Globe Newsmagazine, November 2015, Issue 3, Vol. 87

clayton high school, clayton, mo.

december 2015

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GL OB E

december 2015

Sports

32 Winter Sports Preview Read about this season in CHS sports.

34 Rosenthal on Football

21

State of Mind

The Globe takes an in-depth look into mental health in the Clayton community.

News

9 Clayton Ice Rink

The ice rink will soon undergo construction to broaden its services to the public.

Feature

13 Officer Zlatic

Learn about CHS resource officer and his experience in the military.

35 Athlete Profile

Read about CHS swimming star, freshman Wil Welch.

Review 36 Randolfi’s

38 “Revival” by Selena Gomez

Opinion 42 Pro/Con

The Globe examines the debate between late start and early release days.

16 Tyler Gilliam 10 Mizzou

Through the lens of past CHS students, The Globe explores the recent events at Mizzou.

A look at a CHS artist.

18 Making a Change

CHS reporters take a look at how transgender students are accommodated around the STL area and at CHS.

44 Staff Editorial: Mental Health in Media 45 Staff Editorial: Open Campus 46 Scientology 47 Things Sophie Hates

CON

TENT

S 3

GLOB E

staff

editor - in - chief

alex bernard

reporters

madeleine ackerburg

marty sharpe

madeline bale

eunice shin

senior managing editors grace harrison

sophia barnes

petra sikic

katie spear

amy tishler

cosima thomas

karena tse

neel vallurupalli

angelo vidal

catherine walsh

samuel youkilis

samantha zeid

kevin rosenthal

barrett bentzinger

ellie tomasson

michael bernard

sophie bernstein

section editors

sophie allen

jacob blair

gabrielle boeger

noah brown

jack chereskin

brian gatter

eunice chung

nicholas lee

william clay

camille respess

nicholas d’agrosa

max steinbaum

alexandria darmody

elise yang

lise derksen

photographers sophie argyres

phoebe yao

emma ebeling

emma barnes

theodore fehr

jennifer braverman

brandon ford

ella engel

sarah franzel

felix evans

devin froehlich

alexandra gerchen

mariclare gatter

akansha goel

anne goode

ava hoffman

hugo hoffman

ricky kuehn

lucas hoffman

elizabeth mills

robert hogan

carolyn niswonger

peter indivino

hava polinsky

olivia joseph

elizabeth poor

sehoon kim

claire schwarz

cody krutzsch

san kwon

sol kwon

jacob lagesse

elise levy

benjamin litteken

madison lockett

bea mcguire

grace morris

lauren praiss

andreas peterman

mia redington

nikki seraji

copy editors

charlie brennan

harry rubin webmaster lemuel lan

business manager lucy cohen

photo editors bebe engel

katherine sleckman

distribution editor

robert hollocher editors

dimitri baldauf

nisha klein

olivia reuter

mitali sharma

zachary sorenson

albert wang

ashleigh williams

tara williams

daniel cho

graphics editor victoria yi

graphic artist cherry tomatsu

design editor lawrence hu

adviser

erin castellano

Professional Affiliations: Sponsors of School Publications . Missouri Interscholastic Press Association . Missouri Journalism Education Association . National Scholastic Press Association . Columbia Scholastic Press Association

I came up with the idea to write a story about mental health because I think it is an issue that needs to be talked about. It is an issue that has been made taboo by our society, but everyone is affected by mental health at most by one or two degrees of separation.

Members of the Clayton community, as well as the larger, global community fall silent when it comes to mental illness. This silence is why it is so crucial for us to promote the idea of openness when it comes to mental health. So, am I a hypocrite for struggling with this silence myself?

We, as a society, have trouble talking about mental health because it makes us vulnerable. We expose our imperfections, and shatter the picture perfect facade that we work every minute of every day to preserve.

So we repress. It shouldn’t be some great act of courage to share our stories, yet that is what it has become.

As I sat down to interview fellow members of the Clayton community and soaked up their stories, they all began to percolate in my mind.

I thought about how all of these people whom I see on a regular basis suffer in silence.

As the the interviews piled up, I began to doubt myself and my qualification to write this story. After all, if I couldn’t even bring myself to open myself up, how could I expect others to? How could I write a story that preaches openness, when I remained closed? And, most critically, why do I, and so many others, feel unable to share the ways mental illness has affected our lives and the lives of those we love?

For weeks, I pondered these questions and for weeks, I kept circling back to the same answer: shame. Shame is, perhaps, the most unpleasant emotion that we feel regularly, so we go to great lengths to avoid it, even if it means lying to ourselves and those around us.

We don’t want to change others’ impressions of us, so we would rather bottle it all up and push through. If you break your leg, you put it in a cast to let it heal. You don’t run laps in gym class because that would be counterproductive to your recuperation ... right?

So, why is mental illness different? If somebody is suffering from a mental illness, be it depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schitzophrenia or any of the other myriad ailments that countless people face, there is no healing period.

Everyone expects a victim of mental illness to just buckle down and push through, when in fact, this can be as counterproductive as running the mile on a broken leg.

I have watched those I love not only suffer from mental illness but

FROM THE EDITOR

suffer in silence, and it breaks my heart.

I’ve had experience with mental health issues before I even knew what they were. The labels we give to these issues are designated by society, but the emotions and brain chemistry is innate.

I always knew that my family was a little bit different, but I didn’t have the words to express how. I just knew that certain people were moody, perhaps more than normal. But we didn’t talk about it. No one really does.

In an ideal world, we would publish this story and everyone would see the error of their ways and Clayton would become a warm community of openness and sunshine and rainbows, however we are not so naive to have these expectations.

All we can hope is that by bringing the issue of the stigmatization of mental health to light in the Clayton community, we can start conversation.

And maybe these conversations can begin to break down the archaic stigma surrounding mental illness. 

Ellie Tomasson, Senior Managing 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 EDITOR’S (314) 854-6668 N OT E 5 globe@claytonschools.net

Junior Hannah Ryan and Senior Luke Davis preform in the fall play, “Pride and Prejudice.”

PHOTO BY KATHERINE SLECKMAN

PA N O R

AMA 7

WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

Tumultuous Times at Mizzou In the second week of November, the University of Missouri football players joined with hundreds of other students in demanding the removal of the UM system president, Tim Wolfe.

The protests were initiated by a hunger-striking graduate student who felt that Wolfe had not responded appropriately to several racist and anti-semitic incidents that had occurred in recent months. As a result of the protests, Wolfe resigned.

Fresh off the heels of Wolfe, Mizzou’s head football coach, Gary Pinkel announced that he would be retiring due to health issues. Pinkel is the winningest coach in Mizzou’s history, with a record of 118-71.

Tom Cormier gets All-State Honors Tom Cormier races during a cross country meet. (Photo by Ava Hoffman)

NEWS

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notes

Paris in Peril

On Nov. 13, several concurrent large-scale terrorist attacks were launched in Paris, France. There were 352 people injured, and 129 people, along with seven of the nine suspected attackers, were killed in the attacks. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks, with many of the attackers being of Syrian origin. The attacks took place at five locations, including Stade de France, where an exhibition soccer match between France and Germany was held.

The world has been quick to show support for Paris and the victims of the attacks, with numerous displays of red, white and blue, the colors of the French flag, around the world. Among many buildings around the world sporting the colors of France was the US Capitol. Showing solidarity with the victims of the attacks has been especially popular on Facebook, with millions of Facebook users adding a temporary tricolor filter to their profile pictures.

In retaliation for the attacks, France has launched airstrikes on the Islamic State targets and asked for the world to join in the fight. Due to the fact that at least one of the terrirosts was Syrian, numerous American governors have rallied towards closing borders to Syrian migration.

by HARRY RUBIN copy editor

Junior Tom Cormier sprinted his way into the history books with a 22nd place finish at the State Cross Country Championships on Nov. 7.

After winning his second consecutive District championship a week earlier, Cormier became the first Greyhound since Parker Schultz in 2013 and the first CHS junior since Sam Yount in 2000 to receive the honor. This comes an act of redemption for Cormier, who missed the State Track Championships cutoff this past spring by less than two seconds.

Glow Dancelled Clayton STUGO's Glow Dance, scheduled for Nov. 13, was cancelled due to a lack of ticket sales. The dance had been planned as an alternative to the previously “dancelled” Halloween Dance. STUGO was planning on selling glow merchandise as a fundraiser, but instead they had to sit at home, raising their own fun with the surplus glow merchandise. 

COOL AS ICE

The aging Shaw Park Ice Rink is in need of reconstruction.

by JACOB LAGESSE with MICHAEL BERNARD reporters Whether it’s flying around the rink or gripping the wall, many in Clayton have come to appreciate the Shaw Park Ice Rink for its fun and sentimental value.

Built in 1960, the ice rink was made to last for about 50 years, and 2015 is its 55th birthday. The age of the ice rink is a big issue to Clayton Alderman Alex Berger III. Because of its old age, it is hard to find parts to replace those that break.

“You can only repair these machines to a point where you can’t get parts and parts have to be custom made,” Berger said. “It becomes a losing battle.”

According to Berger, replacing the rink is a must if Clayton still wants one. If the rink was to stay as it is, “at some point in time it would go away,” he said.

A survey done by the city revealed that the majority of residents want to continue to have an ice rink in Clayton. For long-time residents, the rink holds much sentimental value. Clayton’s director of Parks and Recreation, Patty DeForrest, knows of this significance to the public.

“I think there are good memories for most families tied to the rink, whether the adults use it much or not,” DeForrest said.

In April 2014, a proposition to raise taxes to pay for a $12 million multipurpose facility that would replace the Shaw Park Ice Rink was declined by voters. Voters did not think that having a new rink was worth an increase in their taxes. Nevertheless, since then, Clayton’s Board of Aldermen has worked to build the new ice rink anyway.

While it may seem that the city is going against public interest, exalderman of Clayton and supporter of the new rink Michelle Harris disagrees.

“The current options being considered are not [the original plan],” Harris said.

The plan for reconstruction has changed from the one voted against by citizens. The Board thinks that this will make a difference in the public’s view of the project.

The major difference between the plan that was declined by voters and the current plan is the subtraction of a roof. The original plans that were

voted down include a roof above the rink allowing skaters to use the rink year-round. Because of this change, the price of the plan has decreased to $6 million. Additionally, this new plan would not raise taxes. “[The money] would come from existing funds,” DeForrest said.

An important feature of the new rink would be its larger size. The current ice rink is under regulation size for ice hockey and therefore is not used by CHS for its hockey teams. However, Clayton’s hockey teams could have the ability to use the new rink to practice and play games.

Winter sports would not be the only ones benefiting from the reconstruction of the rink. The ice skating season lasts for about three months, from the end of November through the middle of February. The plans for the new ice rink, however, include turning it into a turf field that can be used for different sports or events throughout the rest of the year. Adding an extra field would benefit athletics in Clayton by reducing the demand for fields in Shaw Park by recreational teams.

“Opening up the field for usage is almost more important than the ice, because think about all the different teams that could use it and all the nine months of the year it would be available,” Harris said.

As the plan nears implementation, the final stages of the process will include public input. There will be several public forums held where residents can voice their opinions. Harris encourages people to go and talk about their views on the project.

“Community input is really important in Clayton, and people listen,” Harris said.

“The plan will be part of the ongoing agenda for the Parks and Recreation commission,” Berger said. Students can hope to see the new rink constructed by the start of the 2018 season.

While having a new ice rink is advantageous in many ways to the city and its residents, some will be sad to see the old rink go. The Shaw Park Ice Rink has been an iconic piece of Clayton history, and many residents have grown up around it.

“Students’ fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, aunts and uncles all benefitted from this great asset, as [the students] will,” Berger said. 

NEW The current ice rink must be closed down during the off-season. (Photo by Cosi Thomas)

S 9

A PRESSING ISSUE

by NOAH BROWN

feature section editor

(Michael Cali/San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS)

THE EVENTS

Local journalists, Clayton graduates and their role in covering the events that have unfolded at the University of Missouri.

Out for a run around University of Missouri’s campus on the evening of Nov. 7 was Peter Baugh, a current Mizzou student and former editorin-chief of The Globe. Suddenly, his phone began to ring as he received a call from the editor of The Maneater, the Mizzou student-publication Baugh now works for.

“Saturday night, I was going on a run when I got a call from my editor and she said, ‘The football players are going on strike. We need a story now,’” Baugh said.

Several members of the Division I Mizzou football team, in statements circulating social media, agreed to boycott football activities amid the racial debate going on around campus. In doing so, the players joined and provided traction to a historic and nationally recognized movement.

The players’ boycott, on a different level, more specifically targeted the President of the University of Missouri system Tim Wolfe, attempting to force his removal from presidency.

Removing the president was a priority on the minds of many, including Mizzou graduate student, Jonathan Butler, who was on a hunger strike which he began Nov. 2, seven days before the team announced their decision to stop all football activities. Head coach Gary Pinkel and the athletic department issued a statement saying that the Missouri Ti-

gers, “do not plan to return to practice until Jonathan [Butler] resumes eating.”

Butler, whose intentions echoed those of many other Mizzou students, sought the removal of Wolfe, and developed as a leader from the very incipient stages of the movement.

Students’ anger and complaints were derived from the administration’s handling of several racial events that took place on campus.

Baugh explained that these incidents sparked an increase in discussion about these controversial issues.

“There were a few racist incidents on campus that gained a lot of attention, some of which also went national. That started bringing racial tensions to the forefront of a lot of dialogue going on between students,” he said.

In addition to the event Baugh spoke of, the reactionary steps taken by students in attempts to solve these problems have also gained national attention.

“Sports are powerful because a lot of people follow them and a lot of people care. It’s very shocking when a group of people who have worked at their sport for their whole life say, ‘We’re not going to do anything until Tim Wolfe resigns.’ It was just striking, it was huge,” Baugh said.

The President of the Missouri Student Association Payton Head au-

NEWS

10

thored an influential Facebook post in which he told the story of several of his encounters with racism, one most notably the time when he was called the n-word on campus. Head ends his poignant remarks with the words, “It’s time to wake up Mizzou.”

Following the lead of inspired and vocal students, namely Head and Butler, among others, Mizzou’s student body and community has been able to voice their reservations about the systematic injustice in a very public manner.

The group targeting racial injustice and discrimination is called Concerned Student 1950, 1950 being the year the University of Missouri became integrated. Through their inspired actions, the group has already begun to initiate change around the school community. Wolfe resigned from his duties two days after the football team’s boycott on Nov. 9, marking a pivotal point in the process.

Natalie Miller, a former Globe reporter, CHS graduate and now a freshman at Mizzou, is inspired by what the group has been able to achieve but recognizes that the issue is far from being over. Miller explained, however, that Wolfe’s resignation is a step in the right direction.

“I think it’s great that the students behind the group Concerned Student 1950 and the many others who have been involved in the protests and demonstrations have displayed such bravery in their fight for change,” she said. “I fully support the removal of Tim Wolfe as UM President, but I believe that it is a very small step towards a long journey towards equality and fairness for all marginalized students and faculty at this school.”

Students accused Wolfe of not properly and sufficiently addressing the issues at hand. Nate Gatter, a CHS graduate and current Mizzou

Head coach Gary Pinkel leads his team out onto the field before their game vs. BYU (Chris Lee/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/TNS)

Tim Wolfe, former UM System President, who stepped down amid the controversy.

(Allison Long/Kansas City Star/TNS)

student, speaks of other students’ discontentment toward Wolfe’s leadership, or lack thereof. Gatter, like Baugh, also contributes to the Maneater.

“The focus shifted when students had a tough time getting responses from Tim Wolfe, and then they finally, at the homecoming parade here at Mizzou, which is a very big deal, stepped out and blocked his car,” Gatter said. “Not only did Tim Wolfe refuse to get out of the car or acknowledge them, and not only did the crowd boo them, but Tim Wolfe’s driver actually tried to drive through the line of students and ended up striking one of the students. He wasn’t injured, but the message at that point was communicated pretty clearly and Tim Wolfe didn’t apologize for that until more than a month later when the national attention started to come down on him.”

Soon thereafter, the University of Missouri now finds itself wrapped up in a complex debate over societal issues such as institutionalized racism. The progression of events has led to chaos and controversy among Mizzou students and administration alike.

What may seem like a recent outpouring of events within Mizzou’s campus actually embodies a deep-rooted problem in the university’s history.

Gatter thinks that the recent events cannot be used to define an entire history of struggle.

“This story has been going on for a long time; this isn’t something that gets ignited by one or two particular events. I think you can trace this all the way back to the events in Ferguson in August of last year, if you really want to,” Gatter said.

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THE JOURNALISTIC LENS What has remained consistent over the course of events is the solid, informative coverage of the situation by local student media.

Roaming the Mizzou campus, as Baugh and his newspaper colleagues expected, were representatives from a multitude of national media outlets. The widespread media coverage is one factor that led to increased discussion among students, as Baugh explained.

“There’s definitely a different feeling going around campus and it is definitely the main topic of conversation which is cool to see. It’s not everyday you have national media just wandering around campus. It’s very, very interesting,” he said. “There are a lot of students talking about it.

There are a lot of different viewpoints being shared and that’s been pretty powerful.”

However, both equipped with journalistic backgrounds, Gatter and Baugh recognize and appreciate the capabilities of local media as opposed to national media outlets.

“As much as we love and trust name brands like the New York Times, ESPN, USA Today and what have you, local media will always have the story best. They’ve been covering it the longest, they already have the relationships with their sources at the university, they have the best understanding of how the university operates, who the people involved are and how the story has been going and will go,” Gatter said.

Former Globe editor and current sports columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Benjamin Hochman realizes the power of journalism, yet stresses the importance of accuracy. Hochman is a Mizzou graduate and, like Baugh, covered the events that unfolded at his alma mater through a journalistic lens.

“It’s times like these where you realize the importance of journalism.

The diligent journalists in Columbia told the world a story that otherwise wouldn’t have been known outside of Boone County. The power aspect of journalism can’t be overlooked, though -- journalists have the ability

“

T h i s s t o r y h a s b e e n g o i n g o n fo r a l o n g t i m e ; th i s i s n’ t s o m e th i n g th a t g e t s i g n i t e d b y o n e o r t wo p a r t i c u l a r e ve n t s . I th i n k y o u c a n t ra c e th i s a l l th e wa y b a c k t o th e e ve n t s i n Fe r g u s o n i n A u g u s t o f l a s t y e a r. ”

-Nate Gatter

to capture the story, and thus have the responsibility to capture it accurately,” Hochman said.

The use of social media has aided the coverage of the events.

“Twitter is the modern newspaper. Really, it’s even more than a newspaper -- it’s a bulletin board, it’s a sounding board, it’s the way we connect to moments and places and issues and people,” Hochman said.

Despite the advantages, like most outlets for discussion, social media can have its downsides. Gatter has seen the harmful use of social media and its impact on those trying to initiate change.

“Social media provides a platform for a lot of people that shouldn’t have one. So there has been a lot of hate that has come from social media,” he said.

Even with the hate being voiced on social media, Gatter thinks its downsides are ultimately outweighed by the benefits.

“I think it can be a great way to have a grass roots movement like this take hold. Overall, I think it’s safe to say that social media has been more good than otherwise,” he said.

As Gatter highlighted, parallels have been drawn between the more recent situation at Mizzou and the series of events involving Ferguson and the death of Michael Brown.

Baugh, who has had the opportunity to cover both from a journalistic perspective, has allowed his experiences to teach him greater things about history.

“When I took pictures for the Ferguson cover story [for the Globe] last year, I got a sense that I was covering history, that this was an event that would be remembered for years to come,” he said. “I got a very similar feeling as I was covering the events that unfolded here. I personally find that feeling to be one of the coolest of journalism, knowing that the work I’m doing right now is part of history. That’s an amazing feeling to have and that’s one of the things I took away from both situations.” 

A protest held at Mizzou’s campus (Michael Cali/San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS)

OFFICER ZLATIC

Our student resource officer opens up about his experience in the military and how he came to work at CHS.

by MARTY SHARPE reporter To some, the word “safety” appears as just a word and nothing more; but to Officer John Zlatic, safety is a lifestyle.

Zlatic is the school resource officer (SRO) at CHS and his main priority is the safety of the 800+ students that walk through the front doors every morning. Born in Clayton, Zlatic graduated from CHS in hopes of beginning his career in law.

“I was the first in my family to attend and graduate from college,” Zlatic said. “But I came from a meager, middle-class family and I was going to have to work to pay for my college tuition, so law school was no longer an option.”

Zlatic enrolled in UMSL, graduating with an undergraduate degree in criminology.

“I then moved on to graduate school,” Zlatic said. “And coming from a family with no other college graduates, they were pretty surprised that I was attending college in the first place, let alone continuing my education in graduate school.”

Then one day, everything changed.

“I was just about to start graduate school, but in that moment I turned my car around and I signed up for the U.S. Military,” Zlatic said. “I was expecting to be in the desert the next day but I was in for a lot of training.”

After being deployed into the Middle East, Zlatic was moved around a lot.

“I was in the Middle East for a little while,” Zlatic said. “I was moved around Afghanistan, Iraq, all those places.”

But military training and experience was not all Zlatic received from his new position.

“When I was in the military, I had to pick up a language, which ended up being Farsi,” Zlatic said. “I ended up in military intelligence, but I knew that I wanted to work stateside, so, after my service time, I went home.”

Upon arriving home, Zlatic received job offers from both the CIA and the FBI. “When I got home from serving overseas, both the FBI and the CIA were interested in hiring me, mainly for my language skills,” Zlatic said.

“But, with jobs like that, you go where they want you to, and what I really wanted was to return to and work in Clayton.”

Zlatic ended up doing just that. After returning to Clayton, Zlatic

joined the police academy and after three months was an on-duty police officer in Clayton. As an official a member of the police force, Zlatic went on to pursue his career at CHS, thus returning to work at his alma mater.

After I joined the force, I knew that I wanted to work with juveniles, and my love for Clayton and the fact that I attended the high school is the reason why I’m where I am right now,” Zlatic said.

Though he was officially out of the military, Zlatic did not the forget tactics and abilities he had developed in his time serving overseas.

“I still incorporate things that I mainly used in the military. I rely a lot on my senses,” Zlatic said. “I’m able to tell when someone is lying to me, or if they’re hiding something. I’ve also grown to notice the little things, even down to the minute details.”

His military experience even affects his everyday schedule.

“I don’t like having a routine,” Zlatic said. “Being dedicated to a single routine would let someone, who may intend to cause harm to our school, know where I am, when I’m going to be there and when I’m not. Staying off of a daily schedule prevents that sort of thing.”

As CHS’ school resource officer, Zlatic’s job entails much more than just being an officer.

“My position covers a lot of major things and a lot of really minor things,” Zlatic said. “But what it really narrows down to is the safety of the students and faculty in this building.”

Through his years of employment at CHS, Zlatic has observed and developed the importance of the SRO. “Events like the Columbine shooting were first easily solved, with the government thinking that just putting an officer in a school would stop things like that from happening again,” Zlatic said. “But then we learned that just putting officers in wasn’t going to be enough, so my position was created mostly out of that. It gave officers much more meaning, more than just patrolling schools, but actually developing ways to make them safer for students and faculty.”

Zlatic’s position at CHS is one that requires both determination and passion.

“To me, my job means more than just keeping kids and people safe. It’s giving their parents that feeling of security when they drop their kids off in the morning, knowing that they’ll see them after school. I look forward to going to work every day,” Zlatic said. 

F E AT U

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SEEDS OF CHANGE

by KATIE SPEAR reporter An 11-year-old girl started out with an idea and a pack of seeds. With sunlight, water and relentless dedication, her backyard garden sprouted into an organization creating change throughout the Midwest. Armed with 750 volunteers and a $36,000 grant, CHS sophomore Sophie Bernstein is making exceptional progress in her pursuit to eliminate childhood hunger and obesity.

Bernstein planted her first garden in 2011 to donate the produce she grew to local food banks.

She was inspired to bring healthier foods to local low-income families but did not yet have the means to expand her project.

“Once I visited the foodbank I realized they really didn’t have any healthy products, but I didn’t really have the funding to do anything,” Bernstein said.

Two years later, she used the money raised from her bat mitzvah project to continue her mission. Bernstein offered to build gardens for low-income preschools so that children could have access to fresh vegetables and learn about healthy foods.

“I realized that kids didn’t really know anything about gardening and healthy eating,” Bernstein said. “I was able to teach kids about the importance of healthy eating, how to garden, healthy recipes and also giving the food back to the foodbank.”

Bernstein’s project has been growing steadily over the past few years. As of now she has built 19 gardens and donated over 5,000 pounds of fresh produce.

She hasn’t done it alone. Using social media to spread the word, Bernstein has accumulated 750 volunteers who have helped her build gardens in Missouri, Indiana and New York.

“If you give the opportunities to people to give back, they’ll take it,” Bernstein said.

Bernstein insists that asking for help is a necessary step in accomplishing her goals of ending childhood obesity and hunger. Besides using social media to gather volunteers, Bernstein has been able to expand her organization by applying for grants.

She has been given a few smaller grants since 2013, but was recently named one of 15 recipients of the $36,000 Diller Teen Tikkun Olam award for Jewish teen leaders making a change in their community.

Although recipients may use the money for whatever they choose, Bernstein has decided to put

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FEATUR

all of the $36,000 back into her project, which she hopes will soon be categorized as a non-profit organization.

Bernstein’s future goals are not focused on her own organization but on the broader issues behind it.

“I just want to be able to end child hunger and obesity,” Bernstein said.

“The food banks really don’t have enough healthy products, and getting products in the food banks would be absolutely fantastic. My big goal would be getting healthier food into food banks and ending childhood hunger and obesity. A small goal at this point would be getting gardens in the midwest area.”

Bernstein’s next step in her plan is to start building gardens in Illinois.

Managing such an ambitious project is no small feat for a high school student, but Bernstein is able to balance the responsibilities of running a successful organization with her schoolwork. Although she puts a lot of work into managing her project, Bernstein finds that the benefits outweigh the sacrifices.

“I enjoy it a lot, so it’s not really tedious work,” Bernstein said. “During the winter I’m able to plan and it’s just like when you have to do work each night. Then in the summer is when it’s really fun when I don’t have school and I can just go outside and help build the gardens.”

Even with the help of hundreds of volunteers, Bernstein is still involved in every aspect of the organization. She created a curriculum to describe a step-by-step guide to building the gardens, but Bernstein tries to attend every event to lead the volunteers. Bernstein also takes the responsibility of maintaining most of the gardens and collecting the produce to take to the food banks.

Bernstein’s dedication to community service is a value that her entire family shares. With a father that serves in the Navy reserves and siblings that created Volunteen Nation, it is no surprise that Bernstein has actively pursued her goal of providing healthy foods to end childhood hunger and obesity.

“If you just ask or try to get involved it’s definitely an amazing thing,”

Bernstein said. “I started with so little; I started with a pack of seeds and I really didn’t think it would go anywhere. l feel like if you go out there and try, doors will open and it will all work out.” 

Bernstein stands in front of a food pantry with some of her produce. (Photos from Sophie Bernstein)

Tyler Gillam in his backyard.

(Photo by Carolyn Niswonger)

T YLER THE CREATOR A look into the life of the hidden gem of the CHS Art Department, senior Tyler Gillam.

by GRACE HARRISON senior managing editor Walking into the CHS library, a finely crafted construction site, entirely made of cardboard, towers above the shelves of books. A floor below in the corner of the art studio sits the creator: quiet and focused, his clay-stained hands move quickly and carefully as they bring to life what will soon become his next masterpiece.

Senior Tyler Gillam’s sculpting abilities originated long before he reached the corner of the art studio at CHS. “I’ve been building since I was little,” Gillam said. “I would go to Sam’s and get massive sheets of cardboard and build forts over my bed. I’d make just about anything.”

From the start, Gillam was inspired by the world around him. Nature has always been a love of Gillam’s -- in fact, he currently has four snakes, two box turtles and two aquatic turtles to prove it. However, he is also influenced by the industrial world, as can be seen by his construction piece displayed in the CHS library.

Despite his innate artistic ability, Gillam did not officially begin taking art classes at CHS until his junior year because he was too busy working in the engineering department.

“I like designing and building, and engineering lets me build more of the larger projects from wood or metal,” Gillam said. “Or, I can design a

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part on the computer and then 3-D print it.”

Impressively enough, this late start in CHS art classes did not hinder his sculpting whatsoever. Last year, the St. Louis Artists’ Guild sponsored the Emerson 2015 Young Artists Showcase Exhibition. Over 35 schools entered the work of 354 artists, and approximately 200 pieces were selected for the exhibition. One of only twelve participants to receive an award, Tyler took home the Joanne Stremsterfer Annual Prize.

That same year, Gillam also won the Richard Grimm Visual Art Award.

Laura Sher, art teacher at CHS, has worked closely with Gillam over the past two years. After taking both of the offered sculpture classes at CHS (Sculpture 1 and Sculpture 2) his junior year, Gillam and Sher met at the end of last year to decide the next step Gillam should take. The two made a consecutive decision to move Gillam beyond what is offered to independent study classes.

This semester, Gillam is enrolled in Independent Study Sculpture 3.

“We met at the beginning of the year and scoped out a couple of big projects that he would do throughout the semester,” Sher said. “He works on his studio work, and then every Monday I give him a research assignment and we conference on Fridays about that assignment. It is about Tyler learning about sculptors and art history and techniques and

being exposed to more types of sculpture and materials that are out there so he can get a real sense of what the world of sculpture is like, not just at CHS.” For Sher, teaching a sculpting student as advanced and innovative as Gillam has been a rewarding challenge.

“I will always be an artist first and a teacher second,” Sher said. “So in terms of dealing with one of my students as an artist, and not just an art student, that part has been really invigorating for me as an art teacher. I think he has a lot of innate aptitude for how artists have to think in the studio environment.”

Sher has played a major role in Gillam’s achievements by seeking out art competitions and submitting his sculptures. While these art shows and competitions serve as temporary goals for Gillam, one goal has motivated the artist since a very young age: Becoming an Eagle Scout.

“In order to become an Eagle Scout, you have to get all of the different merit badges and volunteering hours and do all of the work that comes with it,” Gillam said. “It is a lot of hard work and dedication because you have to have it done before you are 18.”

With his eighteenth birthday approaching quickly, Gillam has recently spent much of his time completing necessary components to receive the recognition.

“For the Eagle, you have to do a big final project where you go out in the community and find someone who needs something done or built,” Gillam said. “I went out to Tyson Research Center and they needed some picnic tables built, so I had to fundraise and get donations for money to be able to build the tables.”

To finally complete the project was a rewarding moment for Gillam.

What made the process even more important to Gillam was being able to

Photo of Tyler Gillam’s cardboard sculpture (Photo from Tyler Gillam)

use his sculpting skills to help him achieve this goal.

“The art and the building helped with knowing exactly how to build [the tables] and tool safety and everything like that,” Gillam said.

Fellow engineering student and Boy Scout junior Jake Gillette believes that Gillam’s dedicated personality has helped him be successful in both his art and his work in Boy Scouts. “He’s a lot different than a lot of the people at CHS, and he’s totally fine with it,” Gillette said. “He is proud of who he is, and that is a good thing for sure. He knows what he wants to do, and he doesn’t let anyone else change that.”

Becoming an Eagle Scout is not the only way Gillam has utilized his sculpting skills. When he isn’t completing another requirement to receive his Eagle Scout recognition, Gillam spends much of his remaining time constructing motor bikes.

“Some I build from scratch, and others I buy broken and rebuild them and turn them into my own masterpieces, all the way down to the custom paint jobs,” Gillam said.

Reconstructing motor bikes challenges Gillam both as an engineer and as an artist.

“I just like the building and designing of it and making it work how you want it to work instead of just buying something,” Gillam said.

In fact, Gillam is so interested in this hobby that he wants to pursue a similar career of building custom motorcycles. “There is still art with that, and it is mechanical, too,” Gillam said.

In Sher’s eyes, Gillam is too talented to not pursue a career with an artistic perspective. Colleges already have shown significant interest in Gillam’s artwork, and Sher plans to continue helping this interest grow.

“I think he has so much to contribute to the world in terms of the things that he makes,” Sher said. 

MAKING A CHANGE

The Globe explores the treatment of transgender students in school.

by NICHOLAS LEE and MAX STEINBAUM

INTRODUCTION

Lila Perry, a senior at Hillsboro High School in Hillsboro, MO., was living a lie - that was, until her decision to come out as transgender at the beginning of this school year. Naturally, Perry wanted to be treated as any other female student within the building and alerted the school administration of her desire to use the girls’ bathroom and locker room.

The news of Perry’s request spread quickly throughout the student body and ultimately culminated in student protests - both in opposition and support of allowing Perry the use of the female facilities. The Hillsboro student body and community were effectively divided on the issue of permitting the transgender senior into these areas designated for females.

The intense controversy underlying Perry’s request, however, is a matter of far greater magnitude than the decision to allow her to use the girls’ bathroom; indeed, the conflict in Hillsboro extends beyond one simple administrative decision, as it implicates many moral and legal issues in today’s society.

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LEGALITY Adrienne Davis is the Vice Provost and a Law Professor at Washington University. Despite the great controversy at Hillsboro High, Davis says, the school administration would not be required to make any decision regarding Perry’s case simply because there no laws governing the proper procedure under these unique circumstances.

“In the absence of a law, schools can create their own rules - so Hillsboro could create their own policy,” Davis explained, mentioning that many different institutions and schools across the country have approached similar issues in a variety of different fashions.

In addition, Davis described how the beliefs of the surrounding community are often reflected in the ways the institutions choose to address these issues, and the variety of ways with which these different situations have been dealt raises the question as to which is correct. In turn, the enactment of different policies also raises larger questions regarding the degree of responsibility a school possesses to ensure the fair treatment of every student considering the conflicting views they may hold.

“The question becomes, ‘Who’s the outlier -- the transgender person or the people who aren’t comfortable with it?’” Davis said, citing that some more progressive institutions have defined the “outlier” as those who are uncomfortable in their decision to make all of their school bathrooms gender neutral.

Ultimately, says Davis, the fate of transgender students’ permission to use the bathrooms of their choosing is up to the administration of the school they attend - and until the issue is addressed at the federal or state level, we will continue to see conflicting policies in application to the same kinds of situations.

“We have a responsibility and obligation to make sure all students feel safe here,” Gutchewsky said. “I am aware that we have transgender students in the district and in the building right now, and it hasn’t been an issue.”

Gutchewsky explained that in the past, the CHS administration has worked with transgender students and their families on an individual basis in order to generate solutions with which all are comfortable. And the student body and Clayton community, Gutchewsky says, has been very receptive.

“It hasn’t been disruptive, and I haven’t had any phone calls [from people angry with the situation],” Gutchewsky said. “It’s one of the things I really appreciate about CHS and about the community - it’s always been a very accepting and rational.”

In most cases, Gutchewsky said, the CHS administration offered transgender students use of the private restroom in the nurse’s office, a facility open to all students who may require it - the same settlement Perry had with Hillsboro High prior to this school year. Gutchewsky explained that if a CHS student were to make the same request as Perry and request the restroom of the gender with which they identify, he would not anticipate the same controversy seen at Hillsboro.

“My experience [with] the Clayton community is that people have been quite accepting, and I’d be surprised if there was any kind of backlash over an issue like that,” Gutchewsky said. “That’s just not my experience here.”

“We’ve got some catching up to do here, but I think it can be done.”

(Hutton)

ADMIN CHS teacher and GSA sponsor Doug Verby explained the difficulty of the decision for schools in determining a course of action for these types of issues. “Administrators want a blanket policy, but you’ve got to help the individuals as well,” he said.

Although it would be undoubtedly unpopular with some elements of the school and community - as in Hillsboro - Verby feels that it is ultimately necessary for schools to address the needs of transgender students.

“It’s something that’s come to the forefront of our [nation’s politics], and I think all legal rights need to be examined,” Verby said. “I also think it’s an issue that needs to be talked about and discussed. It’s definitely at the forefront of a lot of school communities.”

Verby is hopeful that controversy on this issue, as exhibited at Hillsboro High and many other schools and institutions across the country will, in the long run, be for the better.

“It’s difficult, but like any social change, I think schools, individuals and communities are working to navigate the road,” Verby said. “As long as we can have open and honest dialogue, I think we can get to some real deep understandings to help make things easier for the future.”

CHS Principal Dr. Dan Gutchewsky admitted that the school administration has yet to have any official conversation regarding the events at Hillsboro, but did stress the importance of awareness of the issue among the CHS admin9 1 E R F E AT U istration.

STUDENT

Josh*, a transgender student at CHS, believes the school has a responsibility to side with the needs of their transgender students even in the event of backlash from the student body.

“Going with the [popular opinion] may seem like the thing to do,” he said, “but making transgender students comfortable should also be a school priority.”

With regard to the situation in Hillsboro, Josh commented that he believes Lila is entitled to use the bathroom of her choice, but also understands why the school’s decision may have made some students uncomfortable. Ultimately, though, he stated that he feels the school made the right choice in permitting Lila the use of the girls’ bathroom.

“That’s just who [Lila] is,” he said. “Nothing’s really going to change.

Forcing her to go into a male restroom would just make things worse.”

Josh, who identifies as male, also explained his personal bathroom situation.

“During school hours I use the female bathrooms,” he said. “My biggest fear is confrontation, so during school hours I don’t want to want to go into the male restroom and have someone question me.”

Josh also said that he has never encountered any issues at CHS with regard to his sexuality. While he has heard some causally-expressed offensive comments in passing, he doesn’t feel that any were directed towards him.

Additionally, Josh agreed that many students lack education on the topic, which can only be solved through heightened exposure and discussion, which will hopefully result in greater acceptance of the needs of transgender students.

“I think there’s still a lot of knowledge a lot of kids don’t have,” he said.

PARENT Kim Hutton is the executive director of Transparent, a St. Louis based non-for-profit that aims to provide support and resources to the parents and caregivers of gender independent children. She feels that the Hillsboro administration handled the Perry’s situation well, and that she is very appreciative of the school’s efforts to accommodate the transgender teen. “[The administration was] trying to do the right thing and address her needs as a transgender person,” Hutton said. "They are trying to be inclusive within their facilities, and I think they really do want to create an inclusive atmosphere.”

Hutton believes, however, that the only proper resolution to the conflict at Hillsboro - and any similar situations in schools across the nationis one of absolutely no discrimination.

“We [have to] coexist with our transgender citizens, and if you’re uncomfortable then you need to remove yourself and go somewhere that you can be comfortable,” Hutton said.

For schools constructing new facilities in the future, Hutton also offered some advice.

“I think it would be very wise for any district that is building any new facility to perhaps consider having unisex bathrooms all over the school, so that anyone can use whatever they’re comfortable with,” Hutton said.

“I believe that schools should have a lot more unisex options, or have strictly male or strictly female bathrooms [but] not restrict those to anyone.”

With institutions such as private businesses, Hutton acknowledged the possibility of increased difficulty and expense in adding gender neutral bathrooms. Hutton believes, however, that eventually, gender neutral bathrooms will not even be necessary to ensure that all feel comfortable.

“I don’t think that we need to tear things down and rebuild things [to make everyone comfortable],” Hutton said. “I would like to think that as a society we can get over this, with more education” Hutton also described how she believes that one of the most effective ways of education is through discussion.

“I personally would like to believe that if we elevate the gender conversation, and we desensitize it - by talking about it, by seeing it in the press, by [seeing it in] television shows - eventually, this will be a non-issue,” Hutton said. “It’s a matter of re-educating people in general. This binary gender model that we have is broken - it’s never been right.”

Although transgender rights often lack awareness in comparison to other LGBT issues, Hutton is hopeful that like gay marriage, transgender rights will soon make similar strides of progress.

“We’ve got some catching up to do here, but I think it can be done.”

Hutton said. “There’s great progress in the gay community as far as acceptance and understanding and equality. And so, I think for the transgender community, we’re behind them, but I feel like we’re catching up fast.”

cannot be denied based upon gender identity, she acknowledges that even a Supreme Court decision is not likely to be the end of the issue. “Even then I think we might find defiance, like we’re finding defiance right now with Kim Davis, and that parallels the defiance that states had in the 1950s over desegregating schools,” Davis said.

Despite the long road ahead for transgender rights, Davis finds hope in the Hillsboro protests. “I think that the protests are a sign of people’s consciousness being raised and I think protests usually signal the beginning of a social movement,” Davis said. 

700,000

Americans identify as being transgender

25 percent of transgender respondents reported losing a job because they did not conform to gender norms

Transgender people are nearly 4 times more likely to have a household income of less than $10,000

NATIONAL Although perhaps most evident in schools, transgender rights are quickly becoming a national issue.

“I think there’s going to be a movement, and we’re going to have to decide all people guaranteed rights based on gender identity and gender expression,” Davis said. “Eventually the courts will have to rule on it [...] and I suspect it will go up to the United States Supreme Court.”

Davis does not anticipate, however, that the decision will be easy by any means.

“I think you’re going to find a split between the states that will probably map the split over abortion and same sex marriage and interracial marriage,” Davis said.

Although Davis hopes that the Supreme Court will rule that rights

41 percent of transgender people said they had attempted suicide, compared with 1.6 percent of the general population

According to The Washington Post

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CAMILLE RESPESS news section editor

ELLIE TOMASSON senior managing edtior with reporting by

ALEX BERNARD editor-in-chief

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We are afraid of what we don’t understand. Mental illness is an issue that is so cryptic and nuanced in nature that it scares us.

Anxiety and depression, as Clayton High School juniors Kayley*and Charlotte* illustrate, are but two of the myriad of psychological issues facing millions of Americans annually.

Clinical psychologist at Family Life Counseling and Psychological Services Susan Sanderson explained, “Everyone has felt sad at one time, but when the sadness becomes something that impairs functioning and sleep and appetite and energy, that’s when it can be defined as a mental illness.”

“You can’t breathe. It’s like an asthma attack, even though I’ve never had an asthma attack.

It’s like you’re always in your head. You’re thinking constantly about yourself. Racing thoughts.”

- Kayley “It’s like you’re constantly being weighed down by something. When you’re depressed, [it’s like] you’re in the middle of an ocean. You have no idea where you are and you’re just treading water and you’re just so tired of treading water. When you start recovering, you start floating and then you just pick a direction and start swimming. You’re so tired and it’s so hard, but you just have to keep swimming. And eventually, you find a boat, but it’s a really shitty boat and it’s always leaking and you have to keep dumping [water] out. Even when you’re “better”, you’re still in a pretty sucky place. You get so used to just being sad. And when you’re actually completely happy, it’s the most amazing thing in the world and you just want to pause.

You just want to take a remote and pause. You never feel this feeling of happiness and then it just goes away in an hour or even less.”

- Charlotte *ASTERISK INDICATES THE NAME AND IDENTIFYING DETAILS HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT THE PRIVACY OF THE INDIVIDUAL

the

FACTORS Similar to many other diseases, mental illness is rooted in biological components.

St. Louis University Psychiatrist Anjan Bhattacharyya explained, “[Mental illness] is a complicated story that is being studied a lot now. We know that there are certain areas of the brain that are not functioning well with depression or anxiety. For example, a lot of people with anxiety have panic attacks, so the amygdala is overactive. For people with depression, the temporal lobes and what we call the limbic system is deeply involved, especially in areas such as the anterior cingulate cortex.”

A wide variety of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, epinephrine and cortisol play an integral role in the brain chemistry aspect of mental illness. However, the issue is not always so black and white.

“I often think of it as a three-hit hypothesis: there’s the genetic, early life component and the acute stressor. So clearly genes play a big role,” Bhattacharyya said. “If you have a first degree relative, especially a parent, with depression or anxiety, it significantly increases your ability of developing depression or anxiety.”

Despite the progress that has been made over the past few decades in shedding light on the causes, biological and environmental, of mental illness, there is still a long way to go.

“I think that right now, we are really on the cusp of learning how the mind-body connection works and what all the risk factors are,” Sanderson said.

In addition to the aforementioned biological contributors, environmental influences also impact the development of mental illness.

“Every time I see something, smell something, hear something, it affects my brain. Similarly, it’s not just those primary senses, it’s putting them together in a sociocultural context,” Bhattacharyya said. “It’s really an interplay of internal things that are determined by genes and maybe chemistry and external influences such as how you were raised, what kind of diet, what kind of activity you’re in. All of those things impact your mental state at the time.”

A diagnosis for a mental disorder is not as straightforward as other illnesses because there is no one identifying test. “Mental illness is defined by society, so it’s not something that there are blood tests for or DNA tests for,” Sanderson said. “It is defined by what seems to be normative in our society and what is considered to be abnormal; specifically, what’s considered to be functional and what’s considered to be impairing functioning.”

Oftentimes there is a misconception in society that all people with mental illnesses must have experienced a tragic backstory or loss prompting the development of their illness.

“Sometimes the environmental stressor can be something pretty significant like abuse or neglect,” Sanderson said. “Sometimes it can be something like divorce or a learning disability that causes the child to be bullied, or something like that. It doesn’t have to be what most people would consider a large stressor to trigger it for people.”

Psychologists, like many other researchers, are still uncovering the many phenomenons associated with the science they study. But there are still questions left unanswered.

“I don’t think we know yet what fully causes depression and anxiety and what the triggers are,” Sanderson said.

Although there are many forms of mental illness, the two forms most frequently seen in our society are anxiety, impacting the lives of 18.1 million American adults and depression, affecting 15.7 million.

“I think that anxiety and depression are more common because they are affected by all aspects: the social aspect, the genetic component, the physiological aspect, all of those things,” Sanderson said.

sTIG STIGMA .n am•gits / amgits stigma / stig•ma n.

ro yteicos a taht sfeileb riafnu netfo dna evitagen fo tes a .)retsbeW( gnihtemos tuoba evah elpoep fo puorg

a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something (Webster).

Depression is a sign of weakness. Anxiety is sign of instability. Mental illness is something you just need to buckle down and power through.

According to Sanderson, these sentiments are echoed throughout our society.

“We, as a society, unfortunately tend to view mental health issues as completely under the person’s control,” Sanderson said. “So we see it as a sign of weakness if they don’t ‘get it all together.’”

When someone breaks their arm, no matter how strong their power of will, they cannot fight the healing process and recover promptly. Although not widely acknowledged in society, dealing with a mental ailment is very much the same.

“I think [the stigma] inhibits people from getting the help that they need because they don’t want to be seen as weak or they don’t want to be blamed,” Sanderson said. “Once they come to therapy, they usually feel very empowered because they can learn that this isn’t their fault, they didn’t ask for it, it’s not a character defect and they can learn ways to help manage it and get better.”

Similarly, Bhattacharyya finds the ignominy in common culture regarding mental illness to be problematic.

“As much as we have progressed, it’s still for the vast majority of people, quite crushing to admit or seek help for a mental health problem that needs help. That’s something that we call stigma and it’s a big player in preventing people from getting help,” Bhattacharyya said.

The way that mental health, specifically depression, is portrayed in media is a large factor in how it is viewed in common culture.

“There’s a stigma with [depression] and you see it in TV shows where they’re like all sad and emo and wear all black. I mean I do wear all black but that’s just because I like the way I look. It’s just seen as this negative thing,” CHS junior Kamal Lado said.

Additionally, misconceptions exist around the vitality and abilities of a person with depression. “[People think that] if you are depressed, then you are weak and that it is embarrassing,” CHS junior Madison* said. “You must be

really bad at things if you are depressed. Your life must suck if you are depressed.”

Due to this mentality of inadequacy, many avoid confronting mental illness in order to maintain their flawless facade. When people are forced to deal with their mental illness, they have to acknowledge their perceived imperfections.

“It’s a concern for me knowing the stigma surrounding mental health and that it is just something that you don’t talk about, it’s pushed under the rug,” CHS teacher Lauren Compton said. “Frankly, I think that people are afraid to talk about it because it will bring up issues and may make people upset.”

These issues reinforce the perception of ineptitude that accompany the inability to properly address psychological health concerns.

“I think that it’s something that many people can talk about very briefly and touch on, but actually sharing personal mental health experiences is not only taboo, but also still makes people very uncomfortable. I know that personally makes me very uncomfortable,” CHS junior Harper* said.

On a superficial level, mental health can be discussed, but when it comes to making oneself vulnerable and sharing personal struggles, the dialogue often fizzles out.

“It is something that is pretty much kept hidden unless you really open up to somebody else,” CHS junior John* said. “But it is not something that people bring up on a day to day basis. It is like a rare topic of discussion.”

When a wolf strays from the pack, it is left to fend for itself.

Similarly, human nonconformity induces ostracization from the greater society.

“Having a mental health disorder is abnormal from not having one. Already, that sets you apart. Most people really don’t like being set apart. They’d rather be with the rest of the people,” CHS junior Grant Friesen said. “When you set them apart, they feel isolated and different. Really though, we are all just people, we all just work differently.”

DATA GATHERED FROM A SURVEY GIVEN TO 216 CHS STUDENTS

58.51%

of CHS students do not feel as though Clayton provides an interface to talk about mental health.

CLAYT N 33.16% Of CHS students feel that their lives have been seriously affected by mental health issues

According to a survey given to 216 CHS students, 40.74 percent of students have personally struggled with issues of mental health.

67.37 percent of CHS students have a close friend or family member that has struggled with issues regarding mental health.

Mental health touches the lives of the majority of the student body at CHS, in some form. In this reality, CHS grade level counselor Tobie Smith believes that Clayton provides opportunity to talk about this subject.

“I think in terms of how [mental health] is discussed, it’s very open and accepting in all kinds of areas,” Smith said.

60.75 percent of CHS students feel that they can talk to their peers about mental health issues.

“I have instances where I have people who are close to me, but I haven’t really told [about my depression] come to me and say like, ‘If you need anyone I’m here’ and I’ve had that with most of my friends and that’s always really great to hear,” CHS sophomore Sydney* said.

However, this means that 39.25 percent of students do not feel that they are in a position to have conversations about this topic.

“I’d say most people I wouldn’t feel comfortable opening up to because a lot of people here especially are just rude or ignorant and don’t care or don’t know what to say,” CHS senior Nate* said. “Maybe that’s just the experience that I’ve had with people in general, not everyone is like that. But here, I’d say, most of the kids, there’s been issues with that.”

Moreover, the shame that students may feel about their mental illness can attribute to the silence regarding this topic.

“Personally, I feel that something is wrong with me,” CHS senior Ann* said. “I feel that people are judgy and they don’t take things that seriously and it turns into, ‘Oh she’s just trying to get attention,’ or, ‘She just thinks she feels that way and doesn’t know how you’re supposed to feel.’”

The judgement that students at CHS may sense regarding many topics plays a pivotal role in what feelings they choose to expose and which ones they do not.

“You can’t just show up to school sad all the time because no one’s going to want to be your friend, and you’re looked at differently, so you have to tie it all up, and put it in your stomach, and put a good face on and pretend like nothing’s wrong,” CHS senior Emily* said.

During a semester long health class for sophomores, the topic of mental health, specifically depression and suicide, is studied for a two week long period.

48.94 percent of CHS students feel that Clayton educates its students well enough about mental health issues, leaving 51.06 percent feeling otherwise.

“Clayton tries so hard to teach people how to deal with friends who are depressed,” Charlotte said. “And, honestly, they don’t do it very

well.”

This lack of understanding can stretch throughout the classroom expereince for students. When a student has the flu, they inevitably miss class time during recovery. But when a student has a mental illness, missing school due to that becomes much more complicated.

“I can’t afford to skip any days of school because of this [depression].

It’s not going to be understood in Clayton, like, ‘You missed school because you were sad?’ No one’s going to understand that,” Charlotte said.

CHS is an academically focused environment. For Charlotte, the pressure to do well in school and also live with her depression has created difficulty in her life.

“In Clayton, your whole life becomes school, like revolved around school because there’s so much pressure to be amazing. So much pressure to be a genius,” Charlotte said. “If something happens that takes your life from being completely revolved around school, it’s like what are you going to do? You can’t do anything. You just want to go home and die. You have to force yourself to go on.”

CHS senior Megan* has avoided discussing her mother’s depression to avert showing her peers that her life involves emotional challenges.

“There’s the pressure to just seem like you’re doing fine all of the time and you’re handling all of the stress and you’re doing really well,” Megan said. “That’s sort of what you’re supposed to do at Clayton, like, be perfect. So, I guess that made me not want to talk about it with the people at Clayton. I wanted to seem like I was doing fine and everything was okay.”

40 % Of CHS students have seen a therapist

personal stories

PERSONAL STORIES AS TOLD TO ALEX BERNARD, CAMILLE RESPESS AND ELLIE TOMASSON WERE EDITED FOR CONTENT

KAMAL LADO

LAUREN COMPTON

My entire life people have seen me as this ostentatious, gay [person], that’s what people expect me to be.

I have depression, I struggle with depression and a lot of people don’t really know that because my personality is so outgoing.

I have had depression for awhile, it was diagnosed when I was younger. It was a parents kind of overlooking it type of situation. I just get into moods sometimes and there’s nothing I can do about it. I generally consider myself, especially in front of other people, a very positive person. It’s just those moments, like self reflecting times when I am by myself or with people that I am very close with, it’s very easy for me to just not want to do anything and completely shut down.

I am an ambivert, which is a combination between an introvert and an extrovert. So there are definitely moments, particularly when I am in the public eye or on stage or something where I’m like on, energy, 100 percent and what people perceive me to be.

There are also those moments where I’m not. That’s something that I have been thinking about a lot, like when I do switch into those introverted moments. There are just times when I get too anxious and I just become really secluded and really turned off by the world.Essentially, where I don’t want anything to do with anyone or anything. I couldn’t tell you why or when. It’s very random.

I think the hardest thing [about depression] is realizing that you are going be okay, not only that, but you are okay right now.

It’s okay to be depressed, to be in moods if you will, because there’s nothing wrong with it. If it continues, there’s nothing wrong with it continuing. If it gets better, there’s nothing wrong with it getting better. You just have to be okay with succumbing to those ideas and just day by day, continuing in living on like you do.

The greatest lesson I’ve learned, maybe it’s ironic, but to be myself. It’s cliché, but to understand the idea of being gay and having depression, it’s okay. In a way that feeds back into that extroverted side of me because I am okay with being myself. It kind of feeds back both ways. Being gay, it’s okay to be wild and flamboyant but also being depressed, it’s okay to be really chill and really secluded at times. That’s me, take it or leave it.

I was diagnosed formally about four years ago with General Anxiety isorder (GAD). I have family members that have things like OCD and family members that have suffered from depression and even substance abuse. More importantly, this past summer we lost a family member to suicide. Mental health is definitely an issue that I feel very strongly about.

There is still this stigma in society that because it is in your head or that you can’t see it, it’s not there or that you’re weak. It’s hard to talk about even with my friends. Even visiting them in Kansas City, we would go out to dinner and I would have an anxiety attack. To them, it would be, “Oh she’s sick again,” not understanding that it is really something that I deal with. So no, there’s few people that I will chat with. I am more open about it now that I am a teacher because I know that students deal with anxiety. So if they know it is something that I deal with too, it opens up that door for communication.

Since this past August, mental health has become a big thing for my family. It’s actually what led me to get my first tattoo. My younger sister and I went and got this [semicolon tattoo] the morning of my uncle’s funeral. This stems from a national program, it’s a non-for profit called the Semicolon Project, it basically raises awareness for mental health issues. Whether or not they get the tattoo or even just drawing it on their wrist in support of those with mental health issues, it basically represents what a semicolon represents in the English language: the author could have chosen to end a sentence, but chose to continue. That’s the whole idea, that you are the author and the sentence is your life. You can choose to end it, or you can pause and breathe and continue. So she and I got it to remind ourselves with our own mental health issues to pause and say, “Ok. This is just a thing and we are going to get past it,” but it’s more in memory of our uncle.

PERSONAL stories

NATE

PERSONAL stories

When I started to have issues with the whole depression thing, my mom definitely was there for me because she has depression as well, like her whole family has [it], so she understood what I was going through. She’s had the same issues I’ve had, so we’re kinda there for each other, just being able to lean on each other.

She’s had a rough life so she kinda knows what I’m going through as well. My dad, on the other hand, wasn’t really receptive of it.

He kinda just didn’t think it was necessary cause he didn’t want to think, “Oh, you need medication,” he wanted to think, “What you need is to get over it, toughen up,” he’s that kind of dad. So I wish he would have been a little more receptive, understanding, but I think with what happened with my brother, he will be able to understand a little better.

Just recently, three days ago, my brother tried to commit suicide because of his depression, and he was in the ICU in the hospital for a couple of days, and he got transferred to inpatient. So now he’s in the Lake of the Ozarks trying to get better, get help. I think a lot of people don’t understand how much of an issue it is and that people, what they show on the outside isn’t what they actually feel on the inside. People don’t understand quite what other people go through, I’d say. It’s pretty big in my family because we can all kinda relate to each other but for me to try to open up to someone else is kinda hard cause they don’t understand what I’m going through. I wish people would be more accepting and could understand a little bit better about mental health issues. My older brother, who just had the issue, he’s had issues with depression for a lot of years, but never had them treated, and I’d say that’s what led to this whole incident. He just got a place, moved out out of the house. He’s 19 and he almost lost his life because of his issues. It takes something like that for people to understand exactly how serious it is, because no one in my family really recognized his issues until this happened. We’ve all kinda been hovering around him, just trying to make sure he’s okay and trying to be there for him.

I think it’s been a real eye-opener for my stepmother and my dad because I don’t think they really knew he had issues for the longest time. I knew because he told me, but that’s because we’re brothers. I don’t think they knew. Even if they did, they didn’t do anything about it, so it just kinda stinks. But, it’s been real nice for me because I’ve been able to talk to him about what I’ve gone through and be there for him, and just talk to him. It’s been tough for me, though. The last couple of days have been rough. I had to check my phone during work to make sure that he’s doing okay.

You’re afraid that one day you’re going to wake up and you’re going to get a call that says, “Your brother killed himself last night.”

It’s just scary to think about. For people who have been affected by depression, you really understand, but for people who haven’t, take this article as what it is to you. I just hope that kids will understand it a little better.

PERSONAL stories

GRANT FRieSEN FRIESEN I have been diagnosed with several different disorders: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is the bigger one. [I was diagnosed when I was] pretty little, when I was 7. My entire family has ADHD, which is why I have it.

So family parties are interesting.

Some [of my peers understand] better than others. It is generally their background knowledge of different things. People who don’t have any idea that I have disorders probably think I’m out there and I am out there, but more so [than others]. My really close friends definitely understand how I work, which is nice. But there are certain things that only people with the disorder will understand, just what really goes on in our minds sometimes.

Sometimes I will be in class and the teacher will give directions and I understand what they are saying, but I don’t know what to do. Then when everyone gets up and starts doing it, I feel like I don’t know what I am supposed to go do. So it’s kind of awkward to go up to the teacher and ask if they can explain to me again.

Sometimes they just repeat the same thing again and I still don’t understand, so I have to ask them to explain in a different way.

I have had some teachers that don’t like doing that and get annoyed, so I act out because they get annoyed. But that has only been like two teachers.

Having mental disorders and learning disabilities aren’t necessarily a bad thing. They do have down sides, but they also have their upsides. I attribute most of my creativity and personality to my ADHD because it is so severe. I feel like without that, I would be a completely different person. So I am kind of glad that I have it, but it does have its reality checks. For example, when you notice that everyone else is understanding what the teacher is saying but you don’t. That’s not very fun.

Sometimes I like the mystery of it with people not always knowing exactly why I am the way I am. But in general, it would be nice if more people understood so they wouldn’t [pass judgement].

Sometimes it feels like they are judging and they are thinking, ‘Oh this guy must have a lot of problems.’ But they are probably not thinking that. It could be nice in the regards that more people wouldn’t just assume different things and they would take in consideration a whole bunch of other things because they would be able to understand me.

PERSONAL stories

PERSONAL stories

REBECCA

Charlotte I personally struggle with depression. Chronic depression. It runs in my family. My brother has it, my mom has it. It’s hereditary.

My mom refuses to let us get medicated.

When my brother started taking medication, he gained a lot of weight and my mom is a little fat phobic, so she’s terrified of any of us gaining weight or anything, so she’s like, “No. No one can be medicated, just get a lot of therapy” and that was always kind of hard because you can only get therapy once a week and there are times when you need it every day.

I’ve known [my therapist] for a really long time, which is a good thing. I actually started seeing him for my own reasons in middle school when I was struggling with being gay.

One day I was sitting in my room and I just realized I’m not straight. This whole identity I’ve built for myself just came crashing down and I came crashing down with it. That was a big cause of what sent me initially into depression and then I never really got out. I still struggle with it. I’m not out and there’s a reason for that.

I remember in seventh grade just getting home and I had a crush on a friend. And I had had crushes on girls before that, but I was like, “it’s just hormones.” But then when I realized, I can’t just pass this off as hormones, it was like I hated myself so much. Before I told anyone, I had to deal with it all alone. I knew, just by walking down the hall that [being gay] was stigmatized. People were going to treat me differently. I didn’t want to be treated differently. I wanted to be treated like the same person. That’s why I’m not out. I don’t want to be thought of as “a gay” I want to be thought of as this person you’ve known since kindergarten and still the same person.

You constantly have this facade up like people can’t know. Part of you wants people to know, so you can stop hiding this secret all the time, but part of you is so terrified about people knowing because people will treat you differently and you don’t know how. You go through every hypothetical and think of the worst ones possible.

You’re always going to be recovering, you’re never going to be recovered. I’m just trying to be a little better than I was the day before.

But then when you get bad again, you feel like you’ve disappointed everyone. People don’t realize it’s something you can’t control.

I got really, really bad last year and was contemplating suicide.

You’re just stuck in this limbo. It makes you feel so guilty for feeling [suicidal]. I was like, “I want to die, but I can’t because people would be sad and I don’t want to make them sad. I know there are people that care about me, but I wish there weren’t because that would make it much easier.” You’re stuck in this limbo where you hate yourself and you don’t like yourself. You wanted to just go away, but you’re stuck living in this world that you just hate. I kept trying to get better. I went to therapy, but I was too scared to tell them how bad I was because I had gotten so much better. I tried to like vent, I went back to self harming a little bit, but it didn’t really help. One day I was like, let’s go buy some pills. But I couldn’t find any pills.

PERSONAL stories

I was diagnosed in 7th grade, although I did see a therapist in elementary school, but that was just because this girl had been bullying me, but 7th grade I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety and it’s been a problem for me ever since.

Middle school was the worst, I think. I’ve seen multiple psychiatrists, I’ve tried therapy multiple times, different kinds, I did have one or two suicide attempts in middle school. The beginning of high school was a little hard for me just because I was pushing myself so hard academically because I’m like an all honors, AP student. I ended up missing like a month of school because I was in a treatment facility out of state. I didn’t actually learn about it until the day before I went there. Most of the people there, they knew about it and were preparing to go. My parents told me the night before we left, and my mom had already packed -- of course she packed all the wrong stuff cause that’s moms for you. I just found out the day before. I was not happy, but I don’t think anyone would be happy. I did agree that there was a problem, I didn’t think that it needed to mean going to [the treatment facility], I think the biggest problem though was my parents did it without my permission and without telling me about it.

I think it [my mental health has improved] has improved, I’ve had down days and up days and that’s always been the case, but I think starting high school and a couple times in middle school were really the worst of it. I’m kinda getting over it.

If I’m having a panic attack I have this special room in CHS that I go to, but a lot of times for my conditions, personally it’s really just about fighting through, that’s what my parents always say, you just gotta push through. I have to get through the school day and then I can go home and I can relax and I can heal, it’s not really something, even with all my medications and all my treatment, there’s not really one cure. It’s about pushing through and persevering.

25.40%

of CHS students have been diagnosed with a mental illness

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can get help by contacting KUTO (KIDS UNDER TWENTYONE) at 314-644-5886.

PERSONAL stories

PERSONAL stories

Kayley

I’ve always been a nervous kid.

Because my parents were divorced, my mom tried to make us go to therapists since I don’t even know when ... since like 1st grade. I hated it until about maybe 7th grade when I started seeing the therapist I see now. Sometimes you just have to find the person you just clicked with and I clicked well with her. I’ve changed therapists a lot. I would have screaming fits beforehand just because I didn’t want people to think that I’m a weirdo.

I probably started taking medication for my anxiety in 7th grade. I take fluoxetine. It actually has worked pretty well. I went on a higher dosage my freshman year after I had a couple panic

john

I’ve had a long history with anxiety and depression. Ever since middle school, my parents were like, “Oh maybe you have ADHD.” So they took me to the doctor, they did the test with all the teachers and I didn’t get diagnosed. It was kind of a misdiagnosis for a long time, we thought it was ADHD until high school started.

I think it might be the culture, but [my parents] don’t see mental illness as an issue at all. They see it as an excuse to get out of work or doing anything actually. They’re just like, “You’re just lazy, you’re doing this to get out of things so you should work harder.”

It’s hard because I can’t get help for it, so I’ve been on my own for all of it. The only resource I have is at school with Ms. Bell, I’ll occasionally go talk to her. But it’s mainly me working it out on my own. My sister is really supportive because she went through the same thing, but at this point I feel like I’ve just got to wait it out.

[I sleep] a lot. Which isn’t that great but it passes time. But the healthy ways are like talking to people. Like me journaling a lot, writing. My reality is like going outside a lot. Hanging out. That actually doesn’t help. I guess you just try everything and when nothing works you just turn to the dark side of things I guess.

I don’t know [what the dark side is], maybe like drinking, smoking, skipping out on life. You just try to achieve a way out of it but like that’s the only way you can do it. Like skipping school and not really doing anything. I know for a whole lot of people, it’s the reason why grades suffer. It turns into a vicious cycle. Clayton puts such an emphasis on grades, your self worth is equal to how you perform in school. If you have an untreated mental illness then you can’t perform well in school and your self worth is lower and then it just spirals.

I think I have gotten to the point where I just don’t care about anything anymore. School work is just something to do when I am bored. I guess you could see it as like a giant case of senioritis. I just feel like, I don’t know, life is very dull for me, I don’t know how to explain it that well, I’m very bored. Even if I am doing something, I am not getting a lot out of it. As for school, yeah it is more like a hobby now instead of like my main focus. If I am feeling down I go to sleep. I try to skip school as much as I can.

PERSONAL stories

attacks during class.

[What causes panic attacks] is different for a lot of people, but for me it’s like social situations and I’m just always inside my head. Also, school and tests and what other people think of me. That’s probably the main one: other people.

I’ve always known that I’m quiet and I’ve always known that I’ve had a lot of internal thoughts. I’ve always had a pretty low self esteem. It’s just like you’re thinking about everything and you hate everyone and it just makes me very negative. It makes me not want to socialize and not go out.

barbAra dobbert My brother was depressed and committed suicide when I was in high school and my dad did last year. I have an immediate family member suffering from depression and I myself am suffering from depression.

In high school after my brother died, I don’t know if it was situational depression or not, but I thought that I was the only one having these feelings and I was embarrassed to talk about it.

I just kept it all inside because you see the outward appearance of everybody, like everybody is fine. You don’t know. Then I went to college, [my brother] died my senior year [in high school] and I started talking to a counselor there. When I started sharing my feelings I felt a little better about it. I realized that I wasn’t the only one that has had [these] feelings.

With my dad’s suicide last year, I don’t know if it is situational depression or the grieving process, [but] counseling helps. I would go initially once a week, then once every couple of weeks and now once a month. Now I am going more often because I had an immediate family member who has attempted suicide this fall.

[In counseling] you can get strategies and put things in perspective. I also learned a lot from [my therapist] because of course you have survivor’s guilt with suicide. My dad was the most amazing man that ever lived and I wondered how he could do this to our family. My therapist said, “You know when you have depression you have tunnel vision. So all the outside forces and people that care about you, you don’t really see.” For one thing, you don’t really see all the outside people that really care about you.

I’m so positive, even though I have depression, because life is so precious and I really try to see the good. There have been a lot of things in my life that could have made me a little darker in how I approach life. But I think that with medication as well as counseling, I am managing my depression well. As a 48-year-old woman, I am a lot more confident with myself.

couns eling

6 5 . 1 4 % of chs students think that the counseling department helps students with mental health issues

The counseling department at CHS can be seen as a haven for students to open up about their lives. 62.77 percent of CHS students feel that they can talk about their personal life and struggles with their grade level counselor. But for 37.23 percent of the student body, talking about the intimate details of their life with their counselor is not something they feel comfortable with.

“I don’t really feel like I can talk to my counselor because I see our relationship as academic, the only things that I talk to her about is my schedule. Unless I establish a relationship with her where I can talk about personal things, I don’t know if I could ever really feel that close to her in that way,” CHS junior Danielle* said.

In addition to being a source for students to talk about their personal life, the counselors at CHS also have academic responsibilities including scheduling, planning standardized testing and aiding students in the college process. But student needs are at the forefront of their attention.

“Our primary focus is our students and if a need presents itself, basically everything else takes a back seat to that issue,” CHS grade level counselor Alice Morrison said.

Opting out of discussing mental health issues with a grade level counselor, for some students, is rooted in their desire to avoid bringing their personal struggles into their academic environment.

“I love Ms. Bell so much. I think she’s really wonderful, but I would rather keep those things very separate. I felt more comfortable keeping it very separate. Like, school and mental health issues,” Harper said.

Morrison understands the existence of this rationale.

“We don’t have to know the problem, we don’t have to understand every aspect of it because some students don’t want to blend those two worlds, they don’t want to blend their academic world with their social, emotional life,” Morrison said.

Similar to Harper’s desires, Charlotte lacks both the ability and inclination to go to the counseling department for help with her depression during the school day.

“They [the counseling department] seem like nice people. I feel like if I went to them, it’d be like bringing my issues into school. I can’t miss a class because I don’t have a lunch period to just go talk to them about that,” Charlotte said. “I feel like 45 minutes isn’t enough.”

Charlotte also does not feel secure with talking about her depression with her counselor at CHS, in part, because of the discomfort she felt doing so in the past.

“In middle school, I saw the school counselor a little bit and honestly, it didn’t really help me that much because you were seeing them in the hallways walking by you and it’s like, this person knows really, really intimate details about me. It’s weird because you see them all the time. I barely know them. I don’t feel close to them at all,” Charlotte said.

But the counseling department does strive for students to see their offices as a place to speak freely about their lives.

“A large majority of our job is how we welcome students, we hope that we create an environment that is welcoming to students where they could step in here and talk to any one of us and feel like they’re being heard,” CHS college counselor Mary Anne Modzelewski said.

In CHS junior Amanda’s case, she has been able to do so.

“They have helped me. I cannot speak about other people because I just don’t know, but they have helped me a lot to understand what I need to do if I am every feeling anxious and having a panic attack. It is a comfortable place for me to talk about how I feel,” Amanda said In Sanderson’s opinion, high school counseling departments in all of society can do a better job in being a place where students can feel secure.

“There is certainly room for improvement [within high school counseling departments]. They are the first responders, so it would be good if they presented themselves as more warm and open,” she said.

For some students, their reasoning behind not reaching out to the counseling department about their mental illness may simply be their unfamiliarity with knowing that that is a possibility.

“Our grade level counselor is nice. I don’t know if I would feel comfortable talking to her though,” Kayley said. “I don’t know what it is.”

This level of unawareness can point to the reality that students often perceive the counseling department to be academic based.

“When I think of the counseling department here I think of college and changing your class and stuff so I think that maybe, possibly, if we had a counselor that was just dedicated to more of therapy and getting your feelings out I feel that that would make a tremendous difference,” Rachel said.

Grade level counselor Joyce Bell believes that the impression some may have of the department being focused strictly on schooling has to do with the times in which the counselors interact with the student body on a larger scale.

“You see us when we’re in your classroom about testing, you see us when we’re in your classroom talking about registration, you see us when we’re in your classroom talking about careers,” Bell said. “So that’s in your mind and it’s all academics, but we do the personal stuff too.

Probably more than all of those other things, but that’s not what is seen on the outside and we need to get that message out there.”

For some students, reaching out to the counseling department about their mental illness can create uneasiness. In Madison’s view, student’s lack of knowledge in regards to how much the counseling department can help is one of its greatest pitfalls.

“I think that the counseling department is really good at helping kids when they need it. But they don’t make it known that kids can come to them whenever. When you do get in there and get help, they are really effective. But if you didn’t know that, then no one would ever know,” Madison said.

But some students have had beneficial interactions with their counselors about mental illness within the walls of CHS. “Ms. Bell is pretty much my therapist. I know that I can always go to her if I have a problem. When I am having a panic attack and she is available, she knows what to do. We go for a walk around the school or something like that and I will relax,” Amanda said.

Likewise, Nate has been able to work through the challenges mental illness has posed him with the assistance of the counseling department.

“Just a couple days ago I got called into the counseling department.

I went in there and I talked to Mrs. Morrison for a while,” Nate said.

“She was really supportive, she was just awesome. She knew what to say.

Definitely the counseling department has helped a lot, just being there for me and wanting to check in on me.”

PRESCRIPTION PROCESS

12.1%

of chs students are on medication for mental illness

There exists a commonly believed fallacy that psychiatrist and psychologist are synonymous.

However, there is a significant difference.

“Psychologists focus on the non-biological aspects of the brain and the mind. So psychologists train and have an understanding of functionally how the brain works,” Bhattacharyya said. “Psychiatrists are medical physicians, so they are trained in medicine. They understand the biological part of how the brain works as well as the mind side of it. Psychiatrists treat people with medication and some also do talk therapy.”

Both professions, however, involve interacting and treating people with mental illness. Additionally, both have the ability to diagnosis patients with mental illness.

The diagnostic process involves delving into the symptoms that a patient may be feeling, how long they have been feeling this way and what has been going on in their lives to create such a feeling. Since this approach requires patients to discuss what’s going on inside their head, it can pose some difficulty.

“It’s hard for people to describe what they’re feeling and thinking. So it takes a little bit of training to learn how to tease those things out,” Bhattacharyya said.

Although the symptoms correlated with depression can differ, there are some signs and symptoms that assist professionals in diagnosing their patients.

“For depression, you would not only see sad mood or irritable mood, you would also see difficulty sleeping, difficulty eating, lack of motivation, low energy, feelings of helplessness, feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness and sometimes thoughts of death or suicide,” Sanderson said.

Whereas in terms of anxiety, the symptoms can involve a person feeling so anxious that it impairs their daily functionality.

“They stop doing the things they need to do, like they start avoiding going to school because they are so anxious,” Sanderson said. “They may begin starting to have panic attacks where their heart is racing and they can’t breathe, they get sweaty and shaky. So they stop doing things to avoid these feelings.”

One of the greatest challenges for psychiatrists is the ambiguity that exists in their profes-

sion, this is especially present in the diagnosis and prescription process.

“It’s not an exact science. So we can’t necessarily say that if a person comes in with symptoms of depression, this is the medication that will help,” Bhattacharyya said. “We can say that these are several medications that may help the person and then there is a bit of a process of trial and error where the psychiatrist will work closely with the person to find out what is best for them.”

For many patients, hesitancy to begin taking medication for their mental illness can exist due to a variety of factors including the fear of dependency and shame they may feel for needing the medication to live as they wish.

“It is a really strong dependency. The medicine works really well but at the same time you don’t want to have a strong dependency on medicine,” CHS senior Rachel* said.

But for some, apprehension may not occur due to the desire to repress the symptoms of their mental illness.

“I kind of make fun of it myself and say, ‘These are my crazy pills, they keep me calm’, but it really does,” Compton said. “I wasn’t hesitant about taking medication because I just did not like the way I felt without it.”

Similarly for CHS math teacher Barbara Dobbert, the impact of being on medication for her depression is immense.

“Before I was put on medication I just didn’t feel like my normal self. It was an effort to do laundry and make dinner for my family or go to the grocery store,” Dobbert said. “I’d come home and all my energy would be spent at work and I would just be a blob on the couch and my mom said, ‘This isn’t you Barbara, what’s going on?’ I was depressed and it took awhile to find the right medication, but I feel amazing now.”

Although medication can be very effective for many people, due to the stigmatization of mental illness in society, some feel the need to hide the fact that they are on medication.

“My siblings don’t even know that I’m on medication. I hide it from them in my bathroom,” CHS senior Emily* said. “I don’t tell any of my friends. It’s very uncomfortable to talk about, even with my parents, [even though] I have to.”

i m p a c t s

VOICES “I’ve appreciated more day to day things. It’s kind of like a close brush with death where you realize how much you have to be thankful for. I was on the road to suicide. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that everything is temporary and that all your states of minds, your feelings are temporary. They may be absolutely awful, totally uncomfortable but it’s going to go away and there’s going to be a better side to things.”

-meredith

“It is defined by what seems to be normative in our society and what is considered to be abnormal; specifically, what’s considered to be functional and what’s considered to be impairing functioning.”

- SUSAN SANDERSON

“It’s a concern for me knowing the stigma surrounding mental health and that it is just something that you don’t talk about, it’s pushed under the rug. Frankly, I think that people are afraid to talk about it because it will bring up issues and may make people upset.”

- Lauren Comption

“Having a mental health disorder is abnormal from not having one. Already, that sets you apart.

Most people really don’t like being set apart.

They’d rather be with the rest of the people. When you set them apart, they feel isolated and different. Really though, we are all just people, we all just work differently.”

-Grant FreiSen

Mental illness has a ripple effect; it reaches farther than the individual and affects the people closest to them. These reverberations can manifest themselves in different ways.

“It affected my relationships with my friends and my family primarily. My family, I think, lost some trust in me,” Harper said. “Not only did I do things during that time that they weren’t comfortable with me doing, but additionally, now, every time I’m upset, they freak out a little bit and it makes things kind of a strain.”

In some instances, family members are not able to comprehend what it’s like to live with mental illness.

“My dad absolutely hates [my panic attacks]. He yells at me.

I wouldn’t want to say that he thinks they’re bullshit, but he kind of does. I just kind of feel like he doesn’t really understand,” Kayley said.

This inability for friends and family to accept mental illness can cause them to ostracize the afflicted.

“I have had friends that have told me that they don’t know how to deal with this so there are situations where I don’t get included anymore because they are afraid that I am going to have another anxiety attack or episode,” Compton said.

For some, their mental illness has caused them to disconnect from the social aspects of their lives.

“I lost a lot of friends just because I think I was kind of isolating myself, the dynamic of the relationship changed and I’m still feeling the different dynamics of friends I’ve had in that period or throughout that time because they still think that they have to take care of me even if I don’t feel like I need to be taken care of any more,” Harper said. “You still feel that dynamic of helper and helpee.”

Moreover, the way that relationships can alter cause people with mental illness to feel not only that they are being looked after by their friends, but also that they cannot have the same dialogues with their friends as the ones that they may have had in the past.

“People treat you like you’re made of glass or like they’re constantly walking on eggshells around you. I don’t want you to think about everything before you say it,” Charlotte said.

“I still want to joke around with people without them thinking constantly about my feelings. I still want people to do that dumb banter between friends.”

Even outside of the circle of close friends and family, mental illnesses affect the relationship of the individual to the greater society.

“Whenever I have panic attacks in school or in public, I always feel like everybody is looking at me,” Kayley said. “If I’m in public, I feel like everybody is looking at me. Everyone is judging me. And I can’t get these thoughts out of my head. It’s just a cycle of thoughts. It’s like “you’re stupid. You’re dumb.

This whole thing is dumb. Nobody likes you.”

Although these mental ailments can negatively affect the life of the individual, they can also be used as opportunities for personal growth.

“I’ve appreciated more day to day things. It’s kind of like a close brush with death where you realize how much you have to be thankful for. I was on the road to suicide,” CHS senior Meredith* said. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that everything is temporary and that all your states of minds, your feelings are temporary. They may be absolutely awful, totally uncomfortable but it’s going to go away and there’s going to be a better side to things.” 

WINTER SPOR T S PREVIEW

A look into CHS’ most impactful athletes in the winter season, and the goals for Clayton’s winter sports teams.

by CHARLIE BRENNAN and NEEL VALLURUPALLI copy editor reporter

Girls’ Basketball Players to watch: Brooke Jones Erin Elliott Tyra Edwards 2014-15 Record: 12-14 Goals: To focus on being process driven rather than being driven by finite goals and to progress as a team throughout the year.

Photo from the Globe archives

Parker Ross wins a wrestling match at CHS. (Photo from the Globe archives)

Wrestling

Girls’ Swimming /Diving

Players to watch: Michael Painter Jack Sieber Parker Ross

Players to watch: Lydia Welty Samantha Bale Grace Hartmann

2014-2015 Record: 141-65

2014-2015 Record: 9-15

Goals: To increase the number of wrestlers, focus on good positioning and get stronger as a team.

Goals: To achieve a personal bests for each individual event, improve team unity, get as many girls [as possible] in top 16 at conference and send a relay to state.

SPORTS 32

Brooke Jones handles the ball during a game. (Photo from the Globe archives)

Josh Johnson takes a free throw. fromArgyres Photo (Photo

by Sophie the Globe archives)

RIVALRY SCHEDULE Upcoming games vs.

Ladue High School

Wrestling @ Ladue Wed., January 13, 4:15 PM Hockey @ Affton Ice Rink Fri., January 1, 9:45 PM Girls Swimming/Diving vs. Ladue Tues., January 12, 4:15 COACHES VS CANCER GAME Bays’ and Girls’ Basketball vs. Ladue Fri., February 12, 5:00 PM Cheer Players to watch: Michaela Key Julia Trempala Faith Trempala

Boys’ Basketball Players to watch: Shawn Benson Robert Hogan Josh Johnson

Goals: To learn more advanced stunting skills, capitalize on the large team to improve performances and cheer on the winter sports teams.

2014-15 Record: 11-15 Goals: To get better every day, change the culture to be the best team they can be and take small steps to achieve larger goals of making the playoffs and winning a district championship.

Hockey Players to watch: Max Hunter Blake Trivundza Ethan Alter 2014-15 Record: 15-3-3 Goals: To win the Wickenheiser cup, a regional hockey tournament, create solid communication throughout the year and build a strong relationship among the players.

The hockey team meets around the net during a game. (Photo from the Globe archives)

ROS EN T H A L O N F O O T B A LL Globe editor Kevin Rosenthal analyzes the Clayton football season.

by KEVIN ROSENTHAL senior managing editor

The Clayton Greyhounds were flustered against underdog Riverview Gardens in the first round of the district playoffs.

(Photo by Alex Gerchen) Everything seemed to finally be shifting into place for the Clayton Greyhounds’ football program. Thirty-year high school coaching veteran Gene Gladstone was hired as Clayton’s head coach shortly after the end of the 2014 season. The coaching change in the offseason appeared to be the spark that would rejuvenate the entire Clayton football program.

Sure enough, the 2015 football season got off to a blazing start for the Hounds. Clayton pulled off a bombshell of an upset at Lutheran North in the season opener. On the shoulders of coach Gladstone, with his ponytail of silver and football mind of pure gold, the Hounds looked poised to contend as one of the best Clayton football teams since the turn of the century.

It’s not as though Clayton football fans have had much to cheer for in recent memory -- the Hounds have spent the last decade or so in a state of stagnant mediocrity, drifting ever so slightly between the sunny and gloomy sides of .500.

Perhaps it is Clayton’s bulk of continuously lackluster teams leading up to 2015 that makes this first team under the Gladstone regime so special.

With the exception of two sloppy back-to-back road losses against Ladue and Parkway Central and an expected blowout defeat versus the Lafayette Commodores of Oxford, Mississippi, the Hounds’ season was superb.

Clayton finished the season undefeated at home. Quarterback Anthony Cameron was an all-state athlete, earning such decorations as

SPORTS 34

STL High School Sports Player of the Week, and was an all-conference quarterback. In one game against McCluer South Berkeley, despite being under center, Cameron rushed for a mind-blowing six touchdowns. Running back Tyler Melvin rushed his way into the record books, earning in his four year tenure the fifth all-time most rushing yards of any Clayton running back.

The Greyhounds’ offense was fast-paced, fresh and versatile. The defense was more dependable and disciplined than any Clayton defense in the past decade.

Clayton’s locally televised regular season finale saw the Hounds emerge victorious against Festus, sealing the deal for Clayton to be the number one seed in the district playoffs.

When Clayton arrived at Gay Field on the crisp night of Friday, Oct. 23 to play in the first round of the playoffs, the only things more scorching than the Hounds’ all-orange uniforms were the players themselves.

The newly-renovated Gay Field had served as a haven of victories all season for the Hounds. In the first round of the district playoffs, Clayton’s opponent was the 0-9 Riverview Gardens.

Not only had Riverview been thwarted in every single matchup this season leading up to the first round of the 2015 district playoffs, but they had also lost previous twenty-six consecutive games tracing back to 2013.

Riverview had been thoroughly annihilated in each of their last three competitions approaching the district playoff game against Clayton, surrendering an average of 60.3 points per game during that stretch.

In short, it would seem likely that the 1956 Clayton cheerleading team in their current condition could give Riverview a run for their money.

But something in the air was different on that night at Gay Field. Anthony Cameron, who had been the fearless sparkplug to Clayton’s offense all year, was off his game. Riverview’s chance at winning should have expired before the beginning of the first quarter, but in the waning minutes of the final quarter, not only was Riverview contending, but they were leading the Hounds.

Clayton trailed 24-20 with under a minute remaining in the game, and the Hounds found themselves near the 30-yard line of Riverview Gardens, facing fourth down and one. Rather than run the ball with Cameron or Melvin, who had defined Clayton’s uptempo offense all year with the duo’s sharpness and agility on the ground, Clayton attempted a pass and failed on 4th and Season.

The 2015 football season reached a startling end for the Hounds.

The unfathomable first round loss to Riverview Gardens puts a huge damper in the legacy of this year’s Clayton football team. More importantly, after the jarring defeat, the Clayton football program will have to continue on without Cameron, Melvin and other such senior standouts who played a mammoth role in Clayton’s regular season triumphs.

But it didn’t have to end this way for the Hounds.

In 2012, drastic changes were made to the Missouri State High School Athletic Association’s football playoff system. Rather than continue to grant only the most elite teams eligibility for the playoffs –– as is the case in most U.S. states –– the new structure for high school football in Missouri allows for every team to get a taste of the postseason. After the nine game regular season, a clean slate emerges for every football squad.

Each team is given an opportunity to run away with a district or state championship regardless of how dreadfully some may have played during the regular season.

One could then debate the virtues of a regular season made trivial by its sole purpose being to place teams as seeds in a glorified playoff tournament.

The controversial new playoff system, implemented just a few years ago, proceeded to chomp at the jugular of the Clayton football team. The Hounds’ quest to conquer their first district title since 2012 was halted abruptly when Riverview Gardens pulled a rabbit out of a hat for their first victory since the Stone Age. Clayton would have faced a theoretically tougher team than Riverview in the first round of the postseason if Missouri’s playoff system reflected that of most other states. Maybe with intensified pressure riding on the postseason matchup against a more worthy opponent, Clayton would have ascended.

But as there is nothing the Hounds can do to change the system -and although the opportunity for cellar-dwelling teams to succeed in the postseason may seem an egregious prospect for high-achieving teams -Clayton still should have risen to the occasion.

This upset is exactly what MSHSAA envisioned in creating the gutsy new playoff system; the chance to expose the regular season pretenders in a high pressure situation, while allowing each player from every high school in the state the chance to showcase his talents under playoff lights.

The playoff lights at Gay Field will shine no more in 2015 to illuminate the already vibrant orange uniforms on the Clayton football players. The Hounds’ football fire has been smothered.

But under the leadership of coach Gladstone, maybe Clayton’s spark can be rekindled in the future. The loss to Riverview Gardens was inexcusable, but it should not completely overshadow the Hounds’ regular season conquests.

Coach Gladstone’s philosophy truly resonated with the players this season. He cultivated a system that delivered winning football to Clayton.

With many of the football team’s centerpieces graduating this school year, Gladstone and his staff will have to be innovative to win as many games as the Greyhounds did in 2015. We can only wait and see if the Hounds are up for the challenge.

Clayton’s 2016 playoff berth has already been secured. And, as the Hounds know all too well, anything can happen in high school football playoffs. 

Head coach Gene Gladstone walks along the sideline during a game. (Photo from Globe archives) SPORTS 35

Welch (left) and teammate Théo Fehr sit on the sidelines during a swim meet. (Photo by Alex Gerchen) ATH

PRO

LETE

FILE

THE WIL TO WIN Wil Welch is one of the few freshmen in CHS recent histor y to get to state and intends on leaving a legacy for the CHS swim team.

MICHAEL BERNARD with reporting by JACOB LaGESSE “When Jackie Robinson played against the Cardinals, Stan Musial went up to him and said that he was honored to play with him,” Wil Welch said. “He is a great person to look up to as an athlete and a person.”

Freshman Wil Welch is not your ordinary swimmer. For starters, he looks up to former Cardinals baseball player Stan Musial for his inspiration, rather than an athlete like Michael Phelps, whom many swimmers tend to admire. Welch also continues to astound his peers with his ability to swim. Before joining the swim team, Welch swam for CSP, a select swim team in Clayton.

“High school practice is more fun,” Welch said. “It’s more important to me.”

Welch still often swims at CSP when he does not have high school practices.

Welch also feels that his practice at Clayton has more of an effect overall as both a swimmer and a leader to both him and his teammates, people whom he really admires.

Besides Welch, the swim team consists of many strong leaders. Having somebody to look up to is incredibly encouraging to Welch.

“When you don’t have somebody to look up to, you don’t have a compass leading you,” Welch said. “When you do, you know where you are going and you know what you want to accomplish.”

The swim team is led by senior captains Robert Hollocher and Paul Krucylak. To many of the swimmers, experienced or not, Hollocher and Krucylak are great examples of leaders. Although Welch is only a freshman, Hollocher still sees Welch as a leader within the team.

“Wil is a great leader and role model for the other swimmers on the team,” Hollocher said. “New and more [inexperienced] swimmers as well as experienced swimmers look up to Wil.” Freshman Daniel Cohen started swimming this year for Clayton’s swim team. Welch really helped improve Cohen as a swimmer.

“Wil helped me boost my confidence,” Cohen said. “Taking his advice made me [a] better [swimmer].”

Welch was able to teach the new swimmers correct techniques and

SPOR

6 TS 3

strokes, abilities that are vital to improving and succeeding as a swimmer.

Welch is a clear standout on the team. Obviously, this success comes with great effort. In the offseason, Wil practices six days a week. He plans to work as hard as possible in preparation for next season.

“During the offseason, I’m definitely gonna swim club and I’m gonna work really hard to make myself better,” Welch said.

However, Welch’s success did not come without extra support. Head coach David Kometscher and assistant coach Jill Allen had a large impact on Welch’s success.

“It’s good to have great coaches who give you really good personal feedback,” Welch said.

Kometscher is very impressed by Welch’s work ethic this year.

“He’s the only person on the team that was doing two workouts a day,” Kometscher said. “I admire [Wil].”

With the help of his coaches and peers and the work that he put in, Welch was able to achieve many of his goals: Welch qualified and attended both Districts and State this year.

“I’ve been coaching here for twenty plus years,” Kometscher said.

“We’ve probably had [a freshman qualify for state] five times in those 20 years.”

At conference, Wil helped beat the school record for the 200 medley relay. His team finished the swim in 1:43 beating the previous CHS record of 1:45, which had been standing for 29 years. In doing so, Wil made the cut and qualified to state.

Welch attended state accompanied by swimmers Tiger Chen, Ricky Kuehn and Spencer Anderson as well as diver Taylor Edlin. Wil’s team came in 23rd at state.

“It is inspiring to see such a young swimmer have such a powerful impact on a team,” Hollocher said.

Welch has made an impact on the team his freshman year that will leave a mark in Clayton swimming history and will guide the rest of his high school career. However, his love for swimming and emphasis on sportsmanship -- just like his hero, Musial -- will always come before the the prestige.

“There is nothing better than when you take a breath on butterfly and you see your whole team at the end of the pool there cheering for you,” Welch said. “[It] just warms your heart.” 

AS THE CROWE FLIES A look into the life of new CHS cross countr y and track and field coach Jim Crowe.

as told to HARRY RUBIN copy editor “First, I’d like to say that yes, Jim Crowe is my name. If you notice, though, I’d like to point out that it’s C-R-O-W-E. There is an ‘e’ there.

Also, my name is James, not Jim. I was never called Jim until I came to St. Louis. I’m from South Dakota. Up there, I’m called James. My greatgrandfather was actually called Seamus. He’s Irish. So, Seamus is James.

My great-grandfather was Seamus, so then my grandfather was James, because they Americanized it. My father was James, and then I’m James.

It has nothing to do with race. Nothing at all. As a matter of fact, I would also like to point out that I have black children, my wife is black, so I really don’t like the fact that people associate me with being a racist, okay? I have no problem with anybody. I get along with Jewish people, I get along with Asian people, I get along with Buddhists, I get along with Muslims, I get along with black people. I’m not too particularly fond of white people, as it is, but I’ll tolerate ‘em.

When I started running, I was like a freshman in high school, and we had track for our freshman gym class. I was the fastest freshman in the mile. I ran like a 5:10 mile as a freshman in gym class with no training, so they were like, ‘You have to go out for cross country.’ I actually didn’t want to do it, because I was like, ‘What’s cross country?’ and they were like, ‘You have to run two miles on a course,’ and I was like, ‘Two miles!

That’s crazy. Why would anyone want to run two miles?’ So, I reluctantly did it, and I ended up being pretty good at it, and I ran cross country in high school, and then I got a scholarship to run at Northeast Missouri State, which is now Truman. I ran pretty well there. Then I got out of college, and I didn’t know what to do, so for two years, I lived in a house with

these guys in Kansas City, and we would train and work part-time jobs, and we would train and try and make the Olympic team. Two of them did, but I didn’t, so then I came back to St. Louis, and I kind of sat back and didn’t run anymore.

I got hit by a car in 1983. The girl was pulling out of Parkway West High School. I was running down Clayton Road, and there’s a T there.

There’s a stoplight, and she didn’t hit her brakes at the stoplight, she hit the gas. So she came across the road and hit me, and I landed up on the hood of her car. Now, there’s a big hill there, and we’re rolling down this hill, and I’m thinking, you know, I’m probably going to get out of this okay, I’m probably just going to be bruised, and everything, except when we hit the bottom of the hill, I was flipped off the front of the car, and I landed on the ground, and she rolled over the top of me. I looked over at my leg, and my foot was kind of laying on the ground. My knee was kind of pointing one way, and my foot was pointed the other way and was flopping up and down, and I wasn’t making it flop, so I figured, you know, this is probably not very good. Then, they called the ambulance down and another guy came and he was holding me down and not letting me up. But I wasn’t really feeling much pain yet. So, the ambulance comes, and they put me on this stretcher, and the ambulance driver is like, ‘Holy crap. I’ve never seen anybody’s legs like all twisted up like this.’ Then I knew, man, this is not going to be good at all. They were going to put nuts and bolts in my legs, where my knee was. They were going to put a rod up where my foot was and a screw to hold it in. By that time, I was on morphine, so I didn’t really care what they were going to do to me.”

- Jim Crowe 

Crowe enjoys a cross country meet in the park. (Photo by Ella Engel)

To see what shocking revelations Crowe’s runners have about him, visit chsglobe.com

S P O R T S 37

Both the food and the atmosphere of Randolfi’s have a distinctly Italian flair. (Photo by Bebe Engel)

RANDOLFI’S Amidst the bright lights and bustling atmosphere of the Delmar Loop, the intimate and homey Randolfi’s Italian Kitchen offers some of the most authentic Italian cuisine in all of St. Louis.

Opened in August by eminent chef Mike Randolph, owner of notable St. Louis establishments such as Half & Half and Público, Randolfi’s namesake stems from Randolph’s Southern Italian roots. When the family of Randolph’s father immigrated from Italy to the United States, the family name was changed from Randolfi to Randolph. Mike Randolph’s newest eatery is an homage to his own Italian heritage, as well as his late father.

“This was kind of a fun way for me to pay some tribute to my father’s side of the family -- the Italian side of the family -- that I was really close with growing up,” Randolph said.

Randolfi’s location in the vibrant Delmar Loop attracts a variety of customers from all over St. Louis. Not only is Randolfi’s within viable distance for the Clayton community and counties farther west, but the restaurant is also easily accessible to Wash U students.

Being favorably situated for an array of potential patrons is useful as to why Randolfi’s has thrived in its early stages, but the key to the restaurant’s sustained success is clearly attributed to the quality of the restaurant’s dishes.

Randolfi’s continually adapts to reflect the cravings dictated by context and circumstance.

“We try to change the menus quite a bit,” Randolph said. “Some of that is predicated by seasonality. For example, tomatoes recently left the menu because it’s now getting cold.”

The unwillingness to settle for a stagnant menu is certainly beneficial to the restaurant’s customers, but, as importantly, this practice keeps the Randolfi’s staff on its toes.

“Not only do we adhere to what is being grown in the ground, but, also, changing the menu keeps our cooks sharp,” Randolph said. “A lot of the guys I have cooking with me are younger cooks, so the more they’re exposed to, the better the food will be.”

Randolph balks at the notion of serving a dish even one degree less than optimal, so a proper amount of experimentation must occur before he feels comfortable placing a dish on the menu.

“It can be as fast as the first time we test a dish if we get really lucky, or we can have a dish we work over and over until we finally get it right,” Randolph said. “We have a number of people here and next door that try these dishes and, until we come to a consensus that we really like it, then it won’t go on the menu.” A level of perfectionism is a necessary ingredient in mastering the art of Italian cuisine.

When we first entered the restaurant, we were greeted by an enthusiastic waitress, who, seeming to sense our hunger, immediately served us

REVIEW

38

by KEVIN ROSENTHAL and ELISE YANG senior managing editor section editor

hearty chunks of bread from the local Union Loafers Bakery. The bread was accompanied with a unique house-blended basil pesto olive oil.

For our main course, we ordered the margherita neapolitan pizza, whose simple sauce was elevated with the inclusion of San Marzano tomatoes, creating a burst of true Italian flavor.

We also tried the risotto, which was robustly garnished with brussel sprouts and parmesan, creating a dynamic palate.

As satisfying as our first two entrées tasted, the greatest example of authenticity in Randolfi’s kitchen was found in the final dish we tried, the exquisite butternut squash pasta, which is currently Randolfi’s most popular item on the menu. It is no fluke the pasta is such a crowd pleaser; the ripeness of the autumnal squash resonates with a mind conditioned to crave seasonally relevant fare.

“Again, seasonality is the key to that one, because if you’re putting squash in your mouth when it’s ninety-five degrees out, it just doesn’t make sense,” Randolph said. “Your body tells you what you want to eat depending on what the weather is like, so we try to listen to that.”

Whereas many restaurants operate on the means of which ingredients are simply most convenient to serve, Randolfi’s squash masterpiece, as well as many other popular dishes at the restaurant, are created to complement nature. The restaurant will not hesitate throughout the year to try and meet its goal as an establishment: reconstructing the menu to accommodate the environment.

“Oftentimes it will be something beautiful coming out of the ground that we’re excited to use, so we’ll form a dish around an ingredient.

I think we tend to do things our way, and hopefully that differentiates us, but a lot of [Italian restaurants] seem to do a lot of the same stuff,” Randolph said. “We make our own pasta, we make our own pizza dough.

Control of our food and modifying the menu to stay in season are what ultimately sets us apart.”

As is with any new restaurant, problems arose with the opening of Randolfi’s. The primary target of the restaurant in its early stages was to not only establish itself as a distinct Italian restaurant amidst a city of rich Italian history, but also to use the originality of the restaurant to attract customers.

The process to create the perfect balance of what people expect from an Italian restaurant and what Randolfi’s strives to produce will take time, but it is an endeavor that Randolfi’s is willing to undertake.

Randolph said, “We are still evolving towards a better understanding of what people want, and the people are gaining a better understanding of what we offer that is different than any other Italian restaurant in town.” 

STEVE JOBS "Steve Jobs" is an intense drama that never lets the viewer breathe.

The film is relentlessly tense, cold and aggressive, but, somehow, it manages to touch the heart.

The movie follows Steve Jobs behind the scenes at three product reveals: the Macintosh (1984), the NeXTcube (1988) and the iMac (1998).

However, the movie does not place its focus on Jobs's technological accomplishments. Instead, it concentrates who Jobs was as a person through brilliant directing, a powerful script, beautiful cinematography and a heart-pounding soundtrack.

The film begins with Jobs stressing over the fact that he wants the computer voice demo to say "hello" during the Macintosh reveal in 1984.

He later moves onto wanting the exit signs in the building to turn off for a dramatic effect during the product reveal. Each small detail that Jobs pays attention to reveals something about his personality. His nitpicky attitude shows his yearn for perfection. His cold-hearted behavior toward his employees shows his determination to get the product he has in mind. Through these small elements, the movie develops Steve Jobs's character in a smooth progression.

Michael Fassbender portrays Steve Jobs. Although he does not necessarily resemble Steve Jobs, I felt like I was watching Steve Jobs. Fassbender delivers a strong performance, bringing out both Jobs's best and worst qualities. Fassbender does not ask the viewer to sympathize with him on screen. Instead, he acts as an authoritarian figure that is cold and direct.

Accompanying Fassbender are Kate Winslet and Seth Rogen, who play Joanna Hoffman and Steve Wozniak, respectively, all giving strong performances through convincing speeches and emotional efforts attempting to make Jobs a better person.

However, the actresses who play Lisa Brennan-Jobs (Perla HaneyJardine, Ripley Sobo and Makenzie Moss), Steve Jobs's daughter,

“ R E V I V A L”

“I dive into the future/ But I’m blinded by the sun/ I’m reborn in every moment/ So who knows what I’ll become,” starts Selena Gomez’s latest album, “Revival.”

The 23-year-old singer released her “Revival” album on Oct. 9 and has seen great commercial success with her lead singles “Good For You” and “Same Old Love.”

“Good For You” is a lust anthem discussing getting ready to go out and looking good for her date with lyrics like, “I just wanna look good for you, good for you, uh-huh/ Let me show you how proud I am to be yours.”

On the other hand, “Same Old Love” is a melody describing a jaded perspective when it comes to love. The assertive track features the lyrics, “I don’t believe, I don’t believe it/ You left in peace, left me in pieces/ Too hard to breathe, I’m on my knees/ Right now, ‘ow.”

With her popular new album, Gomez has audibly increased her vocal ability; however, she still falls far behind many of her peers in this category. Gomez’s lyrics also generally fall towards the average side and are often a little repetitive. She displays this in her song “Me and the Rhythm” with lyrics that repeat four times consecutively: “If you feel like you’re the spark/ Then come out of the dark.”

by SEAN KIM reporter

throughout her life, have very large impacts on the film. Jobs clearly cares about Lisa, yet he constantly denies the fact that Lisa is his daughter. He even goes to greater lengths by telling her that a computer he named after her was not actually named after her, distancing the two apart. On the other hand, Lisa attempts to connect with her father.

Lisa's desperation to connect with her father and Steve Jobs's denial of paternity just shows how messy Jobs is as a person on the inside.

Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, The Social Network) is the mastermind behind all of the characters' interactions. He manages to write dialogue in a way that it keeps you on the edge of your seat. A constant machine-gun fire of words feeds the endless of chain of energy throughout the movie. It is honestly hard to take in everything at once, but that is a good thing. Sorkin has the ability to make everything flow so seamlessly; the writing in this film is nearly flawless.

Of course, none of the work on screen would have been done without Danny Boyle's directing. Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later, 127 Hours) is the man who can make a simple conversation between two characters intense. Using his ability to make any simplistic scene interesting, he provides a great pace by knowing where to cut the shot, when to go to the next scene or even when to go to the next product reveal. The only issue that I see in "Steve Jobs" is actually a question: why did Sorkin and Boyle decide to use the NeXTcube computer release instead of something like the iPhone which had a much greater impact on today's society?

In conclusion, "Steve Jobs" is a must see, portraying Jobs in a negative light while also respecting him as the man who changed much of the world we live in today by compositing a combination of many of the aspects of what makes the film good. 

by JACOB BLAIR reporter However, there are some higher-ranking lyrics as well. In her song, “Kill ‘Em With Kindness,” Gomez sings, “Your lies are bullets/ Your mouth’s a gun/ And no war in anger/ Was ever won/ Put out the fire before igniting/ Next time you’re fighting.”

While there are some strokes of genius, her album features an overwhelming majority of average lyrics. The best part of Gomez’s album is neither the vocals nor the lyrics; rather, how the music feels. The sound and feel of most songs on the album are light and energetic. Gomez’s voice provides a tranquil foreground for the beat in the background. The expert mash-up of Gomez’s peaceful voice and an excited mix in the background makes Gomez’s album worth listening to.

Gomez’s album takes on even further significance in light of her recent annoucement regarding her diagnosis of lupus. Gomez was diagnosed with lupus and began to undergo chemotherapy as a treatment in late 2013.

Her newest album far exceeds records she has released in the past and contains a versatile combination of make-up, break-up and dance medleys all maintaining a feeling of superiority. Her latest album truly is her “Revival” as she sings, “What I’ve learned is so vital/ More than just survival/ This is my revival/ This is a revival.” 

REVIEW 39

FAT H E R I N G I AM CATHOLIC. I go to church most Sundays and, although I do not necessarily enjoy each mass -- being a 17-year-old who pushes all of his homework off until Sunday afternoon -- I do identify as Catholic.

However, with the increasingly conservative views of many followers of the Catholic Church around the world, including in the U.S., I am often ashamed to call myself such. But, with the naming of a new pope who is implementing wide ranging reforms in the Church and with the acts of one priest who lives in a little chapel off Forsyth, I have hope.

Father Gary Braun, priest at the Washington University Catholic Student Center, is not an average priest. In a Catholic church that, in the decades preceding the induction of Pope Francis two years ago, had been leaning increasingly conservative, Braun stands out by leading seminars such as one entitled “Gay and Spiritual.”

The church he leads is just as unique as he is himself. Going into the Catholic Student Center (CSC) on Sundays, you won’t find a giant organ or a choir dressed in white robes. Instead, you might find someone playing the bongos standing next to someone playing the recorder in front of a choir of all ages and races. And then there is the man that made it all possible: Braun, who attributes many of his liberal views to those around him.

“It is amazing how the leader is formed by those he is leading,” Braun said. “I’ve been formed a lot by the questions and the pain of students.”

The CSC is often thought of as an aberration even with the more liberal Pope Francis leading the greater Catholic community. Braun hopes that the CSC can one day become the norm.

“I don’t want the CSC to be an aberration, I want us to be mainstream. I want the whole church to reflect what we are

trying to do,” Braun said. “This vision of how to do church, which Francis is trying to [implement] on the universal scale now, is going to make fringe those priests who get up there and scream and yell and rant about gay marriage.”

Braun was able to witness the views of the Pope when he was invited to Washington D.C. to hear the pope and President Obama speak at the White House.

“I got to be in the front row and there was nothing [in front of] me except the pope and the president and the White

OPINION

House,” Braun recalled. “It was this incredible moment. All I tried to do was memorize it.”

Looking back, Braun expressed how the experience changed his views.

“What it changed is just my hope. It really confirmed my hope for the Church,” Braun said. “The Pope is doing a remarkable job of leadership because people’s attitudes towards the Church, especially non-Catholics, are so different right now.

They are so much more positive.”

Braun was finally given the oppor-

REFORM

by Brian Gatter / sports section editor Photo by Alex Bernard

tunity to try and create this new kind of church when he was offered the job at the CSC by the archbishop of Saint Louis 25 years ago.

“I always had this vision and I always wanted to try it but I was always an associate in a parish. I never got to lead. It was so neat to try it here and have it work. I’ve been hoping and praying these 20 years that it would catch fire,” Braun said.

Father Gary, as he is most often called, is known for his devotion to students and for the unique nature of the CSC commu-

nity. Although the CSC is known to be a more liberal environment, Braun does not believe the Church should take on any political agenda.

“The only agenda we should have is the agenda of Jesus,” Braun said.

Braun is also critical of the Church putting too much emphasis on pelvic issues.

“Everything between your knees and your waist is what has mostly been promulgated by the last two popes and the last two bishops,” Braun said. “Some of the more pressing issues that the gospel is even more

41

clear about are getting shoved to the side.”

Although he does not believe the Church should take on a specific political agenda, Braun has strong views on issues of social justice that are unique within the community, including gay rights.

“The suffering of gay people, which is getting easier, is still very painful. It’s still really hard for kids to come out,” Braun said. “My goal is to take the suffering I keep seeing in gay people and the shaming [and say], ‘All those things happened to Jesus too. We’re not here to moralize about being gay or not. We are here to connect your story to the story of Jesus.’

It can really reframe your suffering so it’s not a dead end.”

Braun described what made these issues become so important to him.

“When the archbishop asked me to come and serve here, all of the sudden the issues of 18-year-olds became hugely important to me,” Braun said. “For example, women’s issues. To see the pain of women after being treated unequally either in the church or in our culture became hugely important to me. Also, gay issues. One of our eighth grade boys tried to commit suicide because he thought he was gay. I turned on a dime. I mean, you can’t be exposed to anyone’s suffering without being affected by it.”

I have been to churches where conservative agendas were pushed. I have been to a mass in which members of the community were swayed to vote one way.

I have heard of churches that have condemned homosexuality and gay marriage.

However, with places and communities like the Washington University Catholic Student Center, the Church has no excuse to stand stubbornly by its outdated opinions. There is change in store, and people like Braun will pave the way. 

PRO/CON

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L ATE START The Board of Education of the School District of Clayton’s mission statement reads as follows, “We inspire each student to love learning and embrace challenge within a rich and rigorous academic culture.” Seems easy enough. However, it is nearly impossible to love learning and embrace any challenges when a student is constantly sleep deprived.

One of the many arguments against the early release bell schedule is that it does nothing to foster healthy sleep patterns in students. Sleep deprivation is a problem at CHS with the often overworked students. The extra hour of sleep for students that the late start provides can be vital to academic success as well as the health of students. In a 1998 survey, a strong correlation between sleep deprivation and poorer grades was found.

The article from the American Psychological Association “found that students who reported that they were getting C’s, D’s and F’s in school obtained about 25 minutes less sleep and went to bed about 40 minutes later than students who reported they were getting A’s and B’s.”

Grades are not the only thing that benefit from a better sleep schedule. In 1997, the University of Minnesota collected data by pushing high school start times back an hour. This lead to students getting roughly five more hours of sleep per week. The collected data showed that these students not only had better grades and increased alertness but also showed a decrease in student reported depression.

A good night’s sleep is also essential for safety on the roads. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drowsiness and fatigue cause more than 100,000 traffic accidents each year--and young drivers are at the wheel in more than half of these crashes.

You might ask: how does a single night of sleep per month possibly have any long term effects? In a 2006 study by the medical journal Brain Research Bulletin, 51 students were tested who walked a defined route.

These same students were then shown three different views and asked to put these views in sequential order along the walk. Then the students were split into one group that was retested after one night’s sleep and one group that was retested after a night of sleep deprivation. Results found that even a single good night of sleep can drastically increase spatial memory consolidation, an important tool for retaining information in class.

The data pours in constantly on this issue and yet the Board of Education, which prides itself on helping students succeed in a rigorous academic culture, is actively hindering the progress of students by turning a blind eye to this distinctly clear data.

Sleep, however, is not the only issue of student-safety that directly conflicts with the idea of early release. A myriad of data also conveys that student drug and alcohol use happens more often on these early release Fridays than any other time. Data, such as a study done by the Afterschool Alliance, clearly shows that throughout the United States the most likely time for students to use drugs and alcohol is the unsupervised time when their parents are still at work.

A study done by the journal of adolescent health showed that the amount of time unsupervised by parents lead to an increased risk of tobacco, alcohol and marijuana use at the end of a high school day.

OPINION 42

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by BRIAN GATTER section editor The early release bell schedule increases the amount of time that students have before their parents come home from work, which in turn increases both the number and frequency of student alcohol or drug use.

However, all of the data behind this claim is being blatantly ignored for one thing: convenience. The main goal of the Board should be to facilitate learning and decrease risk of student endangerment. If the Board feels as though these early releases add to the positive and trusting atmosphere surrounding CHS and the surrounding district, so be it. If they feel as though giving students the opportunity to leave school early gives them a learning experience in any way, there can be value in that. However, if the answer that a group of well-educated adults have for why no change is being implemented is that “early release is simply more convenient for parents,” that is hard to swallow.

When the District puts the wants of parents above the greater good for students in the community, it no longer follows our district’s mission statement. Instead by blindly accepting the wants of parents, the District will actively obstruct the success of students both academically and in their lives.

However, there is a compromise that can appease both parties. An early release on a non-Friday would not only decrease drug and alcohol use, but also give more students time to complete homework, leading to more sleep. This compromise would also not interrupt the early morning schedule of parents and place the professional development that occurs for teachers during early release at a time more suited for them.

The data supporting the idea of a late start rather than an early release cannot and should not be ignored any longer. The Board of Education needs to try and ignore their own premonitions, as well as their own conveniences as parents, and take action to address the clear data that point out tremendous flaws in the early release plan. 

E A R LY R E L E A S E On early release Fridays, only one thing is of concern for most students of Clayton High School: where to go for lunch once that final bell rings. Early release days, for students, are generally days that are easy going, with minor quizzes scattered throughout, and students excited to get out early at 12:55 p.m. instead of the usual, dreaded 3:05.

On the other hand, during late start Wednesdays, most students do not have a drastic change to their day; however, many find it hard to find a ride to school, especially the elementary students who have to rely on their parents for rides to the Captain, Glenridge, or Meramec elementary schools. Many elementary students arrive at school extremely early and have nothing to do before classes start, which can seem like a drowsy inconvenience due to the fact that parent’s schedules can not adjust to that of the District’s.

However, an underlying argument for pro late start is that students are more inclined to abuse alcohol and drugs after school, especially if the early release is on a Friday. According to certain adults, students are more inclined to doing these things just because they have the time to use drugs or consume alcohol, and early release Fridays seem like a great time to do so.

Furthermore, the majority of people within the District are more for early release. In May of 2015, the Board of Education sent out a survey to the Clayton School District, asking the voluntary participants whether they prefered an early release or late start schedule. The Board deduced that about two-thirds of the District preferred having early release days.

This allowed the Board to officially implement an early release schedule, after the successful “trial” 2014-2015 school year.

The most important reason that the School District switched to an early release schedule is for parental convenience. While many students at CHS can drive themselves to school, most of the District cannot. To many parents late start seems to have no use and is even less beneficial for morning routines. Stephanie Abbajay, a Clayton parent, expressed her views on the issues. “In my opinion, I MUCH prefer the early release to

(Photo by Jolena Pang)

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by ALEX DARMODY and DIMA BALDAUF the late start. Late starts seemed to really mess with our days, especially when it came to work schedules. It’s much easier to find child care after an early release than for a late start. ” Even if a student doesn’t need childcare after school, parents still seem to like early release a bit more regarding time with their families. Alison Hoette, another Clayton parent, says: “I prefer early release days so that I am able to do fun activities with my kids like going to the pumpkin patch, zoo or Magic House on days when they may not be as crowded.”

As well as the convenience to students, the early release schedule is more sensible for Clayton staff. Dr. Sean Doherty, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, says: “When [the staff] had their professional development in the morning, they knew that by nine or nine-fifteen they had to stop because students were coming. In the afternoon, often times, it’s a more relaxed feeling.”

Doherty represents most of the staff’s opinion--an overwhelming 64.44 percent who prefer the early release schedule over the late start schedule. On the other hand, a mere 17.96 percent prefer late start, and 12.68 percent have no preference. An almost equivalent amount of staff members prefer the late start as to those who frankly do not care.

With a late start day, however, less time is available for professional development. Chris Tennill, the Chief Communications Officer for the District said, “If we go back to late start, it would be four [days a year] because [the schedule] wouldn’t be the same late start model we had before.” This change would mean that there were less hours of furthering the staff’s education, and in turn the students’ own education.

Concerning the issues of elementary school students incapable of getting home on early release days, schools around St. Louis have begun interactive programs where younger students can get a ride from SchoolPool, an organization started in 1994 and run by the Madison County Transit in Illinois. This program is setup to provide a free carpool option for students K-12. Although the program is not necessarily well known, it is used in the School District of Clayton and pamphlets can even be found in the front office of the administrative building.

The idea of more partying on early release Fridays is a seemingly clever argument, but it lacks to capture the full picture. For the upperclassmen, parties are a commonplace weekend activity. This is the culture of not just Clayton High School but of any school with older adolescents. Of course exceptions exist and the frequency of partying can vary, but the main idea is that this is a recurring pattern by students that will happen regardless of school scheduling. Furthermore, the goal of the school is to reprehend actions that go against student safety, and by enforcing a late start schedule to denounce the actions of select part of the population, the school would reject this goal, which is not the image Clayton want to mirror.

It is easy to see that the early release schedule is beneficial to the School District in every aspect: staff, student, and parent. At this point in time, no genuine reason for reverting to the late start schedule exists, especially since it would not be implemented until 2017-2018 at the earliest. For now, early release trumps late start, allowing families to benefit from their communities. 

STAFF EDITORIAL: MENTAL HEALTH IN THE MEDIA The Globe staff examines the stereotypical -- and often incorrect -- perceptions of mental health that are frequently exacerbated by the media.

In TV series “Skins,” character Effy Stonem’s manic depression and suicidal emotions are portrayed by her hanging up magazine pictures of death, cutting herself and having breakdowns.

Effy becomes dark, depressed and gorgeous as her boyfriend runs to her rescue throughout it all. That’s not always how it works.

In “Pretty Little Liars,” Hannah Marin is shown to have bulimia in an effort to be thin and popular. Previously depicted as “hefty Hannah,” Hannah’s result is a skinny girl who begins to wear glamorous clothes and gain self-confidence due to her weight loss. That’s also not how it always works. Although the examples may differ, “Skins” and “Pretty Little Liars” join a long list of media portrayals romanticizing mental illness.

To people who may not have a thorough understanding of mental health, TV, movies, books and other media become one of their primary sources of information. But, when the information is inaccurately represented, false perceptions arise.

Romanticization is only one of the misrepresentations of mental illness but it happens to be very prevalent in today’s society. Even social media takes on the glorification of these mental illnesses and circulates black and white pictures of depressed characters crying into their lover’s arms, furthering the mental health stigma at a pace like never before.

When people begin to see misrepresentations,

they are desensitized to the matter at hand and thus mental illness goes from the extreme of a taboo to the extreme of “oh, everybody has it.”

Depression is seen as a common “aesthetic” in people’s lives, taking the form of black and white filters in social media. Eating disorders become a slight insecurity. Suddenly, it’s almost a competition of who has it worse -- and the worse you have it, the more appealing it is.

Truth be told, depression is not just crying under a black and white filter. It can be laying in bed for three days not being able to remember when you last showered. Anxiety is not just getting nervous and fixing it all up with a hug. It may be feeling like vines are growing upon your lungs and an overload to the system is going to make it crash. Eating disorders are not just skinny girls afraid to eat that salad.

They’re often filled with nausea, dizziness, and not being able to swallow, because one look makes you want to lose it all again.

In the media, these things people endure are cast aside and disregarded. Public perception begins to view mental illness as a fad, an aesthetic to aspire to have and the true brutality is concealed.

To get out of this misunderstanding, there is only one way. Stop making other’s pain appealing. Stop desensitizing society to others’ pain. Stop romanticizing the toll mental illness forces someone to pay. 

art by Victoria Yi

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STAFF EDITORIAL: OPEN CAMPUS Amid recent discussion regarding the possibility of closing campus as a way to better account for the activities of students during the school day, the Globe staff looks at the potential consequences of closing campus.

Students cherish open campus. It provides a sense of freedom, allowing students an easy access to leave the restricting boundaries of school for things such as a quick stroll to lunch. This tradition is Clayton’s trademark, a way to help tie the community together with its students. Businesses in downtown Clayton welcome the high school students as they leave campus to grab a quick bite. By having this connection, the open campus allows a deeper bond and involvement with the community.

Yet some Clayton parents fear open campus. They question the integrity of the students, believing that these students are much more interested in leaving campus to engage in illegal activities, such as alcohol and drug use.

Parents worry for the safety of their children. Those same kids crave that sense of independence beyond the doors of CHS. But the debate behind keeping open campus stems beyond these superficial ideas. While these may seem important, the open campus holds more meaning than this. In fact, the open campus reflects the image CHS holds for its students and what its administration expects from its students.

Educate. Inspire. Empower. This is Clayton High School’s own tagline, held with heads high and school pride. Yet, the refusal of open campus to its students is contradictory to its statement. How can students be empowered if we are not granted the opportunity to even voice our own opinions and expressions? The allowance of open campus is a declaration by the school district, placing its trust in its students to be the upstanding people of character they were raised to be.

The idea of trust is empowering to students. It holds us to our actions, as young adults, as we prepare to enter college and society beyond. Without this sense of trust, the action fosters an environment where students are inefficient beings, while administrative members and teachers are unable to find trust and belief in their students, which creates a cold, isolated and exclusive environment and goes against Clayton’s belief on inclusiveness. To refuse open campus suggests that students are untrustworthy, irresponsible and incapable of being mature adults, contrary to the values

by which we were raised by the parents worrying over our safety.

How convenient it must be for some Clayton parents to influence the environment of the high school, a building they lack the personal connection with. High school is the student’s sanctuary, not the parent’s. This is where we, as rising members of society, spend the majority of our day. To have an external force dictating what we can and cannot do is not only restraining, but offensive and belittling. By refusing open campus for us, as young adults, Clayton parents are still babying and hovering over their kids. This action assumes that we, as students, require the influence of parents in our daily lives. From the overprotective nature of parents, Clayton students will grow to be naive, overshadowed and unprepared for the reality of the world. Every person is held responsible and accountable for their actions, not held in a little, preventative bubble.

The high school administration holds great pride in the student body.

We are the rising future, the legacy of Clayton. By entrusting us with open campus, this speaks beyond our desires to walk to Chipotle for lunch. This speaks of the independence and free will that the administration grants us. This empowers us as we recognize that all of our actions have direct consequences. Whether or not we abuse this freedom speaks to the character of who we are. We could be a disappointing failure, going against the values of Clayton, while we are held for our foolish actions. Or we could prove of our capability to be mature, independent adults, fit to make our own decisions, without the need of a hovering presence to watch over us.

Ultimately, students who take advantage of open campus as a way to use drugs may be suffering and require help rather than punishment. The community should aim to provide aid to those who need it. But there should be no restrictions and limitations placed on the high school community as a whole. We are looking forwards to the future, where the world needs more independent, free-thinking leaders. By granting us this trust that has been a legacy of Clayton’s, the high school can continue to live up to its mission by empowering its students. 

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A sign in front of the Church of Scientology, located near the Loop. (Photo by Ava Hoffman)

INSIDE THE CHURCH

Globe reporters take a tour of Clayton’s most controversial place of worship.

Walking into the Church of Scientology on Delmar Blvd., we were greeted with a smiling receptionist and a request to await a tour guide in the “waiting room,” a collection of three chairs squeezed into a corner behind the stairs. As we filled out a preliminary survey asking information such as our names, addresses and most prevalent issues in our lives, practicing Scientologists ran frantically up and down the stairs, laptops dangling from their fingertips and coursebooks by founder L. Ron Hubbard balanced in the crooks of their arms.

A woman with a radiating smile approached us asking if there was any particular reason for our visit. After we told her there was no specific reason that we came, besides wanting to learn more about the church, she led us to their multipurpose room where there were people sitting at tables eating lunch and holding meetings. We sat in the first row of chairs facing a podium and a TV. Our tour guide proceeded to show us about 30 minutes of promotional videos, most of which were also available on the Scientology website. She also showed us a segment on how to study efficiently, which, if purchased as part of the study improvement program, would normally cost $50. According to our guide, all introductory courses -- which new members are expected to take -- cost $50. She said that the money was entirely worth it, and it was not actually that much considering we would probably spend the same amount if we went to the Cheesecake Factory.

Higher levels of courses, we assume, cost more.

We learned about the life of L. Ron Hubbard, the facilities offered in most churches and the general beliefs and practices of scientologists. She interspersed the videos with personal stories of how she came to Scientology in her 40s and how the church has helped her to overcome various struggles in life. Just the week prior to our visit, a psychiatry-style session focused on deriving mental roadblocks caused by stressful past events had helped her to increase her reading speed significantly.

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by ALEX BERNARD and OLIVIA JOSEPH reporter editor-in-chief

Following the initial information session in the multipurpose room, we toured the rest of the building. There were rooms which held one-onone pastoral counseling, rooms where people were self-teaching themselves individual courses, an office dedicated to the late L. Ron Hubbard and a wing for the purification process, which included a sauna, treadmills and a profusive amount of niacin. The niacin is provided to help toxins be released through the skin in a myriad of itchy rashes. Scientologists know that the purification is complete, and that they can therefore discontinue the consumption of niacin, when the rashes have gone away. The scientologist that partakes in the purification the most frequently at the St. Louis Church of Scientology repeats the process once every five years.

People could be found throughout the building, and we were told that several rooms were currently off-limits to visitors because of the private sessions happening inside of them. In the studying rooms, adults furiously sculpted clay and organized stones that were said to aid in the learning process. As we had learned in the video on studying skills, scientologists believe that a large reason that memorizing is so difficult to students is because the information that people are learning is not easily visualizable. Playing with stones and clay is supposed to eradicate that issue.

Our guide explained to us that they are planning to move the Church of Scientology to a new location, and the church will be bigger and better.

She was excited to say that everyone will soon be seeing ads for Scientology popping up on the media, and the church will hopefully have enough money to have big busses going around town advertising Scientology.

We left our visit -- which ended up comprising about an hour and a half of our Saturday -- with more information on Scientology and a surprising lack of obligation to return or devote heinous amounts of time or money to the church. Although some questionable sights were seen within the ominous stone walls of the church, we can vouch for the fact that, currently, the St. Louis Church of Scientology is not looking to take advantage of young Clayton students. 

THINGS

S PHIE a column by SOPHIE ALLEN, opinion section editor

H AT E S

Daylight savings has had its time in the sun, but the United States no longer has a use for “springing forward” or “falling back.”

On the first of November, Americans gained an hour of sleep for no reason other than the fact that we all decided to change our clocks on the same day at the same time to shift our hours of sunlight around.

When almost all of my time is spent inside, looking at a computer screen no less, I honestly couldn’t notice a change in the amount of daylight I have each day. So why do we do it?

We get to thank world wars for the origin of “daylight savings” time. In both World War I and World War II, the citizens of the United States agreed to change their clocks twice a year to save energy and electricity on the homefront so we could spend it on war-related things. Which makes sense.

In 1966, we passed the “Uniform Time Act,” permanently instating daylight savings time across the nation every year. Which makes no sense.

Arizona realized America’s incredible blunder one summer after the law was passed.

According to an article posted on USA Today, “[Arizona] state residents realized what an awful idea it was to have more sunlight in the evening. Longer sunlight means more air conditioning and more energy used … In a nearly unanimous vote, Arizona legislators agreed to opt out of daylight saving time in 1968.”

And honestly… why not? While daylight savings time made sense to conserve energy in the early 1900s, it is no longer necessary we use that system. As Arizona realized, post-war America was no longer concerned about using daylight instead of electricity in the eve-

nings. Lightbulbs had been invented! Air conditioning was in every home! The country was well on its way to being fully developed, and adding or subtracting an hour of sunlight wasn’t going to make any difference.

Now, in 2015, that hour matters even less. The most we get out of “springing forward” or “falling back” is an hour more or less of sleep, eliciting either excitement or complaints from residents across the nation (except, of course, Arizona). With an extra hour of daylight in the evenings, we are no more inclined to turn our electric lights off, put down our cell phones or till the backyard farm any more than we normally would be.

In fact, the sleep that we gain or lose can have detrimental effects on our circadian rhythm. Our bodies have a kind of biological clock that controls when we feel naturally sleepy or energized throughout the day, usually depending on sunlight. Changing our daylight exposure by even an hour can throw us off for days.

This is especially true if we’re already sleep deprived. As a student, losing an hour in the spring means feeling like my sleep schedule is thrown off for the rest of the school year. Perhaps a bit dramatic, but altogether true of a person who normally gets two hours less than the recommended amount without considering the “spring forward.”

Daylight savings had its place in American history. In American present, however, not so much. Unless they’d like to add or subtract an hour in the middle of my school day twice a year. Then we can talk. 

(Ellen Creager/Detroit Free Press/MCT)

RedKey Realty Leaders St. Louis is Seeking All Do-Gooders!

Nominate a student, teacher, coach, or friend who is making Clayton High School a better place by sending an email to contest@redkeystlouis.com. Include your name and phone number, your nominee’s name, and a description of what good deeds your nominee has done well.

Each month, RedKey will loan our limo (and driver) to the winner to honor the individual’s commitment to service.

Ready, set...NOMINATE. 314-692-7200 RedKeyStLouis.com 10333 Clayton Road | Saint Louis 63131