Rock Climbing. Reading. Netflix. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
A: Flying. I would be a much better frisbee player if I could fly. What does your dream day look like?
A: 75 degrees. Partly cloudy. Playing frisbee with my friends. What would you be doing if you weren’t teaching?
Favorite thing to do in St. Louis?
A:
Play Ultimate Frisbee. I play competitive Ultimate Frisbee for a Mixed club team: Thoroughbred Ultimate. If I’m not playing frisbee, I am rock climbing at Upper Limits.
What are you most looking forward to at CHS?
A:
I am most excited about the conference writing program here at CHS because it’s so rewarding to work with students individually and get to know them as people outside of school.
Favorite teaching memory?
A:
chose her as my MVP, and I met her parents after the ceremony--it was a really special day. If you’re ever in my office, you can check out the photo from the ceremony.
I worked at Pattonville High School last year, and every year, they have each teacher nominate a student for an Most Valuable Pirate Award (MVP). There’s a ceremony, and the teachers write a little blurb about each student. Since I started at Pattonville after the school year was well underway, I was nervous about becoming a part of the school culture. Fortunately, I had an amazing student in my sixth hour who always stopped by to say hi to me before school and just made me feel like a part of the school. I
A: I’ve always been very attracted to the law. Law school does not sound very appealing right now--I just finished 6 years of undergraduate and graduate school, but actually being in the court room sounds very appealing.
When did you know you wanted to be a teacher?
A: During the summer when I was an undergraduate student, I
would go home to Omaha and work at a Forest leading nature programs. I really enjoyed seeing students interact with nature and learn the importance of living a conscientious life in all regards. One day, we did a little science experiment with celery, water, food coloring and a cup -- you probably know the one. Anyway, one of my kiddos was getting picked up by his mother and he ran over with the cup screaming, “MOMMMY! LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE XYLEM AND THE PHLOEM!” His mom looked at me, and I knew at that moment that I wanted to work with students as a career path.
Why did you choose to teach English?
A: Originally, I went to Truman planning to be a Spanish teach-
er. As I started my Spanish major, I picked up English as a second major after a linguistics course. Throughout my time double majoring, I fell in love with English more and more. After I studied abroad in Costa Rica, I realized my love of Spanish was not really a love of Spanish: it was a love of language as a tool of communication. Upon this epiphany, I realized that my love of language as a tool of communication would be fulfilled in the English classroom.
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D r. D a n s k e y What is your favorite thing to do in St. Louis? here six weeks ago, right at the end of June, A: IsojustI’vemoved been working really hard to explore the city and the restaurants. I think so far my favorite is the Muny. It’s just such a cool space. You don’t do that in Oregon because it just rains all the time. You just don’t have outdoor facilities like that. I saw my first fireflies–I’ve never seen fireflies before in my life. It was just a really awesome experience. I’m just trying new things all the time.
What are some of your hobbies?
A:
What did you do back in Oregon?
I just started salsa dance lessons. I enjoy watching roller derby, and I used to play. I went to it here, and since Portland is number one I wasn’t expecting much. But they were actually pretty good; I was surprised. So I think I’ll go to some more.
A: as a Dean of Students for two years, which is when you get
What were you like in high school?
What was your favorite subject in school?
I started as a [social studies] teacher, and then I worked
paid as a teacher but you do administrative work. Then the last six years I’ve been an assistant principal.
I was really involved. I did track and weightlifting. I was
thought I was going to become an English teacher, A: Iandactually then I got to college–I went to Willamette University
would be really welcoming to all students because we had a unique diversity of all students. I would go eat lunch at different tables every day. They thought it was great, but when you sit and eat lunch with your friends every day you build a bond. I didn’t really leave with that. It’s not like I look back and say ‘Oh my best friend from high school…’ That wasn’t my legacy. I left something different. People still talk about me 20 years later, which surprises me.
and I liked my history classes better. I had this one teacher who taught a class I needed to get my English major, and she was just so giggly and weird … So that was the last class I took, and the rest is history. Literally.
A: student body president; I did cheer, so I was really busy. I
What is your favorite childhood memory? mother] ran down the street to the store really quick, A: [My and it was summer so [my siblings and I] all decided we were going to get out swimsuits on, and we were going to wash the floor. I was 10. I took the hose from the kitchen sink and sprayed it and dish soap all over the floor and we slid around and cleaned the floor. Mom wasn’t too mad when she got home, but it was a disaster. We had a lot of fun.
What would you be doing if you weren’t in education?
I moved into administration, which is totally the A: Before right fit for me, I wondered what else I would do. And I just
didn’t have any answers. When you have an education degree it’s like ‘do I go work for a textbook sales person?’ That’s not interesting. Do I go be a trainer like at Google or Nike? That was kind of interesting, but it wasn’t something I was going to care about. Being in a school, working with teenagers and families … That’s what I care about.
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What sparked your transition from teacher to administrator?
A: teaching, I really liked the challenge of being an adminis-
I was ready for something different. While I really enjoyed
trator more. Honestly, you never know what your day is going to be like so there’s a lot of personal challenge in it. You don’t plan it ahead. I also like how I’m always going to keep growing. There’s always new things to learn; there’s always new situations to grow personally through. I’ll be doing this for a while.
What are your opinions on open campus? an administrator’s perspective, I’m really thankA: From ful for open campus. There’s a point at which you have to
recognize that teenagers are moving towards adulthood, need to manage themselves on their time. Lunch is their time. If there’s problems we can talk to students individually.
What’s Clayton’s strongest quality? think being able to focus on the whole child. We have so A: Imany activities, so many ways to be involved, even though we’re a very small school we have tons of different classes available and that’s really unique.
Photo from Misheel Sodgerel
A DRIVING FORCE
N
ervous on the first tee, senior Misheel Sodgerel breathes deeply and slowly -- a technique she learned to calm her nerves and slow her heart rate. All the way in Connecticut, she imagines as if she iss hitting a normal shot on the range. She winds up and hits a long drive down the middle of the fairway to begin her two-day, 36-hole tournament. But surprisingly, this is only her second year playing golf. Sodgerel’s story began because of a special opportunity unique to CHS. For students like Sodgerel, the no-cut policy at CHS is what helped her develop her true passion. “I used to go to a school in North Carolina,” Sodgerel said. “I always wanted to play golf, but my [old] school had a hard cut. But, since there was the no-cut policy at [CHS], I thought I’d try it out.” She was hooked after the first day. “I’ve been practicing daily for two to three hours. And over the past summer, I’ve been going to tournaments through the Hurricane and JPGA tour,” Sodgerel said. With her coach’s recommendation, Sodgerel began to see a swing coach every week. She also recently hired a short game coach. With her fierce work ethic and passion for the game, she began to see the benefits of her hard work. “She came on [the team] as a sophomore and never swung a golf club in her life,” girls’ varsity golf coach Kim Shelley said. “Now she’s a senior, and she’s unbelievable. The progress she’s made in two years is insane. Other coaches in the area and her swing coach are amazed and absolutely in awe of her.” Yet, like many other athletes, Sodgerel has faced some hardships. But, her optimism has been a valuable aspect in elevating her game to the next level. “I remember during a tournament over the summer, I did scaringly bad. I was upset for a while. But, I soon realized that I had an opportunity to get better and that the only direction from here was up. It motivated me to work even harder,” Sodgerel said. While Sodgerel has a strong yearning for self-improvement, she also has a commitment to the team. Since her sophomore
year, Sodgerel has risen as a role model for the rest of her team and possesses strong leadership skills. “Offseason, she’s brought a group of girls to go and play on their own. Her leadership skills are incredible. She did it all on her own,” Shelley said. “Really, she’s pushing me. It’s great.” Through Sodgerel’s leadership and uncanny work ethic, her lifestyle has had a ripple effect throughout the girls’ golf program. One of the affected individuals is CHS junior and fellow teammate Liz Wong. “Even when she was not team captain, I would still listen to her because she dedicated most of her time practicing to become a better golfer,” Wong said. “She has inspired me to practice more and has shown me what true commitment is.” Sodgerel has been a valuable addition to the team as Shelley explains, “Watching her passion for the game and seeing her evolve every single year, I have so much respect for her as a human being and as a golfer.” In the end, while Sodgerel has personal ambitions of getting better, she also hopes to impact the golf team. “I’d like to show the rest of my team that even if you haven’t had much experience playing golf, you can still get really good at it. [I want to teach them] to never lose hope in getting better,” Sodgerel said. Both Sodgerel’s coach and teammates have all identified the same thing as her greatest strength: her love for the sport of golf. With aspirations of playing in college, she’ll continue to perfect her craft. Yet, her dedication to the team will always be present. “I hope all of us can become better golfers while growing to love the game,” Sodgeral said.
daniel cho @cho__bani SPORTS EDITOR
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SPORTS
FA L L S P O R T S PREVIEW
michael bernard @mkevvb SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR
CROSS COUNTRY Male runners to watch: Justin Guilak Alex Szabo Andrew Wang
Female runners to watch: Maggie Baugh Gracie Morris Liz Szabo
BOYS’ FOOTBALL Players to watch:
BOYS’ SWIMMING/DIVING Players to watch:
Jeremiah Austin Al Slater Dominick Waller
Koji Barrette Matt Graham Wil Welch
2016-2017 Record:
Goals:
Goals:
To win conference and to grow close as a team.
2-7
To win our conference.
GIRLS’ GOLF Players to watch: Misheel Sodgerel Sophie Thompson Ella Zimmerman
2016-2017 Record: 5-5
Goals: To lower our average varsity team score for the season [and] keep developing our JV team members.
BOYS’ SOCCER Players to watch: Zach Coble Austin Kliefoth Ben Schwarz Sam Pultman
2016-2017 Record: 9-11
Goals: To improve upon our first round loss in Districts last year to MICDS and our 3rd place finish in conference.
2016-2017 Record: Boys’: 13th at State Girls’: 3rd at Districts
Goals: To embark on a rebuilding year losing four of their starting seven runners from the boys team and five of their top seven from the girls team.
FIELD HOCKEY Players to watch: Kate Cooper Peyton Holmes Lizzy Mills
2016-2017 Record: 0-2-14
Goals: To continue to grow the sport and begin to lay the foundations for a competitive program.
Photos from Globe archives
SOFTBALL Players to watch: Sophie Bernstein Alex Darmody Katie Howard Lauren Kanaan Summer Jacobs
2016-2017 Record: 10-5
Goals: [To improve] everyday at practice.
GIRLS’ TENNIS Players to watch: Madison Gudmestad Nikki Seraji Erin Kotzbauer
2016-2017 Record: 2-8-1
VOLLEYBALL Players to watch: Echo Gaugush Julia Gollahon Hannah Ryan
2016-2017 Record: 3-21
Goals: To unite and improve to be competitive in the district tournament.
Goals: To enjoy the season since the majority of the varsity players are seniors.
Rivalry Schedule Girls’ Tennis vs Ladue Aug. 29, 4:00 PM Field Hockey @ Ladue Aug. 30, 4:15 PM Girls’ Golf vs Ladue Sept. 12, 3:30 PM Softball @ Ladue Sept. 25, 4:15 PM Football vs Ladue Sept. 28, 6:00 PM Boys’ Soccer vs Ladue Oct. 4, 5:45 PM Volleyball @ Ladue Oct. 5, 5:30 PM
‘ZZ A NEW CASUAL S P OT I N TO W N “Pi” owner Chris Sommers open a new modern pizza joint on Skinker
Photo by Michael Melinger
W
ith the opening of ‘ZZA Pizza and Salad on Skinker Blvd., iconic St. Louisan and owner of Pi Chris Sommers fulfills an old desire of his: opening a fast-casual pizza restaurant. The concept is as clever as the name, which completes the word ‘Pizza’ in conjunction with his flagship restaurant chain Pi. Considering Pi’s seemingly flawless local reputation, it is needless to say that St. Louisans will expect highly from its relatively new brother restaurant. And, Sommers delivers. With ‘ZZA, Sommers is following the nationwide trend of making the Chipotle concept compatible with other cuisines. The concept isn’t new to the St. Louis area, either. Crushed Red, a local favorite in Clayton, opened five years ago. Regardless, Sommers’ experiment proved an overwhelming and unprecedented success. The space is simple and aesthetically pleasing. The warm-colored decor is complemented by the prominent modern art on the walls. Following the ever-popular fast-casual concept, customers order their food at a podium-like counter and receive it while sitting at the table of their choosing. The menu is as straight-forward as the decor is modern. Each of the 16 menu items -- the nine pizzas and seven salads -- cost an extremely reasonable $9 when considering the awfully generous portion size. On top of that, there are no extra charges for custom-
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ization. This flexibility came as a very pleasant surprise, as did the level of convenience I would soon come to expect from the ‘ZZA experience. I gravitated to the Postrio pizza, which is a comprised of a sweet layer of barbeque sauce beneath high-quality chicken, onions and cilantro. After being cooked in the high-heat convection oven, the oblong-shaped pizza was brought to my table within a few minutes. The toppings check all the boxes. Each bite of chicken boasted the same freshness the restaurant advertises. The barbeque sauce was sweet and tangy simultaneously. As a stubborn, New York-raised pizza-lover, I must say I wasn’t as impressed with the crust as I was the toppings. The dry and thin crust did not add much to the overall taste of the pizza; that said, it did not do much to detract from the taste, either. As a frequent Pi customer, ‘ZZA’s crust seems a significant downgrade from the thin crust available at its brother restaurant. From the perspective of a sometimes-excessive eater, I found the pizza to be the perfect size. For $9, I left with my stomach full and not full on just the typical, run-of-the-mill personal pizza offered by some of ‘ZZA’s competition -- full on a personal pizza even my stubborn, New York-raised self found flavorful and savory down to the very last bite.
noah brown @noah.20 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
A N E N I G M AT I C B A N Somehow in modern America, “It’s politics” has become a common excuse or “explanation” for cruel policy decisions. President Donald Trump’s recent decision to ban transgender Americans from serving in the military illuminates the utter wrongness of this kind of explanation. On July 26, the President tweeted, “Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming . . . victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.” This isn’t politics. It’s Trump politics. Throughout the overwhelming majority of American history, presidents – liberal and conservative, Republican and Democratic – have made political decisions with utmost sincerity and gravitas. Trump’s campaign promise of an “American-first” administration has been shattered by his proven willingness to undermine the pillars of American society, by his complete abandonment of human decency. To further the already-blatant hypocrisy, Trump’s yearning for an “America-first President” reputation is tarnished by the very nature of his decision – to ban Americans from serving in the American military. Time after time, Trump has revealed his great ability to contradict himself, his promises, while simultaneously compromising the welfare of thousands of Americans with his capricious, self-interested decision-making. This is nothing new from Trump, and it shouldn’t be seen as such. Attempting to exempt President Trump from moral judgement on “political” grounds would be to set a gross, dangerous precedent for what we, as citizens, expect from our political institutions. Taken amorally and purely logistically, Trump’s decision is still impossible to justify. Trump has unwaveringly advocated for strengthening the American military. Removing thousands of physically and mentally capable military members is directly betraying this key component of his domestic policy. Moreover, Trump’s tweet mentioned the supposed financial “burden” and the “disruption that transgender in the military would entail.” An extensive research study by Rand Corp. concluded that the inclusion of transgender people in the military
Donald Trump applauds at a rally in late July. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal/TNS)
would only a 0.13-percent ($8.4 million out of $6.2 billion) increase in health care spending, a far from “tremendous” change. And, if Trump believes –– or wants the American public to believe he is sincere about conserving American dollars, he should be reminded that his eleven personal trips to Mar-A-Lago have costed $29 million dollars, nearly quadrupled the sum of costs associated with transgender Americans serving in the military. Like the President himself, it’s egregiously unpopular. A recent poll cited by The Washington Post shows that the majority of people in all 50 states oppose the ban. Even in the most conservative states, the merits of Trump’s decision go largely unrecognized. The commander-in-chief is quickly losing the support of those he is supposed to be in command of. In early August, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft stated that he “will not break faith” with transgender individuals serving as Coast Guards. The recently confirmed Navy Secretary stated that “any patriot that wants to serve and meets all the requirements should be able to serve in our military.” Clearly, political affiliations and biases are slowly decaying as Trump continues to make one unconscionable decision after another. To me, this absent-minded, haphazard decision appears to be just one more in a series of attempts by Trump to distract the public from the harsh reality of his political and personal past, namely to counter the momentum his complicated and seemingly collusive relationship with Russia has gained in recent months. While we will never know Trump’s true intention with this one policy decision, what remains dogmatic is his perpetual willingness to turn the act of running a government – politics, that is – into a manipulative game where the only eligible winners are himself and his few trusted administration members. As students of history, we must not allow this to become the perceived norm. The truth is that this kind of political tomfoolery is unprecedented in American politics. To excuse Trump’s lack of morality “because it’s politics” would be to undermine the overwhelmingly sincere interests and efforts of former American commander-in-chiefs.
noah brown @noah.20 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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